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Crazy Cat on Crazy Quilt (Patches) by Edie Harper

Impala Daytime by Charley Harper

FALL ARTS GUIDE 2026 FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

ONE OF THE TOP

“SCHOOLS OF THE STARS” *MAY 2024

UC College-Conservatory of Music’s 2026-27 performance season highlights RUSSIAN GIANTS | CONCERT Sept. 15

BRIGADOON IN CONCERT | WITH MUSICAL THEATRE SINGERS

Sept. 25-26

INTIMATE APPAREL | PLAY Oct. 1-3

LA BOHÈME | OPERA Oct. 29-31

RENT | MUSICAL Nov. 12-14

Experience tomorrow’s

PERFORMING & MEDIA ARTS stars today

DUKE ELLINGTON’S JAZZ NUTCRACKER | CONCERT Nov. 22

FEAST OF CAROLS | CONCERT Dec. 5-6

CABARET | MUSICAL March 4-6

STAR WARS X THE PLANETS | CONCERT April 6

SAVE THE DATE MOVEABLE FEAST An evening of artistry, food and celebration beneﬁting CCM students.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22

Learn more about our upcoming season and purchase tickets online at ccm.uc.edu/onstage Questions? Email boxoﬀ@uc.edu

This is just a small preview of what’s coming up next at CCM! Performance dates and details subject to change.

Fall 2026

PUBLISHER

Ivy Bayer EDITOR IN CHIEF

John Fox ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Emma Balcom DIGITAL EDITOR

Claire Lefton LEAD DIGITAL STRATEGIST

Brianna Connock Wayman --------DESIGN DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR

Stef Hadiwidjaja ADVERTISING DESIGNERS

Mikayla Dixon, Matthew Spoleti

CELEBRATING THE HARPERS’ LEGACIES Charley and Edie Harper star in career retrospectives. BY ST E V E N ROS E N

WYNTON MARSALIS LIBERATES AMERICAN MUSIC The legend brings his new “Liberty” symphony to Music Hall.

A COLORFUL NEW NAME FOR ARTWORKS 1001 Colors revealed itself during building renovations.

BLINK AGAIN BRINGS THE LIGHTS, CAMERAS, AND ACTION Don’t miss the opening block party, permanent murals in Covington, and a giant unicorn.

ARTSWAVE EYES 100 Its centennial celebration kicks off in October.

--------DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Tony Frank ACCOUNT MANAGERS

CALENDARS 15

Paintings by Edie Harper and Charley Harper

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SENIOR MANAGER, SPONSORSHIP SALES

Chris Ohmer ---------

THEATER & DANCE New works, classics, and a Gatsby gala.

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

BUSINESS OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Vu Luong ---------

VISUAL ARTS Gallery shows, giant pumpkins, and the FotoFocus Biennial’s return.

BUSINESS COORDINATOR

PUBLISHED BY

MUSEUMS Gathering spots for every interest, from history to science to nature.

READINGS, LECTURES & COMEDY Comedians, writers, and big names like Jo Koy and Kevin Nealon.

Missy Beiting Meredith Carroll ---------

Cincinnati Media, LLC Subsidiary of Hour Media, LLC CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo --------EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING OFFICES

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE 221 E. Fourth Street, Suite 130 Cincinnati OH 45202 SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-866-660-6247

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CLASSICAL MUSIC The Symphony, Pops, choral groups, and chamber shows.

FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

LIVE CONCERTS Sting, Chance the Rapper, Los Lobos, and more shows at large and small venues.

ON THE COVER

Laura Bowling, Maggie Wint Goecke, Joe Hoffecker, Julie Poyer, Sarah Riesenberger

SCREEN & CINEMA Film festivals, outdoor movies, and live orchestral soundtracks.

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, (ISSN 0746-8 210). Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 221 E. Fourth St., Suite 130, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2026 by Cincinnati Magazine LLC, a subsidiary of Hour Media Group, 5750 New King Dr., Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without permission. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, and artwork should be accompanied by SASE for return. The magazine cannot be held responsible for loss. For subscription orders, address changes or renewals, write to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071, or call 1-866-660-6247. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send forms 3579 to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071. If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( C H A R L E Y A N D E D I E H A R P E R ) T H E C H A R L E Y A N D E D I E H A R P E R F O U N D A T I O N / ( T H E G R E A T G A T S B Y ) E VA N Z I M M E R M A N F O R M U R P H Y M A D E

Brittany Dexter

“A MUST SEE!”

OVER 60 THRILLING DISPLAYS

OPEN FOR A LIMITED TIME LEGO, and the LEGO logo, are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2026 The LEGO Group. © Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved or © UCS LLC and Amblin. © 2025 Brickman Pty. Ltd.

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1. “FISHFUL THINKING” BY EDIE HARPER 2. “GLACIER BAY, ALASKA” BY CHARLEY HARPER 3. “THE PIGEONS OF ST. MARK'S SQUARE” BY EDIE HARPER 4. “B-R-R-R-R-RDBATH” BY CHARLEY HARPER 5. “CAT CARSON—WESTERN SCOUT” BY EDIE HARPER 6. “LOOKING AT TERRESTRIAL AND CONCENTRATED UNDERGROUND LIFE AT WATER LEVEL DURING DRY SEASON” BY CHARLEY HARPER

CELEBRATING

HARPERS LEGACIES

THE

Charley and Edie Harper receive their ﬁ rst museum retrospectives in concurrent shows at the Cincinnati Art Museum and Taft Museum of Art.

BY STEVEN ROSEN

he late Charley Harper is one of Cincinnati’s most popular visual artists ever, due to his colorful, streamlined, and inventive nature art. So it isn’t surprising that the ﬁrst museum retrospective of his career arrives at Cincinnati Art Museum this fall. He’s overdue. What’s unusual is that a concurrent museum retrospective of his artist wife, the late Edie Harper—also a first—is happening at the Taft Museum of Art. And that’s a sign of her ongoing emergence as a major artist in her own right, supported by advocates in the local art world who see her talent and accomplishments on equal footing with Charley’s. The two met on their ﬁrst day as students at the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 1940; they married in 1947. Charley died in 2007 at age 84 and Edie in 2010 at 87. Neither was a Cincinnati native:

Charley was from Frenchton, West Virginia, and Edie (McKee was her family name) from Kansas City, Kansas. The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame opens October 16 at Cincinnati Art Museum and runs through March 7, 2027, featuring some 150 objects. Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play opens October 17 at the Taft Museum of Art and runs through January 24, 2027, offering about 120 artworks. Both shows will have print catalogues. While each exhibition is a product and vision of its curators, both beneﬁt from the support and assistance of Brett Harper, Charley’s and Edie’s only child as well as president of the nonproﬁt Edie and Charley Harper Foundation. With his extensive collection of their artworks and archives, as well as connections to help get art for the shows, he played a crucial role. “For me personally, it’s about the legacy,” Brett says in an interview. “I think

Charley and Edie were toe to toe in their ability and their visions. And I strongly believe in them as wonderful people and wonderful artists.” Brett is dedicated to seeing his mother’s work—which can embrace mysteriously abstract images and feature vivid, dramatic colors—get evermore recognition. He also has ideas about why her art, at least until recently, lagged in recognition compared to Charley’s. “It was her subject matter back then, like childhood memories, cats, and Old and New Testament stories,” he says.“People were more comfortable putting nature art on their walls. That was more popular compared to the subjects she was doing.” And Brett has a personal reason for championing Edie’s work. He’s paying her back. “An important motivation for me is to repay the great debt that I owe her for sacriﬁcing a portion of the significant work she could have created if not for raising me.”

P H OTO G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( C H A R L E Y A N D E D I E ) T H E C H A R L E Y A N D E D I E H A R P E R F O U N D AT I O N / (1, 3 , 5 ) © E D I E H A R P E R / ( 2 , 4 , 6) © C H A R L E Y H A R P E R

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THE ALPINE NORTHWEST

POWER COUPLE THE LATE CHARLEY AND EDIE HARPER HAVE BRIGHTENED OUR LIVES SINCE THEY CAME TO CINCINNATI IN 1940 AS ART ACADEMY STUDENTS. THEIR CONCURRENT SHOWS AT THE CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM AND TAFT MUSEUM OF ART OPEN ON OCTOBER 16-17.

