“Summertime, and the living is easy,” opens George Gershwin’s opera “Porgy & Bess,” but with so many things to do in the summer, it’s not always easy to separate the “meh” from the “yeah!” when bombarded with all the shiny choices.
Fret not, friends, because we’ve done the hard work of figuring out the best places to go and things to do so that you can have the most memorable summer ever. We’ve rounded up some recent stories that will surely make you the know-it-all when your friends ask you what there is to do in Cincinnati this summer. Now, let’s celebrate doing stuff and things again!
– Luann Gibbs, Cincinnati.com events calendar guru
Summer events you can’t miss
What’s canceled, what’s not. A look at the area’s biggest summer events of 2021: Mask mandates are being lifted, social distancing orders are easing up, and more of us have become fully vaccinated. Which means a lot of the local festivals and outdoor events we love are returning.
The ultimate Kentucky summer bucket list ☀️💙: Temperatures are heating up in the Bluegrass State, so it’s time to get outside. We rounded up the best of the outdoor (and some indoor) activities you can get into in Kentucky.
The ultimate Ohio summer bucket list ☀️❤️: The cicadas are singing and it feels like summer in the Buckeye State. COVID-19 restrictions have loosened, so use your newfound freedom to rediscover Ohio. We’ve rounded up some of the best summer highlights across the state.
Top 5 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend: June 4-6: As she does every week, events calendar guru Luann Gibbs breaks down the top 5 events (and some honorable mentions) happening this weekend in and around Cincinnati.
Pride Month events in Greater Cincinnati 🏳️🌈: June is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month, and the Cincinnati area is chock-full of celebrations all month long. Here are the whens and wheres around town.
Juneteenth events in Cincinnati fill the whole month in 2021: The official date of Juneteenth is June 19, but the Cincinnati area has events and celebrations planned throughout the entire month. The holiday celebrates the June 19, 1865, emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States.
10 places to take a hike in Greater Cincinnati: Great Parks of Hamilton County has more than 70 miles of nature, shared-use, fitness, horse and mountain bike trails, and there are plenty more to choose from across the region.
Music for the masses
Cincinnati’s 2021 concert calendar 🤘🤠: We’ve had the “pause” button pressed on live music for the past year, but we are super stoked to finally press “play” once more. Concert announcements are starting to filter in and we are excited to let you know about all the artists making a stop here in Cincinnati.
Riverbend, other Cincinnati music venues to return to full capacity this summer, mask optional: This summer, some venues in Cincinnati will reopen to shows and events at full capacity with no mask requirement for guests or staff. This includes Riverbend Music Center and PNC Pavilion, the Taft Theatre and Ballroom and the new Andrew J. Brady Icon Music Center, all owned by Cincinnati-based Music and Event Management Inc. (MEMI).
Photos: Take a look inside Cincinnati’s new Andrew J Brady Icon Music Center at The Banks: The new music venue at The Banks will host its first show at the Festival Stage with the Foo Fighters on July 28. Take an early peek at the venue.
Photos: The first look inside PromoWest’s new Ovation music venue in Newport: Ovation’s first scheduled show is also outdoors, with Lady A headlining a show including Carly Pearce, Niko Moon and Tenille Arts. Check out the digs!
Free outdoor music is BACK this summer. Here’s when and where: Summer is here, and that means it’s time to head outside for entertainment. Concerts that you would normally experience indoors seem more special when experienced under the stars with your neighbors at a local park.
All the other fun stuff
Cincinnati one of 2021’s best cities for staycations, study says: The “2021’s Best & Worst Cities for Staycations” study from WalletHub ranked 180 cities across 46 key metrics and found that Cincinnati ranked No. 10. Metrics included parks per capita to restaurant-meal costs to the share of residents who are vaccinated.
Tell us you’re from Cincinnati without telling us you’re from Cincinnati’: Readers had hilarious responses: There’s a new viral sensation – thanks to the app TikTok – asking people to say where they’re from without actually telling where they’re from. We asked our readers what makes us Cincinnatians. Hundreds of people shared the little quirks, food pride and problems that bring us all together.
Take a tour of the Cincinnati murals – without leaving your house: There are too many great murals and too many valid opinions to pick a favorite of the more than 100 ArtWorks pieces that have transformed this region in the last two decades. So, click through our gallery of some of the stunners, then plan a trip to check them out.
‘This is a destination’: First look at Kings Island’s new $27 million luxury campsite Camp Cedar: Less than a mile from Kings Island, this luxury resort comes full of amenities: two pools, including one just for adults, five different types of cottages that sleep between 4 and 8 people, RV sites, bathhouses, laundry facilities, a fitness room, a food-truck inspired entertainment center as well as a sit-down restaurant.
List of best public golf courses you can play in Greater Cincinnati, NKY, Southeast Indiana: Golfweek published its annual ranking of the best public courses across the country and there are plenty that Tri-State residents can play. While none of the courses in the top-100 public courses are within 100 miles of Cincinnati, there are still plenty that made the cut for the best public tracks in our region.
