COVINGTON, Ky. – Today has been National Dessert Day. Assuming you gave yourself permission to go to your favorite culinary venue in our fair hamlet on the Ohio and order dessert before dinner, now it’s time to set your weekend agenda.
And it WILL take time, because the list of fun possibilities on Saturday alone will elicit an “OMG: So. Much. To. Do.” reaction.
This weekend presents a blend of self-care (a FREE vaccination clinic, a two-hour hike, Reiki and restorative yoga) … self-indulgence, which is always warranted (a road trip with someone else doing the driving, a vessel for your bourbon tumbler, and the revival of a wine festival) … a block party (with pumpkins) … a fall festival (with pumpkins) … a Day of the Dead festival (with pumpkins) … and inexpensive tacos, candy, art with (yes, pumpkins).
We’re not playing “which one of these is not like the other.” Rather, we’re describing tacos available here in The Cov (and trust us, Brussels sprouts do belong in a taco).
The geography of Cincinnati Taco Week crosses that wide Ohio River. So, now through Sunday, get yourself a $2 taco right here in The Cov.
Participating restaurants include Olla Taqueria Gutierrez, The Standard, Frida 602, and Agave & Rye). Details, HERE.
Cincinnati Bengals and local health organizations are teaming up against COVID-19 with a FREE vaccination clinic Saturday at Holmes High School. Here’s the “playbook” …
· Vaccines are FREE to anyone 12 and older, no matter where you live.
· From 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
· In the Holmes Fieldhouse (aka gym) at 2500 Madison Ave.
· All three vaccines are available, plus boosters, if you’re eligible.
Score some food, music … giveaways. Maybe snap a photo with some former Bengals: Anthony Munoz … Jim Breech … David Fulcher … Solomon Wilcots … Robert Jackson … and David Wilkins … and get an autograph or two.
More, HERE. (Editor’s note: The writer fell short of a first down with all those football and sports puns.)
Lace up your most durable kicks for Saturday’s two-hour trek along the Devou Backcountry Trails’ Benny Vastine Trail.
It’s the final hike of the season for Cov Parks & Rec’s Urban Hike Series, so go now or wait until 2022.
The hike starts at 10 a.m. Plan for a mild to moderate pace along less than three miles. Details, HERE.
Braxton Brewing celebrates the return of its fan-favorite Berliner Weisse with a veritable pub crawl on wheels Saturday of their four local tap rooms.
Start your journey at any taproom (Covington, Bellevue, Cincinnati, or Fort Mitchell), where you’ll grab a passport and a shuttle schedule. Fill the passport with stamps and you’ve got a shot at winning a $250 Airbnb gift card, a $250 gas card, and a case of Braxton “Roadtrip” that you’ll most certainly “enjoy responsibly.”
No need to pack snacks – there’s a food and beverage pairing at each location.
The first shuttle leaves at 1 p.m. Details, HERE.
Now here’s a way to spend your Saturday: making your very own, custom-designed Clay Bourbon Tumbler.
This is no time to question your skill. Besides, there’s an instructor for this. (But please banish that image of Patrick Swayze cradling your hands at the potter’s wheel right now).
Odds are if you can hold a glass of bourbon and lift it to your lips, you can build your own delivery vessel for our Native Spirit at Baker Hunt Art & Cultural Center. (Seriously, how cool?)
And you get to make a set – one for you and someone you appreciate, or one for you to sip from when the other is dirty.
All skill levels welcome, but you have to be at least 21. Details, HERE.
Have you’ve seen the price of pumpkins? Don’t turn down this offer.
That little treat is just one of many at the family-friendly Fall Fest 2021 in Austinburg on Saturday, where there will be free food and games, live music, and vendors like Sonya’s Treasures, Ayuanna Extreme, Sexy Fruit and Veggie Lady (aren’t you curious?), and more.
Event runs from noon through 5 p.m. at 401 E. 20th St. And please wear your mask. More, HERE.
Also on Saturday in Austinburg (this one’s at the park), The Center for Great Neighborhood’s “Day of the Dead & Halloween Celebration” will feature a lot of things for kids: bounce-house fire station… a light-up skeleton they can take home (designed by local artist Stacey Vest) … face painting … candy … arts and crafts … and more. Costumes strongly encouraged.
(As for adults, we predict they will see the bounce-house fire station and be tempted to ascend the inflatable ladder and jump their ever-lovin’ mind … but don’t. Cameras are everywhere and, well, it’s for the kids.)
Adults do get to make some art (Artswave is a sponsor, and artists Stacey Vest and Charlotte Reed will be there) and weigh in with their ideas, concerns, and aspirations for the neighborhood, because this event is also about bringing residents together for some Eastern Corridor community building. Expect the Center for Great Neighborhoods to be all ears (and candy).
More, HERE and HERE.
Meanwhile, maintaining the Halloween spirit (yes, we said “spirit”): Latonia will have its own Halloween Block Party on Saturday as well, with its annual family-friendly event featuring a costume contest, carriage rides, live music, games, trick-or-treat, and a petting zoo.
It runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Ritte’s Corner, with the contest at 3 p.m.
Purple Paisley, Local Artisan Shop’ will close its parking lot Saturday so you can show off your Picasso-like skills (in chalk, of course).
And, as for chalk, bring your own. Work solo … or maybe collab with friends … the point is to make some art in a space of up to 8-foot square.
It’s free, kid-friendly, and open to all. But space is limited, so get yours early. (It starts at 10:30 a.m.) Details, HERE.
It’s that time of year, so Crafts & Vines and John R. Green Lofts are resurrecting a beloved ghost – The Village Winefest.
Expect an eclectic mix of more than 75 domestic and international wines for your sipping pleasure on Saturday on the MainStrasse 6th Street Promenade.
Partners include Liquor City Uncorked and ROMA: Residents of MainStrasse Association.
Event runs from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets and details, HERE.
And since a good bouquet (not the cork-sniffin’ kind but the fistful of flowers kind) pairs nicely with wine, Scarlet Begonia’s Flower Truck rolls up at 3 p.m. More, HERE.
Ah, that old pull of the moon …
If you blame/credit your mood (good or bad) on a waxing gibbous, waning, or full moon, it might behoove you to be in the know about when and what phases are occurring (no one is singling you out, Moon in Capricorn folks, but … keep reading!)
What better way to be prepared than to have your own phases of the moon canvas and hang it where you – and those around you – can see it every day?
Even better, create your own. Local Studio 325 will teach you how on Saturday. Their Phases of the Moon painting workshop cost is $45, and materials are provided. Details, HERE.
If you fit even an ounce of the above activities into your schedule, you’re due a day of relaxation.
Heed these four magical words: Reiki and Restorative Yoga. Sage Collective pairs these two on Sunday at 6 p.m. Wind down from the busy weekend, and relax going into the week.
All levels of energy-seekers will find details HERE.
VooDoo at Madison Live on Friday, HERE … An-Ten-Nae Medicine Tour on Saturday at Madison Live, HERE … Karaoke is back at Bar 32 on Sunday, HERE.
And then there’s … An FCC Shuttle from Molly Malone’s Irish Pub on Saturday, HERE … Sip, shop, and make a difference Saturday for the Sohza Sister Circle at soHza Sister Fair Trade boutique, with the YWCA benefiting, HERE … Check out the fall harvest Saturday morning at the Covington Farmers Market, HERE … Fall Into Comedy at The Madison Theater on Saturday, HERE … and join in on a Pickup Street Hockey Game at Barb Cook Park on Saturday morning, HERE.
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