SCARY SCENARIO

harley Harper has long been popular in Cincinnati for his colorful and often stylized depictions of nature and those that inhabited it, but his work soared nationally when the noted designer Todd Oldham authored a coffee-table-sized book in 2007 devoted to his art. Books, calendars, posters, children’s books, and other products related to his artistry started being sold everywhere, including in museum gift shops. Lately, both Charley’s and Edie’s work has beneﬁtted from their early interest in abstraction and mid-century modernism. The latter is a worldwide art, design, and architectural movement that has many progressive elements, and the Taft show title is a nod to Edie’s modernist interests. Julie Aronson, Cincinnati Art Museum’s

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HOMECOMING (BLUEBIRDS) MURAL

curator of American paintings, sculpture and drawings, thought this would be an appropriate time to stage a retrospective for Charley. She hopes it will be popular, given all the posthumous attention he gets, though she knows she has to provide gravitas and museum-quality depth to the retrospective. “Because of the popularity of the Harper merchandise, I committed to a project that encourages viewers and fellow curators to take him seriously as an artist,” she says. “Although one might think from the sleek simplicity of his works that they were easily made, there is great sophistication, thought, and craftsmanship behind them. He made numerous studies and rethought and reworked his compositions extensively to arrive at those we know and love.” The Art of Charley Harper will include

two works by Edie alongside his maquettes, drawings, screen prints, acrylic paintings, watercolors, and several cases with tools, photographs, books, magazines, and other ephemera. A show standout will be 10 large acrylic paintings on canvas that were commissioned by the National Park Service, probably in 1976. One at a time, the Park Service adapted each of Charley’s pieces into posters for sale to the public in a process lasting from 1976 to 1990. The original paintings weren’t meant to be displayed, but they did get a show in Washington, D.C., in 1997. They’ve otherwise been in storage until now. “That’s kind of amazing considering how wonderful they are,” says Aronson. “And Brett thinks these 10 paintings will be the centerpiece of his father’s show.”

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( C H A R L E Y ) T H E C H A R L E Y A N D E D I E H A R P E R F O U N D A T I O N / ( R A C C PA C K , T H E A L P I N E N O R T H W E S T , S C A R Y S C E N A R I O ) © C H A R L E Y H A R P E R / ( H O M E C O M I N G M U R A L ) M I L E S W O L F

RACCPACK

P H OTO G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( W I T H T H E C O W S I N T H E B A R N , S A N D P E E P E R) © EDIE HARPER / ( C R A Z Y C AT, C R A Z Y Q U I LT M U R A L ) M I L E S W O L F / ( E D I E ) B R E T T H A R P E R

t the Taft Museum, President and CEO Rebekah Beaulieu was at ﬁrst unaware of Edie Harper’s work when she came to town in 2022, though she’d heard of Charley. But Beaulieu is now a huge fan of both, acknowledging that she maybe favors Edie. “I absolutely adore Charley’s work, but some of the things Edie does—and this is why we call her show Modernist at Play—are so playful and so interested in having fun with her art,” says Beaulieu. “She challenges you more, but it’s not done from a place of arrogance. She pushes herself and wants you along for the ride.” The exhibition might challenge people to think about how the art world isn’t immune from other segments of American society when it comes to not always considering women equal to men in the same line of work. “Obviously, a major point here is seeing incredible female artists overshadowed by their partners,” says Beaulieu, who mentions as an example how Lee Krasner at ﬁrst was overlooked as an artist because her husband was Jackson Pollock. “So when we

looked at the opportunity for an Edie show that allowed her to have room and space to show all of the different varieties of her work, much of which hadn’t been seen before, this feels like we’re really able to do her justice.” For Taft Museum’s Tamera Muente, team leader of the four curators charged with assembling the Edie Harper show, the great discovery was learning about her photography. (Edie had enrolled in the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s ﬁrst photography class, she says.) “While still a student, she began doing portraiture assignments and quickly started trying her hand at abstract photography,” says Muente. “In the 1940s and ’50s, there were photographers who were experimenting with abstraction from the observed world, so she was on the forefront of that.” There are compelling photographs in the show, such as a late 1950s print “Black Hole,” in which a large black circle—like a hole in the overall image—ﬂoats against what could be a cold, concrete room that belongs in The Brutalist. There are also memorable paintings on display like “Crazy Cat on Crazy Quilt,” an

acrylic from the late 1990s. This painting is an experimental-minded, colorful depiction, somewhat psychedelic in its overall effect, yet it’s also warm, sweet, and inviting, just like a cat. It was adapted as an public mural downtown by ArtWorks (now 1001 Colors) in 2017. ArtWorks also erected Charley’s painting “Homecoming (Bluebirds)” as a downtown mural in 2012. In the end, Cincinnati Art Museum Director Cameron Kitchin says he doesn’t view these two exhibitions as truly separate from one another. Just as the lives of their subjects overlap, so do the exhibits. “They were core figures in the life of Cincinnati during their lifetime,” he says. “So for us, as an art museum, this is a tandem—two individuals who were wonderful artmakers and educators and inﬂuential ﬁgures in the Cincinnati arts community. So Cincinnati Art Museum and the Taft Museum of Art have joined forces to break new ground here in understanding them.” cincinnatiartmuseum.org, taftmuseum.org, charleyharperofficial.com

SANDPEEPER

WITH THE COWS IN THE BARN

CRAZY CAT, CRAZY QUILT MURAL

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N o T n y W MaR s AlI s LiBeRaTeS

AmErIcAn

MuSiC

By g I l k A 8

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uFmAn

P H O T O G R A P H B Y M A R K LY O N S

The New Orleans-born legend brings his new ‘Liberty’ symphony to Music Hall and the CSO.

P H OTO G R A P H S CO U R T E S Y ( L E F T ) P I P E R F E R G U S O N / ( R I G H T ) F R A N K S T E WA R T

hat is the sound of America? Jazz icon Wynton Marsalis, 64, has been probing that question for most of his life. From his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1997 oratorio Blood on the Fields, which told the history of slavery, to Liberty, a new piece he wrote to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the New Orleans native has had an ear firmly fixed on telling the story of our nation, from triumph to tragedy and 340 million shades in between. That charge is especially relevant in a celebratory year when the nation’s 250th has felt fraught with the weight of partisanship, division, and at times a loaded view of what defines an American. Which is why Marsalis says the battles he’s fought over the past half-century—in favor of cultural education and against vulgarity in music— are part of what he sees as a “long-standing struggle” to liberate his audience, sometimes against their own will if necessary. “It’s been a blessing for me to have these struggles and to be able to talk about our education system and our politics and the choices we make,” he says about what inspired him to write his Symphony No. 5 (Liberty), which he’ll perform at Music Hall with his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on October 2. “And to try and liberate us from our prejudices and our ignorances and break free from the shackles that we have accepted.” The trumpeter, composer, and nine-time Grammy winner is the second eldest of six sons born to pianist and music teacher Ellis Marsalis Jr. and Dolores Marsalis. He’s spent much of this year focused on the music that made this country. After announcing that he planned to step down as artistic director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center, four decades after founding the organization, he’s hitting the road this fall to premiere his latest original symphonic piece. Liberty premieres September 12 at Wolftrap in Vienna, Virginia, and gets its second airing at Music Hall under the baton of Cincinnati Symphony Music Director Cristian M celaru, an old friend and colleague of Marsalis’s whose enthusiasm about the co-commissioned piece is unbounded. “I really think that Wynton has become, for me, perhaps the most important voice to-

day that’s able to comment on the American experience and the America of today, but in the language of music,” says M celaru. “He has consistently spoken of the importance and beauty of democracy and liberty, but at the same time he does not shy away from criticizing the things we can do better.” For M celaru, Marsalis’s unique musical and stylistic language—neither just jazz nor just classical, but a “melange” of the two that comes from his birthplace and birthright—makes him a a “philosopher about the American experience.” In this case, M celaru says his job is less to conduct than to listen while working with Marsalis and the brass-heavy, 14-piece Lincoln Center orchestra. And despite the brief rehearsal period they’ll have to work out the piece, he has no worries about connecting with his longtime friend and Marsalis’s airtight ensemble. “When they perform, they don’t really rely on a conductor and the visuals of a conductor but more on purely listening to each other, which makes it fun for me because I don’t have as much responsibility,” says M celaru. “I can be a bit more playful and funny and enjoy the music like the audience.” Plus, because M celaru and Marsalis have been close friends for more than a decade, the CSO leader is perfectly ﬁne with putting the “huge amount of blind trust” in the hands of Marsalis. He won’t hear Liberty performed in the room until rehearsals begin with the Lincoln Center Orchestra. Asked to describe what patrons will hear, Marsalis says it will be music they

know—a melting pot of American sounds and influences arranged in a new and innovative fashion. He cites the blues, fiddle reels inspired by Celtic music, Afro-Latin grooves, hymns, church-choir-like chants, and the optimistic feeling of a New Orleans march and ragtime jazz. “It’s the impulse of those things,” says Marsalis. But, like the enduring search by science to find the smallest possible particles, Liberty is part of his lifelong pursuit of the “DNA of our music, what are our metaphors and mythology?” In what he describes as “these dark times of democracy,” Marsalis says he wondered if he would land in a pessimistic state while writing Liberty. “But I still ended with the optimism I have, because sometimes pessimism is self-indulgent.” The collaboration is another happy reunion for the pair who immediately bonded when they met more than 10 years ago over their shared musical lineage as sons of large musical families. Over those years, M celaru says he’s performed every piece Marsalis has written for orchestra, and the men share the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo with violinist Nicola Benedetti, who will perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 on the night of Liberty’s Cincinnati debut. The CSO’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Festival continues October 3 with Marsalis’s Violin Concerto and Mussgorsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and concludes October 4 with a full program performance by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

