Tag: downtown

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Arts & Entertainment News

2010 Cincy Blues Fest to entertain crowds at Sawyer Point this weekend

This weekend Sawyer Point will have a bluesy vibe as the Cincy Blues Fest returns for 2010 starting Friday night at 5pm. The event will bring top-notch blues talent to the Cincinnati central riverfront for two consecutive nights, and raise money for a local music education program.

Hosted by the Cincy Blues Society, this festival has been an annual event for many years now and offers Cincinnatians and visitors a chance to experience some great blues music for a low price all in one place. Blues lovers and music enthusiasts can purchase tickets for $10 on Friday and $15 on Saturday which has more than two hours of music starting at 2:30pm and going until midnight.

More than 40 national and local acts will take to four stages over the two day event. The Budweiser Main Stage will feature national acts both nights, as well as, a special performance by Blues Society’s Blues in the Schools program. Blues in the Schools brings accomplished area musicians into local schools to educate students about the history and significance of blues music, and is the main benefactor of the festival.

On Friday, Cincy Blues Fest will partner with the Gulf Restoration Network to raise awareness and funds for Gulf Coast and wetlands restoration efforts in a New Orleans-themed night called Pardi Gras. Saturday’s special performance features a tribute to one of the founders of Jazz music, Jell Roll Morton, with special Boogie-Woogie performances all day long. Additionally, the local blues scene will be featured on the St. Vincent de Paul stage all weekend long. Beer, wine, barbecue, and Cajun cuisine will also reportedly be available for purchase.

Festival organizers state that close to 400 volunteers help make the event possible each year. Those interested in signing up to volunteer can sign up online, or do so by contacting Tammy Reams at (513) 405-5868 or cincybluesvolunteers@gmail.com. A volunteer orientation party is scheduled for Thursday, August 5 at 7pm under the arches at Sawyer Point.

The 2010 Cincy Blues Fest will take place at Sawyer Point (map) in downtown Cincinnati. Limited automobile parking is available nearby. Lots of free off-street bicycle parking is available, and the event is accessible by Metro bus service (plan your trip). Refer to the festival’s website for discounted ticket information for children and Blues Society members.

Categories
News Politics Transportation

Three hybrid buses to be added to Metro’s fleet

The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) will debut three new hybrid buses on Thursday, August 5.  The new buses will join a Metro bus fleet that is seeing the number of environmentally friendly buses grow with the help of federal funding through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“As Metro’s fleet gets greener, Cincinnati’s air gets cleaner” said Marilyn Shazor, Metro’s CEO. “Mass transit itself is an important and easy way to go green, and our hybrid buses illustrate our system’s commitment to environmental responsibility.”

Metro officials have estimated that in the first year of operation, the existing six hybrid buses have reduced greenhouse gases by 190 tons, provided 330,000 “green” rides, traveled 210,000 miles, and saved the transit agency 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

The savings are particularly important as transit officials look to deal with fewer people riding transit due to the economy, and lower financial contributions from the City of Cincinnati’s earnings tax which contributes 3/10th of one percent of that tax. In addition to the economic benefits, officials see the growing hybrid fleet as a positive for the local environment.

“Smog is a problem in the Cincinnati area and Metro’s purchase of cleaner, lower emission buses is a positive step toward helping clean up our air,” said Cory Chadwick, Director of the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services. “In fact, everyone can help by increasing their use of public transportation, especially by choosing to ride a diesel-hybrid bus with significantly lower exhaust emissions, better fuel economy, and a quieter ride than a standard diesel bus.”

The new hybrid buses will be on display at Ault Park (map) from 10am to 11am, and on Fifth Street between Walnut and Main (map) from 12pm to 1pm. Metro now has nine hybrid buses in its fleet, with another four to be added in fall 2010.

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Month in Review

Month in Review – July 2010

Christian Moerlein Lager House

July was an exciting month in Cincinnati, with lots of news on major construction projects in the urban core. The Cincinnati Streetcar received a large federal grant, meaning construction will begin this fall. There were articles on Great American Tower, which is nearing completion, and the Christian Moerlein Lager House brewpub, now under construction in the Cincinnati Riverfront Park. David Ben completed his four-part series on how the reconstruction on Fort Washing Way in the late 1990s is paying off today.

