Original stories from the UrbanCincy team.
Fox 19 will be broadcasting their morning show live on Fountain Square tomorrow morning from 7am to 8am. The broadcast will be quite similar to the Today Show which is outdoors on Rockefeller Center in New York.
There will also be a band from next week’s MidPoint Music Festival performing live on the Square. If you’re already going to be Downtown you might want to swing by for this fun event. If you’re not already Downtown, then you might want to make it a fun Friday morning by swinging by.
University of Cincinnati students, faculty, and staff have enjoyed free or discounted rides on Cincinnati’s Metro bus service since 2007. The original deal allowed anyone with a valid UC ID card (“Bearcat card”) to ride for free by simply showing his or her ID.
In 2008, some changes were made to the program, requiring students, faculty, and staff to obtain a free quarterly UC*Metro card. This change was made in order to prevent abuse to the program from people with invalid UC ID cards. Eventually, the terms of the program changed, requiring a small fee for these cards.
The UC*Metro deal has been renewed for the 2009-10 school year, with some additional changes:
Looking for an opportunity to enjoy some fabulous wine while supporting a good cause and doing all on top of the Ohio River? Well then Wine Over Water is for you as the wine tasting event will be held on the Purple People Bridge on Saturday, September 19 from 7pm to 10pm and will raise money to repaint the pedestrian/event bridge hosting the event.
The Newport Citizens Advisory Council is hosting the event and says that in addition to raising money to repaint Cincinnati’s second oldest existing river span, it will also raise money for the ECHO Soup Kitchen.
Event organizers say that participants will be sampling a selection of international wines and a variety of offerings from Cincinnati’s best wineries. Many of the local wineries present will also have bottles of wine for sale at the event if you taste one you particularly enjoy. There will also be hors d’oeuvres, live music, and a commemorative tasting glass all for just $20 in advance ($25 at the door). Tickets can be purchased in person at Kentucky Haus (10th & Monroe in Newport) or online here. A valid ID (must be 21 years of age) is required to be admitted to the event.
Of course, you can’t expect UrbanCincy to skip over one of the biggest parties of the year can you? Oktoberfest is upon us as six blocks of downtown Cincinnati will be transformed into the largest German party this side of Munich on Saturday & Sunday. Reminding our readers to find their way down would be very simple, but hopefully you’ve come to expect a little more than that from us here.
First off, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, as it officially called, has received large amounts of critical acclaim through the years. In the past both USA Today and AskMen.com have ranked our version of this German party as one of the best festivals in the country, and this year DigitalCity says we are number one! While DigitalCity may not be the most mainstream outlet out there, isn’t awfully nice to know that yet again Cincinnati is garnering the respect and attention it deserves?
Think Oktoberfest is just a time to come down and wander through the streets while sipping a cold one? Think again! There are all kinds of activities planned for the weekend including a few lead up events on Fountain Square both Thursday and Friday over the lunch hour. Additionally this year there is the HYPE Haus Party, which does cost a bit of money for entry but looks to be a great time as it includes both a beer sampling, and a light buffet among other things.
So now you know the critical acclaim, as well as all the other activities that go along with Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, but what is probably most important is that this weekend 500,000 people will descend on what we know is an urban city center that is supremely different than it was even a year or two ago. For all of the positive press that Cincinnati has received, and all the work that has been done, this should really be a time to show off and have a great time with half a million of our closest friends! Those of us that are strong and vocal advocates for all that has been happening should make sure that we get the story out and help everyone else see all the great things going on around outside the mini-Munich on Fifth Street that will be there for two days.
What else do you need to know? Well, make sure you bring an appetite as tons of food will be served and more than a few beers will be poured so don’t forget to come thirsty too. And oh yeah, keep an eye out for native son Jim Koch of Sam Adams fame, TV’s biggest beer man, from Cheers it’s George Wendt, and some guy named Homer will be around too. Prost!
Oktoberfest photo by Jayson Gomes of Cincy Images.
This week marks the fall version of Greater Cincinnati Independents Restaurant Week. This semi-annual event held by GCI gives diners a chance to get out and try out locally owned restaurants for the very reasonable price of $26.09. What’s $26.09 get you? Most places have set up a prix fixe menu that features three courses, though some of the more casual places offer up dinner for two for $26.09.
Borrowing the idea from other cities such as New York & San Francisco, thirty-three locally owned Greater Cincinnati restaurants are giving you the opportunity to get out and try something new this week. At such a reasonable price, this affords all of us the chance to go support a locally owned spot that we may not have had a chance to yet. Many of the places on the list give you at least a few choices for all three courses, so even though it is prix fixe there is some flexibility in what you order. Additionally, the full menu is available as well, but you will have to pay full price.
Aside from the news & menus for this week, the GCI site does a wonderful job letting you know why it is important to support your local establishment and also offers a discounted gift certificate program in case you can’t find your way out this week (or more likely, can’t get to all the spots you want to). So, to all foodies & non-foodies alike, get out between now and September 20 to eat some good food and support your neighbors that help to give the Greater Cincinnati area “smart culinary options.”
Lavomatic Cafe photo by 5chw4r7z.