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ArtWorks Adopts a Colorful New Name The name 1001 Colors literally revealed itself during building renovations. BY MACKENZIE MANLEY | PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW DOENCH

rtWorks marked its 30-year anniversary over the summer by announcing a new organizational name, 1001 Colors. CEO and Artistic Director Colleen Houston says the name literally revealed itself to the arts education nonproﬁt during renovation of its new creative campus centered in a historic building at 2429 Gilbert Ave. in Walnut Hills. The formerly empty building borders another creative neighborhood alcove, Five Points Alley, and is a few doors down from MORTAR’s new headquarters. The organization renovated a vacant lot across the street into the Hannan ArtPark, just up from the new office building for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. “When you see all of those projects side by side and then go on a small walking tour and see how the Walnut Hills business dis10 CM

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trict is evolving, it’s really fun to be a part of that creative energy,” says Houston. The Gilbert Avenue building, which originally housed Bolce Paint Company, welcomed ArtWorks in April 2025 and allowed the organization to house all of its programming, artist studios, and gallery under one roof for the ﬁrst time. During the renovation process, workers discovered pastel-colored beams and a number of handpainted signs, including one reading “1000 & 1 Colors.” “At the time, that phrase inspired every creative decision we made as we designed our creative campus,” says Houston. The result? A campus as bold as the organization’s decades-long legacy of producing public art across the Cincinnati region. Each bathroom in the building has different colored grout, and every stairwell is a distinct hue. Other features include a Pan-

D RON E PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY Z AK K AUTH

tone-inspired donor wall and yo-yo lights designed by Andrew Neyer. Since opening last year, 1001 Colors has hosted two major art conferences, Americans for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. “We like this idea that the name 1001 Colors revealed itself to us,” says Houston. “It ended up on a lot of our short lists. We ultimately selected it because it was unique, memorable, and iconic.” The rebrand stemmed from a growing need to distinguish the organization from others called ArtWorks, of which there are dozens across the country—including several in Ohio and one nearby in Lexington, Kentucky. 1001 Colors also distinguishes the organization from another local ﬁxture, ArtsWave. “We’ve made a big impact in 30 years,” says Houston. “We want to continue to attract national funding and recognition. We want to be distinctive in the national space as well as locally. It was a business decision, at the end of the day, to have a name we could own and trademark.” Despite the name change and new space, the organization’s mission of pro-

ducing public art by employing both youth and professional artists remains the same. Houston says 1001 Colors hosted 13 major art projects over the summer, including a mural of Ohio’s Tuskegee Airmen in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Northside also received a tribute to local arts educator Frank Herrmann that wraps around his longtime studio and coincides with the launch of a scholarship in his name for students going into the arts. “With each and every project, we feel how transformative the organization is,” says Houston. “When you think about the scale of that overall, it’s awe-inspiring. For the apprentices working in the 1001 Colors program, they can’t remember a Cincinnati that didn’t have the murals. They’ve always lived in a city full of art and color.”

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS ARTWORKS COMPLETED ITS MOVE TO NEW HEADQUARTERS IN WALNUT HILLS BY ANNOUNCING A REBRANDING TO 1001 COLORS. CEO AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR COLLEEN HOUSTON (ABOVE) HAS INFUSED THE BUILDING AND EVEN THE PARKING LOT WITH, YES, COLOR.

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BLINK Again Brings the Lights, Cameras, Action Highlights include an opening block party at TQL Stadium, permanent murals in Covington, and a giant unicorn. – MACKENZIE MANLEY

LINK returns to Cincinnati and Covington October 8-11 with four days of light, projection mapping, murals, and installations sprawling from Madison Avenue in Covington through Cincinnati’s riverfront and across Fountain Square, Over-the-Rhine, and Findlay Market. Billed as the nation’s largest public art festival, the 2024 version drew more than 2 million attendees from 216 unique ZIP codes, with 15 countries represented. First launched in 2017 by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, AGAR, and partners, BLINK happens every other year (with a pause during the pandemic). This year’s edition marks Leslie Mooney’s ﬁrst as executive director, and she says a major change will occur right at the outset with an opening block party along Central Parkway in front of TQL Stadium instead of the usual opening parade. The evening culminates in a collective 12

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“turn on the lights” moment around 8:30 p.m., followed by a drone show above the stadium. BLINK’s permanent mural program is expanding to Covington this year. Since launching in 2017, the festival has produced more than 70 murals, mostly around Findlay Market. “We’re going to add another 10 or so murals that will leave behind artwork in Covington,” says Mooney, who joined the Chamber as vice president in 2025 after serving as executive director of the Clifton Cultural Arts Center. “We’re calling that section the Madison Walls District.” The Riverbanks Zone, which includes

BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY LIGHT-BASED ART OF ALL SORTS, FROM PROJECTIONS TO DRONES TO INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS, RETURNS TO CINCINNATI AND COVINGTON OCTOBER 8-11.

ArtsWave Eyes 100 Its big centennial celebration kicks off in October. –JOHN FOX

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( B L I N K ) C I N C I N N A T I C H A M B E R / ( A L E C I A K I N T N E R ) A R T S WAV E

Smale Riverfront Park and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, will host light-based installations and participatory pieces. Cincinnati artist Asha Ama Daniels will return with another fashion show, this time at the Black Music Walk of Fame. “One piece we’re going to have down there that’s so fun and whimsical is a giant unicorn from an artist based out of New Orleans,” says Mooney. “There’s going to be some really cool interactive pieces at The Banks.” Other BLINK highlights include projection mapping of the Neil Armstrong mural near Fountain Square; a major light-based installation near the renovated First Finanical Center and Elm Street Plaza; Tristan Eaton’s massive 18,000-square-foot mural illuminated by UC College-Conservatory of Music students; several installations at Piatt Park, featuring projection mapping of Covenant-First Presbyterian Church; and a partnership with the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Four different artists will be represented on the face of Music Hall, including a commissioned piece celebrating America 250. “One of the things that makes BLINK so unique from other light projection festivals in this country or elsewhere is that we have so many great murals,” says Mooney. “And not just BLINK-produced murals, but 1001 Colors murals and other street art. It isn’t typical that projection mappers actually build on murals. The fact that we have such stunning artwork and that we speciﬁcally seek out mural-mapping artists is a unique to BLINK.” Mooney has attended all iterations of BLINK, but this marks her ﬁrst on the production side. She says the undertaking wouldn’t be possible without total buy-in from the cities of Cincinnati and Covington and their partners. “We give very few artistic parameters,” she says. “We don’t do a theme in terms of directing artists. I think that’s what makes this event so attractive and how we get hundreds of submissions every time. It really is an opportunity for artists to showcase their best work.”

rtsWave officially kicks off its 100th anniversary celebration in October during two of Cincinnati’s highest proﬁle arts events, BLINK and FotoFocus Biennial. With those events happening every other year and the approaching anniversary of ArtsWave’s founding in 1927, CEO Alecia Kintner says it made sense to launch the organization’s centennial year a little early. ArtsWave will have its own BLINK projection installation at the Aronoff Center for the Arts to honor 100 years of Cincinnatians’ personal support of the arts, “a storytelling opportunity we haven’t had before,” says Kintner. The piece is being designed by Cincinnati-based animator Greg D’Amico in conjunction with BLINK co-producers AGAR and will be projected outside of the Weston Art Gallery at Sixth and Walnut streets. ArtsWave’s Cincy A&E app will offer dozens of special discounts from restaurants, bars, and other retail partners during BLINK. “Those businesses will link to the app, which you’ll need to show in order to access a special drink, a free appetizer, or other deal,” says Kintner. “It’s a great way for us to encourage people to take advantage of downtown amenities while they’re out and about, and our hope, of course, is that they’ll enjoy the app, engage with it, and see its value.” The app’s ArtsWave Pass function will be free during the entire month of October, unlocking signiﬁcant ticket discounts with area arts groups. The 2-year-old app’s robust events calendar, which is also available online at cincyae.com, is always free, but the ArtsWave Pass normally costs $9.99 per month to give consumers access to 20-50 percent discounts on tickets at the Broadway Series, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse, and other venues, as well as last-minute “rush” offers. ArtsWave and Fifth Third Bank are helping sponsor Cincinnati Art Week, a new program scheduled for October 3-10 to bridge the opening of FotoFocus and the BLINK weekend. Plans include pop-up art galleries in vacant storefronts, local artist activations, and artist talks. Fifth Third CEO Tim Spence will lead ArtsWave’s annual community fundraising campaign February through May 2027. The nation’s oldest and largest united arts fund, founded in 1927 as the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts, raised $12.1 million from 20,000 donors in 2026.

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THEATER & DANCE

MUST-SEE SHOWS

DON’T MISS

Old Sport

P H O T O G R A P H B Y E VA N Z I M M E R M A N F O R M U R P H Y M A D E

Broadway in Cincinnati brings the Roaring ’20s to 2026 and the Aronoff Center for the Arts.

