Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
There are plenty of places to go green, drink beer and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, including Fountain Square, which will offer live music, Irish food and green beer until 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Check out thislist of St. Patrick’s Day parties and go have a good time!
March Madness
March Madness kicks into high gear today with a slate of games, so it’s critical to find a sports bar with just the right combo of big TVs, beer and food. Here’s our list of the top nine bars for watching college sports. And if you would prefer to party with other sports fans (for a good cause!), the annual Starfire Final Four FlyAway is Saturday. There will be food from local restaurants, an open bar, raffles, a silent auction and live music by Hanky Panks. Proceeds will go toward supporting Starfire, a nonprofit that aims to decrease social isolation felt by people living with disabilities.
7-11 p.m. Saturday, Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. $80, $65 advance. 513-246-4157; cincyticket.com/finalfourflyaway.
Rihanna
“Work” is my ringtone, so I’m super excited to see Rihanna perform it live at U.S. Bank Arena on Saturday. Her new album, “Anti,” which is my jam, and she puts on a fantastic show. And if Drake stops by to grind, er, perform with her as he has during other shows this week, I certainly won’t mind.
7:30 p.m. Saturday. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway St., Downtown. With guest Travis Scott. $30.50-$126. http://usbankarena.com
MusicNOW Festival
See the Cincinnati Symphony in a very different mode when it partners for another intersection of classical, rock and indie music genres. MusicNOW’s director is Bryce Dessner of the National, an indie band with gold-plated credentials. Over its 10-year history MusicNOW has showcased contemporary musicians and risk-taking artists who don’t fit neatly into defined categories. Want to see where music is headed? Here’s a great chance.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday: Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Tickets: $25-$101; 513-381-3300, cincinnatisymphony.org. 7 p.m. Sunday: Cincinnati Masonic Center Auditorium, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. Tickets: $30; musicnowfestival.org
Collaboration Beer Tapping
Jon Weiner, co-owner of Northside Yacht Club and former general manager at Japps Since 1879, and Bryant Goulding, co-owner of Rhinegeist, knew they would eventually make a beer together. The two met when Rhinegeist was canning its first beer back in 2013. Rhinegeist held one of its first tapping events at Japps’ sister bar Neons and the men quickly bonded over their love of beer and the growing food and beverage scene in Cincinnati. Now Weiner and Goulding have created the recipe for Dinghy, a complex pale ale featuring Idaho 7, Mosaic and Simcoe hops, a formula of ingredients from a Goulding family recipe. To celebrate the tapping of Dinghy, join Rhinegeist at Northside Yacht Club on Saturday for an all-day celebration featuring Northside Yacht Club’s legendary house-smoked wings, live music -- and plenty of Dinghy.
Starts at noon Saturday. Northside Yacht Club, 4227 Spring Grove Ave., Northside. Free admission. For details, check out the event on Facebook.
Original Italian Dinner
It’s a longtime tradition, and it’s a delicious one. Sacred Heart Church is hosting its big Italian Dinner at noon on Sunday, and the menu hasn’t changed: It’s still the same homemade ravioli, meatballs, sauce and spaghetti that church volunteers have been serving for more than 100 years. Get there early; there’s sure to be a long line, but it’s worth the wait.
Noon Sunday. Sacred Heart Church, 2733 Massachusetts Ave., Camp Washington. Carryout begins at 10 a.m.; dining room opens at noon. $12, $5 children. 513-541-4654. For details, check out the event on Facebook.
Cincinnati Ballet
The Cincinnati Ballet will grace the stage at the Aronoff this weekend, but they will not be alone. “Wild Sweet Love,” a collaboration with BalletMet Columbus, will be a triple-bill performance featuring contemporary music from Lou Reed to Aretha Franklin to Queen, George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?” and BalletMet’s performance of “Age of Innocence.”
8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. $32-$105. http://cballet.org
Art on Vine
Art on Vine returns on Sunday featuring the work of more than 60 local artists at Rhinegeist Brewery. There will be food from Skyline Chili, Holtman’s Donuts and A Tavola, plus plenty of cool items that will make you want to break out your wallet.
1-7 p.m. Sunday. Rhinegeist Brewery, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free admission. For more details, check out the event’s Facebook page.
Finally, here’s a recommendation from arts writer Maria Seda-Reeder:
‘30 Americans’
The Cincinnati Art Museum's "30 Americans" exhibit features the work of 31 contemporary black artists who navigate the choppy waters of what it means to be “American” in a rapidly shifting socio-political landscape. (Yes, 31, despite the name.) The exhibit is typically organized by each hosting institution in loose categories, and this version at the CAM includes three overarching themes: class and economy, the body politic, and myths and caricatures.
Opens 11 a.m. Saturday. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive. Free admission. www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org