UrbanCincy’s top 5 articles for the month of July were:

  1. Moerlein Lager House to open August 2011, new details announced
    The $4 million restaurant and microbrewery will boast a large outdoor biergarten capable of seating 600 people in addition to the 500 people that can be held inside the restaurant…
  2. Cincinnati wins $25M Urban Circulator grant for modern streetcar project
    Cincinnati’s modern streetcar project has won a $25 million federal grant through the Urban Circulator Systems program. The grant was announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff as they awarded $293 million in federal funding for 53 transit projects nationwide…
  3. Fort Washington Way

    Great American Tower rises triumphantly above downtown Cincinnati
    Crews from Turner Construction Company continue to work on the finishing touches of Cincinnati’s new tallest skyscraper that will house a variety of companies including Great American Insurance for which the Great American Tower gets its name…

  4. Reconstruction of Fort Washington Way Redefined Cincinnati’s Urban Core
    The major change in the 1998 redesign came by untangling and streamlining the mess of highway on- and off-ramps. Doing so allowed the roadway to carry a greater capacity, increase safety, and dramatically decrease the total width of Fort Washington Way…
  5. Hidden Assets of Fort Washington Way Saving Taxpayers Millions of Dollars
    Those who enjoy spending their summer evenings at Great American Ball Park to watch our first-place Reds have probably seen the stairway entrances to the Riverfront Transit Center. Below Second Street, along the southern portion of FWW, lies an underground multi-modal transit facility…
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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Macy’s Music Festival headlining busy weekend in downtown Cincinnati

The Macy’s Music Festival takes place this weekend in downtown Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium. Nearly 50,000 R&B and soul fans from around the region are expected to pour into the stadium and nearby venues as they are treated to performances by Jaheim, Melanie Fiona, Teena Marie, Charlie Wilson, Cameo, K’Jon, En Vogue, Maze, Raheem DeVaughn, and Erykah Badu who was added to replace Jill Scott. The two-day music festival is expected to have a local economic impact of $20 million.

Jill Scott canceled her appearance at this year’s festival after learning of an illness in the family. Her absence is certainly a loss for the festival, but the addition of Erykah Badu is one of the few replacements that is able to fill Scott’s proverbial shoes in the festival lineup.

The music festival is complimenting a host of other events that are expected to keep Cincinnati’s center city packed all weekend long.  One such event is the annual convention for the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA) which is expected to draw 5,000 people from around the world, and create an economic impact of $3 million.  The first-place Reds are also in town and hosting the Atlanta Braves in a three game series that is expected to draw three sell-out crowds totaling more than 120,000 fans over the weekend.

Tickets for the Macy’s Music Festival range from $48 to $88 and can be purchased online, or by calling 1-800-452-3132 for group sales.  Performances begin at 7:30pm both nights at Paul Brown Stadium (map).  In the mean time, enjoy ‘Other Side of the Game’ by Erykah Badu.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Watch This presents King Kong on Fountain Square – 7/31

“Watch This” is a plan to watch all of the American Film Institute’s top 100 films in one year.  Creators Alex Shebar and Allison Johnson are now more than half-way through their mission.  After putting on screenings in venues ranging from the 20th Century Theatre in Oakley to individuals’ homes, they are ready to take over Fountain Square for their biggest event yet.

On Saturday, July 31 at 8:30pm, Watch This will be showing the original 1933 version of King Kong on Fountain Square’s video board located atop Macy’s.  The event is free, and it is recommended you bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on.  The screening is coincides with Fountain Square’s weekly movie night that regularly draws large crowds to Cincinnati’s central plaza.  For some additional entertainment, come early and watch Over the Hedge, which will be playing at 7pm.

Adult beverages, soft drinks, Skyline cheese coneys, soft pretzels, nachos, candy bars, and kettle corn will be available for purchase.  You can RSVP for the event on Facebook, and follow the Watch This blog for a complete listing of screenings, and follow the #watchthis tag on Twitter for additional updates.