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THEATER & DANCE CALENDAR Crazy for You THROUGH 9/13 The

classic George and Ira Gershwin romantic comedy won Tony Awards for its 1992 revival, featuring the hit songs “I Got Rhythm” and “You Can’t Take That Away From Me.” Warsaw Federal Incline Theater. clpshows.org

Come From Away THROUGH 9/27 La

Comedia Dinner Theatre marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with this acclaimed Tony-winning musical. A meal is included in the ticket price. lacomedia.com

English Lit 9/4-12 Cincinnati Music Theatre presents a “CliffsNotes journey” through a wide selection of

classic literary works via the Broadway tunes they inspired. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnatimusictheatre. org

Corner of the Sky: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz

timely drama that won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival of a play. falcontheater.net

1776 9/10-27 The Footlight-

ers kick off a patriotic season in Newport. footlighters.org

9/5-27 This world

premiere musical celebrates the composer behind Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, and other Broadway classics. Ensemble Theatre, ensemblecincinnati.org

Arsenic & Old Lace

Make Believe

The Thorn

9/10-26 The regional

9/11-12 The Christ

premiere of Bess Wohl’s play about four siblings grappling with childhood ghosts and trauma 30 years later. Know Theatre, knowtheatre.com

story is presented in an immersive show with music, drama, aerial acts, movement arts, modern dance, and special effects. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnatiarts.com

9/10-27 The beloved

dark comedy follows the delightfully eccentric Brewster sisters. Mariemont Players, mariemont players.com

Eureka Day 9/10-26 Falcon

Network

Theatre opens its season with this

9/11-26 Cincinnati

Shakespeare opens

Stephen Schwartz

their season with a stage adaptation of the Paddy Chayefsky ﬁlm from 1976. cincyshakes. com

Heist 9/12-10/11 Inspired by mystery and action movies, this theatrical caper is a high-tech mystery for the stage. Playhouse in the Park, Rouse Theatre, cincyplay.com

The Great Gatsby Brigadoon

9/15-27 The Broadway

Series presents the Tony Award-winning musical based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnati.broadway.com

The Kaplan New Series Works 9/18-27 Staged in the

intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater, the contemporary world-premiere series is a perennial Cincinnati Ballet favorite. Aronoff

| CINCY A&E 2026

Center for the Arts, cballet.org

Brigadoon 9/25-26 CCM Musical

Theatre and CCM Philharmonia collaborate on a concert performance Lerner & Loewe’s classic Broadway musical. UC’s Corbett Auditorium, ccm.uc.edu/onstage

Little Women: The Musical 9/25-10/5 A musical

adaptation of the American classic novel by Louisa May Alcott. NKU Strauss Theatre, nku.edu/artsci

Talk 9/26-10/25 From

playwright Theresa Rebeck, a Cincinnati native, this world premiere delivers biting satire of the current talk show media landscape. Playhouse in the Park, Shelterhouse Theatre, cincyplay.com

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( S T E P H E N S C H W A R T Z ) E N S E M B L E T H E A T R E / ( B R I G A D O O N ) A N D R E W H I G L E Y/ U N I V E R S I T Y O F C I N C I N N A T I

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER 9–15, 2026

$11 PIZZA SPECIALS EAT PIZZA. EARN POINTS. WIN PRIZES. DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS AND EVENT INFORMATION.

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THEATER & DANCE

OCTOBER

Carrie: The Musical 10/23-11/1 The Carnegie and CCM collaborate on the rock musical adaptation of Stephen King’s classic teenage terror tale. The Carnegie, thecarnegie.com

Intimate Apparel 10/1-3 Lynn Nottage’s

play follows the life of Esther, a gifted African-American seamstress in New York City in 1905. UC’s Cohen Family Studio Theater, ccm. uc.edu/onstage

Titus Andronicus 10/23-11/1 Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy is set in Rome, Kansas, in postWWIII. NKU Strauss Theatre, nku.edu/artsci

Something Rotten! 10/1-11/8 La Comedia

Master Class 10/2-4 Terrence McNally’s play captures opera legend Maria Callas conducting a master class with aspiring singers. Sorg Opera House (Middletown), sorgoperahouse. org

Once Upon a Mattress 10/8-11/1 A rollicking

spin on the classic tale The Princess and the Pea, with some side-splitting shenanigans. Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, clpshows.org

Mary Poppins Jr. 10/9-25 The Chil-

dren’s Theatre of Cincinnati presents everyone’s favorite magic nanny. Emery Theater, thechildrens theatre.com

Into the Woods 10/9-25 Loveland

Stage Co. presents the musical collection of old folk tales, from Cinderella to Jack and the beanstalk, from

| CINCY A&E 2026

Mary Poppins Jr.

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. lovelandstagecompany. org

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors 10/9-31 A hit for Cincinnati Shakespeare last season, this hilarious take on the world’s fanmous vampire returns for Halloween twists and giggles. cincyshakes. com

The Guys 9/10-12 Xavier

University Theatre opens its season with Anne Nelson’s play about the impact of 9/11 on a New York City ﬁre captain. XU Gallagher Student Center Theatre, xavier. edu/theatre-program

Daniel in the Lions’ Den 10/11 The epic

Biblical story is an exciting new musical adventure from The Originals Live. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre. com

Mrs. Mannerly 10/13-11/1 Jeffrey

Hatcher’s charming comedy revisits his 9-year-old self taking an etiquette class from a formidable teacher. Ensemble Theatre, ensemblecincinnati.org

chorerography and special effects. Heritage Bank Center, heritagebankcenter.com

Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland

10/23-31 The classic horror musical will ﬁll you with antici … pation. XU Gallagher Student Center Theatre, xavier.edu/ theatre-program

10/17-11/7 From the Emmy-nominated performance seen on PBS, actress Angela Ingersoll sings the works of Judy Garland in a special concert event. Playhouse in the Park, Rouse Theatre, cincyplay.com

Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Outlander in Concert 10/30 A live orchestra

plays Bear McCreary’s score from the celebrated TV show about time travel. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnatiarts.org

NOVEMBER A Taste of Ireland 11/1 This off-Broadway and London West End celebration of Irish music and dance

Boop! The Musical 10/20-25 The

Broadway Series presents a musical tale of comic book character Betty Boop’s day off from celebrity. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnati. broadway.com

Disney Worlds Collide Concert Tour 10/22 Stars from Descendants, Zombies, and Camp Rock perform to amazing

Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland

PH OTO G R A PH S CO U R T E SY (M A RY P O PP I N S J R .) T H E C H I L D R E N ' S T H E AT R E O F C I N C I N N AT I / (G E T H A PPY ) A MY B OY L E PH OTO G R A PH Y

Dinner Theatre presents the musical comedy that skewers Shakespeare. A meal is included in the ticket price. lacomedia.com

on Tickets. as Se r fo S W O SH E E R H T as w fe Choose as Here’s a peek at what’s in store: , a high-tech crime caper • Edge of your seat suspense in HEIST

arp satire • TALK, a world premiere and razor-sh cert event SINGS JUDY GARLAND, a special con LL SO ER ING LA GE AN : PPY HA T GE • E TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS. TH in ing dat at look us oro hum lt, rtfe G hea • A King Records musical CINCINNATI KIN the of rn retu the with ory hist sic mu • A celebration of Cincinnati’s rich fascinating true story • I AM MY OWN WIFE, based on a celebrated Broadway play • Pulitzer Prize-winner PURPOSE, the • TABLE 17, a witty romantic comedy for the Hitchcock ﬁlm of the same name • ROPE, a psychological thriller known AS CAROL and the holiday favorite, A CHRISTM • SEASON EXTRAS: MIND READER

UP Season presented by SCHUELER GRO

and THE VONTZ FAMILY

Visit CINCYPLAY.COM

THEATER & DANCE

dystopian future. Falcon Theatre, falcontheater.net

The Bridges of Madison County

The Twelve Dates of Christmas

11/5-22 Based on the

11/7-12/27 A heartfelt one-woman comedy bringing humor and a modern spirit to the holiday season. Playhouse in the Park, Shelterhouse Theatre, cincyplay.com

best-selling novel and acclaimed ﬁlm. The Footlighters, footlight ers.org

A Tuna Christmas 11/5-22 Original

“Tuna” players Danny Davies and Wayne Wright return to reprise their comedy roles. Mariemont Players, mariemontplayers. com

Cincinnati Ballet, CSO, and Over the Rhine 11/6-7 A concert collaboration among Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony, and longtime Cincinnati singer/songwriters Over the Rhine. Music Hall, cincinnatiarts.org

Tinderbox 11/6-21 Lucy

Kirkwood’s ﬁrst full-length play is a disturbing vision of a

The Sound of Music 11/10-15 The Rogers

& Hammerstein classic musical will become one of your “favorite things” if you give it a chance. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnati. broadway.com

Rent 11/12-14 CCM Music Theatre presents Jonathan Larson’s acclaimed update of Puccini’s La Boheme set in the AIDS/HIV crisis of New York City. UC’s Patricia Corbett Theater, ccm.uc.edu/ onstage

Die Hard is a Christmas Movie

Santa Claus: The Musical and The Gift of Christmas 11/12-12/28 La

Comedia Dinner Theatre presents two holiday musicals together, one whimsical and one a traditional Nativity story. A meal is included in the ticket price. lacomedia. com

The SpongeBob Musical 11/13-21 SpongeBob tries to save Bikini Bottom from a volcanic eruption in this show for all ages. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnatimusic theatre.org

| CINCY A&E 2026

11/20-12/27 The

beloved annual Dickens tale of Scrooge, ghosts, Tiny Tim, and Christmas redemption. Playhouse in the Park, Rouse Theatre, cincyplay.com

O Christmas Tea 11/28-29 London’s three-time Impresario Award-winning duo steep an outrageously funny version of classic British pantos. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnatiarts.org

DECEMBER

ballets. UC’s Patricia Corbett Theater, ccm. uc.edu/onstage

Irving Berlin's White Christmas 12/3-13 Based on the beloved, timeless ﬁlm, this heartwarming adaptation features 17 Irving Berlin songs. NKU Corbett Theatre, nku.edu/artsci

Die Hard Is a Christmas Movie 12/3-20 A meta

almost-shot-for-shot remake of the original Bruce Willis-led action movie, now a Know Theatre holiday tradition. knowtheatre. com

The Merry Wives of Windsor

’Twas the Night Before…

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas

11/13-12/5 Cincinnati Shakespeare present the Bard’s merriest tale of schemes, disguises, and delicious comeuppance. cincyshakes.com

12/2-13 Cirque du Soleil hosts a holiday-themed acrobatic spectacle as only they can. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnati.broadway. com

12/3-27 A sequel to the popular musical about Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley, this time with the boys performing their favorite holiday tunes. Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, clpshows.org

Much Ado About Nothing

’Twas the Night Before...

