The 2019 BLINK festival included light shows and music.

4-night festival returns to The Cov, Cincinnati on Oct. 13-16

COVINGTON, Ky. – Covington’s downtown will be the scene of creative madness and a sensory blitzkrieg when the wildly popular BLINK art and light festival returns to the region for four evenings next week.

The free outdoor festival spans the Ohio River, encompassing much of Cincinnati’s and Covington’s downtowns.

If 2022 is anything like 2019, massive crowds will be walking downtown streets from Thursday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Oct. 16, requiring road and bridge closures, parking restrictions, and special boundaries (more on that below). The event runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. all four nights.

Covington will “host” more than a dozen light projections and art features, plus music and two designated outdoor hospitality zones – one in the Roebling Point district and one on the south side of Seventh Street near Braxton Brewing Co. BLINK is meant to be enjoyed on foot, not by car.

“BLINK is an incredible event with a lot to see, but whether you live in the area, work here, or just plan to visit, you will need to plan ahead to know how to navigate it,” City Manager Ken Smith said.

To help in that effort, City of Covington has created a Navigating BLINK webpage that will be continuously updated with information related to roads, rules, parking, and other issues. The festival itself has a BLINK webpage complete with a map of art features, including details on light-projected mapping sites (i.e., light shows on the sides of buildings) and a twice-a-night drone show above the Ohio River.

Smith said the City is encouraging visitors and residents to be aware of rules governing traffic and alcohol, to respect police and fire officials, and take the time to visit restaurants and other businesses in Covington.

“The Cov is a fun and quirky place, and BLINK adds to that character, but we want to ensure that this is a safe experience as well,” he said.

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