A Christmas Carol

11/19-22 Directed by

Dance Works

Brian Isaac Phillips, producing artistic director of Cincinnati Shakespeare. XU Gallagher Student Center Theatre, xavier. edu/theatre-program

12/3-5 CCM Dance Series presents an evening of magic and mystery that creates contemporary work around three classical

P H OTO G R A P H S CO U R T E S Y ( D I E H A R D I S A C H R I S M A S T M OV I E ) M I K K I S C H A F F N E R / ( ' T WA S T H E N I G H T B E F O R E . . .) B E N O I T Z L E R O U X

is on tour. Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnatiarts.org

26/27

SEASON ON SALE NOW

ON SALE NOW

SEP 15 - 27, 2026

OCT 20 - 25, 2026

NOV 10 - 15, 2026

ON SALE NOW

ON SALE OCTOBER 9, 2026

ON SALE OCTOBER 16, 2026

DEC 2 - 13, 2026

JAN 5 - 10, 2027

JAN 19 - 31, 2027

ON SALE OCTOBER 23, 2026

ON SALE OCTOBER 30, 2026

ON SALE NOVEMBER 6, 2026

FEB 16 - 28, 2027

MAR 16 - 28, 2027

APR 14 - 25, 2027

BETT Y’STO COM INGNATI CINCIN

ON SALE NOVEMBER 13, 2026

ON SALE NOVEMBER 20, 2026

MAY 12 - 16, 2027

JUN 1 - 13, 2027

Aronoff Center • BroadwayInCincinnati.com On sale dates subject to change.

THEATER & DANCE Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth

what feels possible. Heritage Bank Center, heritagebankcenter.com

12/4-6 A reimagining

A Christmas Carol

of the old-fashioned circus featuring human acrobats pushing the limits of

12/4-13 Stage Right

Musical Theatre presents a fast-paced adaptation of the

classic Dickens story. Williamstown Performing Arts Center, stagerightmtc. org

Dr. Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical 12/4-20 The Chil-

dren’s Theatre of Cincinnati presents the heart-growing tale of the Grinch’s clash with the Whos down in Whoville. Emery Theater, thechildrens theatre.com

Sister’s Christmas Catechism

The Nutcracker

12/6 It’s CSI: Bethlehem in this holiday mystery extravaganza. Aronoff

Center for the Arts, cincinnatiarts.org

Cinderella 12/9-30 Ensemble Theatre’s annual holiday show features music by Fitz Patton, lyrics by David Kisor, and book by Joseph McDonough. ensemble cincinnati.org

Every Christmas Story Ever Told 12/11-27 Cincinnati

Shakespeare’s annual mashup of A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, Charlie Brown, and other holiday classics. cincyshakes.com

The Nutcracker 12/17-27 Cincinnati Ballet’s holiday

tradition features the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s classic score. Music Hall, cballet.org

A Christmas Carol Live Radio Play 12/18-20 Enjoy the

classic Dickens story reimagined as a 1940s radio broadcast. Sorg Opera House (Middletown), sorgoperahouse. org

Derek Hough's Dance for the Holidays 12/23 Hough and his dancers bring your favorite holiday tunes to life. Brady Music Center, bradymusic center.com

The essential guide to living your best life here.

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P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y A A R O N M . C O N WAY

The city’s most respected and award-winning magazine, highlighting the region’s most interesting people, cultural issues, food, arts, fashion, and history.

2026 – 2027 SEASON CORNER OF THE SKY:

THE SONGS OF STEPHEN SCHWARTZ Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Conceived and created by Scott Coulter

SEP 5 – 27

MRS. MANNERLY By Jeffrey Hatcher

OCT 13– NOV 1

CINDERELLA

Book by Joseph McDonough Lyrics by David Kisor Music by Fitz Patton

DEC 9– 30

THE CHILDREN By Lucy Kirkwood

JAN 30 – FEB 21

PARADISE BLUE By Dominique Morisseau

MAR 20 – APR 11

BAD DATES: END GAME By Theresa Rebeck

SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW!

MAY 8 – 30

Learn more! OPERATING SUPPORT

ensemblecincinnati.org

SEASON FUNDER

The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame October 16, 2026–March 7, 2027 Presented by:

Exhibition Support Provided by:

The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame is funded in part by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, the America 250-Ohio Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Views, ﬁndings, conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the America 250-Ohio Commission.

The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame is organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum in partnership with the Charley Harper Art Studio.

Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), Impala in the Grass (Nighttime) (detail), circa 1961, gouache on illustration board, Cincinnati Art Museum; Museum Purchase: Bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Wichgar, 2008.16, © Charley Harper, all rights reserved

Edie McKee Harper October 17, 2026–January 24, 2027 Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play is organized by the Taft Museum of Art in partnership with the Charley and Edie Harper Art Studio. EXHIBITION SPONSORS The H.B., E.W., and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee Dudley S. Taft Lead Unitrust A Friend of the Taft This exhibition and related education programming were Ѓˡ˔ˡ˖˜˔˟˟ˬ ˔˦˦˜˦˧˘˗ ˕ˬ ˇ˛˘ ʶ˛˔˥˟ˢ˧˧˘ ˅ʡ ˆ˖˛ˠ˜˗˟˔ˣˣ ʹ˨ˡ˗ʟ Fifth Third Bank, N.A. Trustee Cincinnati Art Galleries Panorama Support for this 2026 FotoFocus Biennial exhibition was provided in part by FotoFocus Lynne Friedlander and Jay Crawford

EXHIBITION SUPPORT GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY Bill and Carol Eckerle Endowment Ellen and George Rieveschl Endowment Warrington Exhibition Endowment

SEASON FUNDERS The H.B., E.W. and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee

OPERATING SUPPORT

FREE MONDAYS

FREE SUNDAYS

Chellgren Family Endowment Sallie Robinson Wadsworth Endowment for Exhibitions

IMAGE: Edie McKee Harper (American, 1922–2010), Crazy Cat on Crazy Quilt (Patches) (detail), about 1990, acrylic on canvas, 11 1/8 x 17 3/4 in. Collection of Brett Harper, © Edie Harper

The Long View October 1–31

MUST-SEE SHOWS

VISUAL ARTS Pumpkin Love

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y O T A F I N E A R T S , V I C T O R I A M I R O , A N D D AV I D Z W I R N E R

DON’T MISS

Yayoi Kusama’s immersive show of yellow gourds surrounded by mirrors continues at the Cincinnati Art Museum through October 18.

CINCY A&E 2026

| CM 27

VISUAL ARTS CALENDAR Naps, Nebulas, and Neurons THROUGH 9/9 Layered

prints and digital works use personal objects to explore memory, identity, and energy. 1001 Colors Gallery, 1001colors.org

Season 22 Finale THROUGH 9/11

Manifest Gallery, manifestgallery.org

More-ThanHuman Medicine THROUGH 9/11 Art honoring overlooked-plants and animals whose quiet labor has shaped healing, survival, and care across centuries. Lloyd Library, lloydlibrary.org

The Soul of Black Folks THROUGH 9/12 Thirty artists of the Women of Color Quilter’s Network celebrate African American culture. Fitton Center for the Arts, ﬁtton center.org

Cultural Arts Center, cliftonculturalarts.org

Trudy Gaba: Portals of Remembrance

Brazee at the Barn

THROUGH 9/20 Art

9/11-22 Brazee Studio

Academy of Cincinnati, artacademy.edu

artists. The Barn, thebarninmariemont.org

Visionairies + Voices: Artist in Residence

FreshART

Fever: Todd Kunkler THROUGH 9/18 Oil

THROUGH 9/24 V+V

paintings and interactive digital media by the winner of last year’s CCAC Golden Ticket Juried Exhibition. Clifton Cultural Arts Center, cliftonculturalarts.org

Security Blanket THROUGH 9/18 A

collaborative quilt project exploring the broaded social fabric surrounding women’s rights and bodily autonomy. Clifton

The Scandinavian Home: Landscape and Lore

Northside Gallery, visionariesandvoices. com

The Scandinavian Home: Landscape and Lore THROUGH 9/27

Examining the entangled notions of home and homeland in 19th-century art in Denmark, Findland, Norway, and Sweden. Taft Museum of Art, taftmuseum.org

Truth & Inspiration Showcase THROUGH 9/27 The

public culmination of ArtsWave’s 2026 Inspire Artist Grants brings together 24 local artists across ﬁlm, music, poetry, visual art, fashion, and installation. Contemporary Arts Center, contemporaryartscenter. org

Witness to the Journey 9/4-11/8 Black and

white images from 1965 by renowned civil rights photographer Matt Herron are part of the 2026 FotoFocus

| CINCY A&E 2026

Biennial. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, freedomcenter.org

FotoFocus Biennial, artists investigate what makes life beautiful andf fulﬁlling through photography. 1001 Colors Gallery, 1001colors.org

Paul Mpagi Sepuya: Compressed Tenses

9/12 Live auction of en plein air paintings from local artists, with proceeds supporting the museum’s arts and children’s programming. BehringerCrawford Museum, bcmuseum.org

9/25-1/3/27 A featured

Forgetting Is Everywhere

Art Fair at Pyramid Hill

9/12-11/21 Features work by Cincinnati’s Tina Gutierrez as well as Beth Moon (San Francisco), Noah Stephens (Detroit), and Guillermo Galindo (Mexico City), part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial. Wave Pool Gallery, wavepoolgallery. org

9/26-27 The annual

The Sweep of Time: Beyond the Horizon 9/25-10/23 An open

call drew nearly 400 entries from 27 states and four countries to study the immediate and the enduring in the same photograph frame, part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial. Manifest Gallery, manifestgallery.org

Sense of Tomorrow 9/25-11/4 A featured

exibition for the 2026

exibition for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, it explores the photographer’s ongoing practice of physical collage. Weston Art Gallery, cincinnatiarts.org/ weston-art-gallery

event features paintings, ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, glass, and more from more than 50 regional artists. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, pyramidhill.org

Art of the Chase 9/26-10/3 Group

photography show is part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial. Art Beyond Boundaries, artbeyondboundaries. com

Mariemont City Schools x Ukraine 9/26-10/6 The Barn,

thebarninmariemont.org

Red River Gorge: A 50-Year Journey 9/26-11/29 Personal

and landscapge images from local photographer J. Miles Wolf is part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial.

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY TH E FRI CK PIT T SBURGH

SEPTEMBER

P H OTO G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( TO P) C M C / ( B OT TO M ) W I D L I N E C A D E T ( H A I T I A N , B . 19 9 2 ), A N E C H O O F G R AT I T U D E , 2 0 2 3 , I N K J E T P R I N T, 2 0 × 16 I N . ( 5 0 . 8 × 4 0 . 6 4 C M ). C O U R T E S Y O F T H E A R T I S T A N D N A Z A R I A N / C U R C I O. © W I D L I N E C A D E T.

In the Interest of Time 10/2-2/7/27 A featured exibition for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, seven regional artists engage with the concept of time. Contemporary Arts Center, contemporary artscenter.org

Widline Cadet: Seremoni Disparisyon

Equal to Any in the City

Behringer-Crawford Museum, bcmuseum.org

FotoFocus Biennial Opening Program 9/30-10/3 The eighth

FotoFocus Biennial opens with a weekend of keynote lectures, conversations, performances, screenings, tours, and receptions. The 2026 theme is “The Long View.” FotoFocus Center, fotofocus.org

Natural Fictions 9/30-3/6/27 A

featured exibition for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, it features work by multiple photographers inviting us to look sideways and forward. The Carnegie, thecarnegie. com

OCTOBER Batres Gilkvin: Between What Was and What Is

hood through discarded items. Contemporary Arts Center, contemporaryartscenter. org

selection of short ﬁlms curated by Mary Leonard. Kennedy Heights Arts Center, kennedyarts.org

Equal to Any in the City

Culture Crops

THROUGH 10/14 A

featured exibition for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, it presents work in the 1840s-1870s by noted African-American photographer James P. Ball and his brotherin-law, Alexander Thomas. Cincinnati Museum Center, cincymuseum.org

Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins THROUGH 10/18 The

exihibit features an array of yellow gourds of various sizes adorned with polka dots and surrounded by mirrors. Cincinnati Art Museum, cincinnatiartmuseum.org

10/1-31 Part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial. NKU Art Galleries, nku.edu/ artsci/sota

Trevor Paglen: the most merciful thing in the world 10/1-1/23/27 Photog-

raphy, video, and sculpture spanning a 20-year period. FotoFocus Center, fotofocus.org

10/9-27 The Barn, thebarninmariemont.org

Untwined/Interwoven and Depth of Field 10/9-30 Featured exibitions for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial

10/8-11 The ﬁfth

presentation of this biannual public art and light festival stretches from Covington up past Findlay Market. It’s an interactive feast for the senses. blinkcincinnati.com

The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame 10/16-3/7/27 An in-depth look at the work of the Cincinnati artist, designer, illustrator, and nature advocate. His wife Edie has a concurrent exhibition at the Taft Museum of Art. Cincinnati Art Museum, cincinnatiart museum.org

Accra Shepp: Bearing Witness 10/16-30 Art Academy

of Cincinnati, artacademy.edu

10/2-11/13 Group

exhibition of photography is part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial. V+V Northside Gallery, visionariesandvoices. com

Nancy Rexroth: Secrets of My Power

Cultural Ties

10/2-1/3/27 A featured

THROUGH 10/31 A

Kennedy Heights Arts Center, kennedyarts.org

featured exibition for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, it showcases photography by Tina Gutierrez and Andrea Sabugo, mixed media works by Ximena Flores and Rebecca Nava Soto, and a

exibition for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, it’s the ﬁrst career retrospective of this American photographer. Cincinnati Art Museum, cincinnatiart museum.org

THROUGH 10/4 An archive of tangible memories analyzing kinship and woman-

Women’s Art Club: All Member Show 2026

BLINK Cincinnati

Picture Perfect

THROUGH 10/3

Sarah Rodriguez: Homespun

10/2-2/7/27 A featured exibition for the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, it’s the Haitian-American artist’s second-ever solo U.S. show. Contemporary Arts Center, contemporary artscenter.org

Art. Academy of Cincinnati, artacademy. edu

Widline Cadet: Seremoni Disparisyon (Ritual [Dis]Appearance) CINCY A&E 2026

| CM 29

VISUAL ARTS

Noel Maghathe: Over Everything

The Golden Ticket

10/16-30 Art

juried exhibition presented by Summerfair Cincinnati offers $2,000 in prizes and a future solo exhibit st the CCAC. Clifton Cultural Arts Center, cliftonculturalarts.org

11/6-12/4 The annual

Academy of Cincinnati, artacademy.edu

Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play

Noel Maghathe: Over Everything

10/17-1/24/27 The

Cincinnati artist receives the ﬁrst museum show of her work across a variety of media: photographs, paintings, enamels, and prints. Her husband Charley has a concurrent exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Taft Museum of Art, taftmuseum.org

Local Talent 2026 10/17-12/10 Artwork

created by residents of Kennedy Heights, Pleasant Ridge, Silverton, and Amberley Village. Kennedy Heights Arts Center, kennedyarts.org

Bonita Goldberg: Calm in Chaos 10/30-11/10 The Barn,

thebarninmariemont.org

NOVEMBER Unfolding Elegance: European Fans THROUGH 11/29 Nine 18th-century fans from the Taft Museum’s collection feature sumptuous decoration and superior craftsmanship. Taft Museum of Art, taftmuseum.org

Wham! Bam! Slam! 11/6-12/4 A celebration of Comic Con. Art Academy of Cincinnati, artacademy.edu

New Works by Kennedy Collective Members 11/7-12/23 The annual show exhibits new and previously unseen works in all media by local artists. Kennedy

Heights Arts Center, kennedyarts.org

Ruthe Wyman: Expect the Unexpected 11/13-12/1 The Barn, thebarninmariemont.org

DECEMBER Holly Dazed 12/4-1/15/27 V+V

Northside Gallery, visionariesandvoices. com

Cherrywood Challenge Quilt Show: Abyss 12/15 The Barn, the

barninmariemont.org

CINCINNATI OPERA at MUSIC HALL

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

John Lewis: Good Trouble June 18 & 20

Viva Verdi! June 25

Studio Sessions July 1 & 14

The Marriage of Figaro July 8 & 10 July 24 & 30 August 1

SUMMER 2027 FESTIVAL

cincinnatiopera.org • 513-241-2742 Season Funders:

Media Partner: Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation

| CINCY A&E 2026

Illustration by Brandon Breaux

PH OTOG R APH CO U RT E SY N O E L M AG HAT H E

Turandot

1001 Colors provides paid creative work, professional development, and careerbuilding opportunities for young people while creating world-class public art that strengthens our community. Unlock Potential

1001Colors.org

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE PRESENTS

November 3–6 | 6–9:30 p.m.

HARD ROCK CASINO

Our lavish four-night dinner series returns to celebrate the bounty of fall. Be sure to #savorthedate for this ʹɷɔ̍ʹȲ ȬɔɷɔɷɆ Ȳ˗ʜȲʟɔȲɷȦȲ ȉɷȬ Ȳɷɣʁ˘ ȉ ʁɷȲॼʁɅॼȉॼɦɔɷȬ ɴȲȉɫ ɔɷ ȉ Ʌʹɷ ȉɷȬ ɅȲʦʰɔˑȲ ȉʰɴʁʦʜɏȲʟȲे ^ɔɴɔʰȲȬ ʰɔȦɦȲʰʦ ȉˑȉɔɫȉȥɫȲे

CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM/FALL_SAVOR PRESENTING SPONSORS

SPONSORS

MUSEUMS

MUST-VISIT PLACES

PH OTOG R APH CO U RT E SY CI N CI N NAT I MU SE UM CE N T E R

DON’T MISS

Open Wide Lego Jurassic World reimagines the hit movie at Cincinnati Museum Center through January 4.

CINCY A&E 2026

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MUSEUMS CALENDAR American Sign Museum After doubling in size recently, the collection of vintage and neon signage is more massive than ever. americansignmuseum. org

Baker-Hunt Art & Cultural Center The Covington space offers classes in the visual arts, culinary arts, and mind & body. bakerhunt.org

BehringerCrawford Museum The home for Northern Kentucky’s heritage opened in Devou Park in 1950 and hosts art, performance, and holiday exhibitions for kids and adults alike. bcmuseum.org

Betts House Built in 1804, this is the oldest residential structure in the downtown area and Ohio’s oldest brick house still sited in its original location. bettshousecincinnati.org

The Children’s Museum Hands-on fun for children ages 0-10 in eight educational and themed play areas, including two speciﬁcally designed for preschool-aged children and younger. Cincinnati Museum Center, cincymuseum. org/childrensmuseum

Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame Opened in 2023, the downtown riverfront space brings the city’s music history to life through immersive technology. cincyblack musicwalkoffame.org

Cincinnati Fire Museum The downtown building that now houses the museum was once home to Engine Company 45 in 1906. cincyﬁremuseum.com

Cincinnati History Museum Step back in time and experience the area’s history at the bustling Public Landing, the Cincinnati in Motion 1/64-scale replica of the city, and the Made in Cincinnati exhibit. Cincinnati Museum Center, cincymuseum. org/historymuseum

Cincinnati Observatory Two National HistoricLandmark buildings, one designed by Samuel Hannaford, complement the beautiful setting in Ault Park. cincinnatiobservatory. org

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum Ten galleries present the story of baseball’s ﬁrst professional team and include World Series trophies from 1975, 1976, and 1990 as well as Reds Hall of Fame plaques. redsmuseum.org

Creation Museum Tells its own biblical history story via 160 exhibits, a planetarium, a special FX Theatre, animatronics, an insectorium, a petting zoo, and a botanical garden. creationmuseum .org

Dinsmore Homestead After living on theland for six generations, the family donated its Burlington house and farm as a museum for the community. dinsmorefarm.org

Duke Energy Children’s Museum Hands-on fun for children ages 0-10 in eight educational and themed play areas, including two speciﬁcally designed for preschool-aged children and younger. cincymuseum.org/ childrensmuseum

Fifth Third Museum Located in Fifth Third’s corporate headquarters on Fountain Square, the museum celebrates the bank’s heritage in Cincinnati since 1858. 53.com Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum

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Fort Thomas Museum The collection spans 150 years from the District of the Highlands to the activation of Fort Thomas Military Reservation. fortthomas ky.org

German Heritage Museum Celebrate Cincinnati’s German roots year-round at this museum in Monfort Heights. facebook.com/ GermanHeritage Museum

Greater Cincinnati Police Museum The history and artifacts of more than 100 municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies who have eight contiguous counties of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. gcphs.com

Harriet Beecher Stowe House Reopened in 2024 after extensive renovations to tell the story of the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin as well as the building’s later use as a boarding house and tavern for Black travelers. stowehouse cincy.org

Heritage Village Museum A living history museum depicting life in Southwestern Ohio throughout the 19th Century. heritage villagecincinnati.org

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY RE DS MUSEUM

ONGOING

Holocaust & Humanity Center Experience stories of courage, perseverance, loss, redemption, and new life as told by local Holocaust survivors. holocaustandhumanity. org

Krohn Conservatory The indoor botanical garden is operated by Cincinnati Parks to showcase more than 1,000 plant species from around the world. cincinnati-oh.gov/ cincyparks

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( T O P ) M A R K B E A L E R P H O T O G R A P H Y / ( B O T T O M ) P Y R A M I D H I L L S C U L P T U R E PA R K & M U S E U M

Lloyd Library & Museum The independent downtown research library and exhibit space is devoted to bringing science, art, and history to life. lloydlibrary.org

Loveland Castle & Museum Harry D. Andrews started building Chateau Laroche in 1927 as a tribute to his visits across Europe after serving in World War I, and it was (mostly) ﬁnished after

his death in 1981. lovelandcastle.com

Ludlow Heritage Museum The museum has partnered with Norfolk Southern in order to save and restore the Railyard Storehouse as its future headquarters and exhibit space. ludlowheritagemuseum. com

Museum of Natural History & Science A world of science, history, and nature through interactive exhibits and amazing artifacts like the Dinosaur Hall, the Cave, the Ice Age Gallery, and Advancing Health. cincymuseum. org/sciencemuseum

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Launched in 1923, the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base facility is now the world’s largest military aviation museum and a center for air and space power technology and culture preservation. nationalmuseum.af.mil

Freedom Center

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Shares the stories and circumstances of 19th-century slavery and the people who sought to escape it via the Underground Railroad, while also exploring the importance of freedom in today’s world. freedomcenter.org

National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting

Railway Museum of Greater Cincinnati Numerous historic rail artifacts are displayed in a rugged outdoor railroad yard environment in Covington. cincirailmuseum.org

Skirball Museum

Preserves and celebrates the legacy and global impact of the Voice of America and its place in Cincinnati broadcasting history. voamus eum.org

A permanent collection of Jewish archaeological artifacts on the campus of Hebrew Union College in Clifton. csm.huc.edu

Over-the-Rhine Museum

Birthplace of the Civil War general and two-term U.S. president of the U.S. in Point Pleasant, where the Grant family established themselves in the early 19th century. ohiohistory.org

Work is underway to restore a historic tenement building near Findlay Market to house the museum, while historians lead educational walking tours of the neighborhood. otrmuseum.org

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum

it sculpture park is home to more than 70 monumental outdoor sculptures nestled into a landscape of rolling hills, meadows, lakes, and hiking trails. pyramidhill.org

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum The 470-acre nonprof-

Ulysses S. Grant Museum

Union Terminal The art deco train station, built in 1933, houses the Cincinnati Museum Center’s individual museums,

the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX Theater and the Holocaust & Humanity Center, all of them detailed in this publication. The terminal’s glorious rotunda and old control tower are worth visits in themselves. cincy museum.org

Vent Haven Museum The recently renovated Ft. Mitchell space the only museum in the world dedicated to ventriloquism. venthaven.org

White Water Shaker Village More than 20 original Shaker buildings still stand, having been purchased by the Great Parks of Hamilton County from private owners. whitewater village.org

William Howard Taft National Historic Site Visit the two-story Greek Revival house in Mt. Auburn where the 27th President and 10th Chief Justice was born and grew up. nps. gov/wiho

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MUSEUMS

SEPTEMBER FreshART 9/12 Live auction of en

plein air paintings from local artists, with proceeds supporting the museum’s arts and children’s programming. Behringer-Crawford Museum, bcmuseum.org

OCTOBER FotoFocus Biennial 10/1-31 The eighth

FotoFocus Biennial celebrates photography in 65 venues across Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton, and Columbus, including many of the museums

DECEMBER

listed in this section. The 2026 theme is “The Long View.” (See the Visual Arts listings for more details.) fotofocus.org

Lego Jurassic World THROUGH 1/4/27 The

immersive adventure was designed by Ryan “Brickman” McNaught using six million Lego bricks to re-imagine the movie Jurassic World. Cincinnati Museum Center, cincymuseum.org

NOVEMBER Layers of the Unknown 11/6 The adults-only “night at the museum” includes light bites from local restaurants, creative cocktails, explosive programming, and exclusive access to the Museum Center’s world-class exhibits. Cincinnati Museum Center, cincymuseum.org

Layers of the Unknown

Holiday Junction

Holly Jolly Days

11/ 13-1/4/27 Catch the

11/14-1/10/27 Find animated displays in the Holiday Toy Trains exhibit and the return of Wiley Wahoo’s Winter Wonderland. Behringer-Crawford Museum, bcmuseum.org

annual running of the Duke Energy Holiday Trains and get in the spirit of the season. Cincinnati Museum Center, cincymuseum. org

WHERE ART Ranked the 5th best sculpture park in the country, Pyramid Hill is just 30 minutes from Cincinnati in Hamilton, OH!

SCAN OR VISIT PYRAMIDHILL.ORG

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Age of Stone by Jon Isherwood

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY CMC

Explore 470 acres of nature with over 60 monumental outdoor sculptures, hiking trails, picnic areas, rotating contemporary exhibitions, and an antiquities collection inside the iconic Pyramid House.

MUST-SEE EVENTS

READINGS, LECTURES, & COMEDY

DON’T MISS

Keep Loose

PH OTO G R A PH CO U R T E SY G O BA N A N A S CO M E DY

Saturday Night Live alum Kevin Nealon gets back to comedy clubs when he performs to Go Bananas October 2-3.

CINCY A&E 2026

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READINGS, LECTURES & COMEDY CALENDAR Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me 9/3 Live taping of the NPR news quiz show. Rose Music Center (Dayton), rosemusic center.com

Vanessa Miller

Mike Glazer

Chad Daniels

9/5 Stand-up comedy.

9/11-12 Stand-up

The Comet, bombs awaycomedy.com

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Rachel Gillig

Lewis Black

9/6 Discusses and

9/12 Stand-up comedy. Hard Rock Casino, casino. hardrock.com/cincinnati

signs The Knave and the Moon. SCPA’s Corbett Theatre, josephbeth.com

John F. O’Donnell

9/3 Discusses and

Trevor Anderson

signs The Ladies Hall. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, josephbeth.com

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Luke Capasso

Blair Socci

9/4 Stand-up comedy.

Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealthcomedy club.com

Guy Torry 9/4-5 Stand-up

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

9/10 Stand-up

9/12 Stand-up comedy. The Comet, bombsawaycomedy.com

Richard Hague 9/11-12 Stand-up

comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealthcomedy club.com

9/12 Office hours with Cincinnati’s poet laureate. Mercantile Library, mercantile library.com

Roxanne Gay Chris Porter

9/17 Delivers the 2026

9/11-12 Stand-up

Memoir Lecture. Mercantile Library, mercantilelibrary.com

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

9/25 Discusses and signs Happy Snacking Don’t Die! JosephBeth Booksellers, josephbeth.com

Sarah Stankorb 9/25-26 Stand-up

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Chico Bean

Amy Spitalnick

OCTOBER

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

Derrick Stroup 9/19 Stand-up

comedy. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Adrienne Iapalucci 9/19 Stand-up

comedy. The Comet, bombsawaycomedy.com

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comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealthcomedy club.com

Alexis Nikole Nelson

Sonmore

9/18-20 Stand-up

9/19 Stand-up

signs Damned If She Does. Mercantile Library, mercantile library.com

9/17-19 Stand-up

Eva Evans

9/22 Discusses and

Usama Siddiquee Alexis Nikole Nelson

Tig Notaro

9/24 CEO of the

Jewish Council for Public Affairs lectures in partnership with NKU's College of Law and the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center. cincyhhc.org

Tom Simmons 9/24-26 Stand-up

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

Tig Notaro 10/1 Stand-up

comedy. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Hannibal Buress 10/1 Stand-up

comedy. Antioch College’s Foundry Theater, ysﬁlmfest. com/2026-festival

P H OTO G R A P H S CO U R T E SY ( T I G N OTA R O) M E M I / (A L E X I S N I KO L E N E L S O N ) J B D O U G L A S

SEPTEMBER

Bobcat Goldthwait 10/1-2 Stand-up

comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealthcomedy club.com

commentary and humor. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

fREADom Fest

10/1-3 Stand-up

10/3 A banned books festival at Roebling Books Covington, roeblingbooks.com

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

Amy Miller

Drew Lynch

Family Literacy Event 10/2 Learning Through Art and ArtsConnect host local authors to immerse young readers in the world of storytelling. Annex at The Grove, learningthroughart.com

Denise Brandt 10/2 Reads and sign

her new book, Istanbul Dreaming. Roebling Books Newport, roeblingbooks.com

Kevin Nealon 10/2-3 Stand-up

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Don Lemon & DL Hughley 10/3 Political

comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealthcomedy club.com

Dan Alten 10/17 Stand-up comedy. The Comet, bombsawaycomedy.com

Asa Drake, Carolina Hotchandani, and Felicia Zamora

10/3 Stand-up

comedy. The Comet, bombsawaycomedy.com

sign their new books. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, josephbeth.com

10/3 Discusses and

signs Lover Enthroned. Lawrenceburg Event Center, josephbeth.com

Intisar Khanani 10/3 The Public

Library’s 2026 Writer-in-Residence hosts office hours at the West End Branch Library. chpl.org/ author-talks

Brad Williams 10/4 Stand-up

comedy. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Jonathan Cheng 10/4 Discusses and

Jo Koy

signs Korean Messiah. Mercantile Library, mercantilelibrary.com

Karen Garloch 10/5 Discusses and signs Stray Voltage. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, josephbeth.com

Laurie Kilmartin 10/10 Stand-up

Alton Brown

comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealthcomedy club.com

10/20 Stories, food, and humor. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Pauletta Hansel Amber Joy Layne 10/10 Stand-up

Freida McFadden

comedy. The Comet, bombsawaycomedy.com

10/6. Discusses and signs The Witch. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, josephbeth.com

Nick Swardson

Carrie Brownstein 10/7 Delivers the 2026 Words & Music Lecture. Mercantile Library, mercantile library.com

Sophia Huneycutt

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( J O K O Y, A L T O N B R O W N ) M E M I

10/19 Discuss and

Alton Brown

J.R. Ward

10/13-15 Stand-up comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

Zoe Schlanger 10/15 Delivers the

2026 Science & Nature Lecture. Mercantile Library, mercantile library.com

10/8 Discusses and

Mark Chalifoux

signs The House Built on Alligator Bones. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, josephbeth.com

10/15-17 Stand-up comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Mike Epps 10/9 Stand-up

comedy. Hard Rock Casino, casino. hardrock.com/ cincinnati

Kelsey Cook 10/9-10 Stand-up

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

10/20 Discusses and signs Understory: A Women’s History of Appalachia. Mercantile Library, mercantile library.com

Zarna Garg 10/23 Stand-up comedy. Hard Rock Casino, casino. hardrock.com/cincinnati

Jo Koy 10/23 Stand-up comedy. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Ron Taylor 10/23-24 Stand-up

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

Nick Offerman 10/16 Stand-up come-

Nurse John

dy and storytelling. Miami University’s Millett Hall, events. miamioh.edu

10/24 Stand-up comedy. Brady Music Center, bradymusic center.com

Jess Hilarious

Dean Regas

10/16-17 Stand-up

10/26 Discusses his

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

career in his “I Want to Believe” lecture. Pleasant Ridge Branch Library, chpl.org/ author-talks

Zach Wycuff 10/17 Stand-up

CINCY A&E 2026

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READINGS, LECTURES, & COMEDY

Whitney Cummings

Atul Gawande M.D.

Intisar Khanani

Michael Palascak

10/27 Presents the

11/3 The Public

Cincinnati Public Library’s Mary S. Stern Lecture. Aronoff Center for the Arts, chpl.org/ stern

Library’s 2026 Writer-in-Residence hosts a workshop about writing tools at the Symmes Township Branch Library. chpl.org/ author-talks

11/13 Stand-up comedy. Woodward Theater, woodwardtheater.com

10/30-31 Stand-up

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

NOVEMBER The Moth Mainstage 11/5 An evening of

storytelling under the “Tightrope” theme. Memorial Hall, memorialhallotr.com

T win Peaks: A Conversation With the Stars 11/10 Ray Wise,

Michael Horse, Kimmy Robertson, Josh Eisenstadt, and Sabrina S. Sutherland (executive director) are scheduled to appear. Memorial Hall, memorialhallotr.com

Jinkx & Dela Holiday Show

11/5-7 Stand-up

11/12 Stand-up comedy. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre. org

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Eddie Gossling

Nate Craig

11/12-14 Stand-up

Min Jin Lee 11/7 Delivers the 2026 Neihoff Lecture, the Mercantile Library’s annual fundraising event. Hyatt Regency Hotel, mercantile library. com

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Justin Willman 11/13 Stand-up comedy. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre. org

11/14 Stand-up comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealth comedyclub.com

Preeti Parikh 11/19 Discusses and signs Blue Selvage. Mercantile Library, mercantilelibrary.com

Kevin Bozeman 11/19-21 Stand-up

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

That 1 Mailman & Friends 11/20-21 Stand-up

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

Jay Jurden 11/20-21 Stand-up

comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, common wealthcomedy club.com

Kathleen Madigan 11/21 Stand-up comedy.

Taft Theatre, tafttheatre. org

Jackie Kashian Min Jin Lee

11/21 Stand-up comedy.

The Comet, bombsaway comedy.com

Billy Wayne Davis 11/28 Stand-up comedy.

The Comet, bombsaway comedy.com

Taft Theatre, tafttheatre. org

return of America’s favorite weirdo. Ludlow Garage, ludlowgarage cincinnati.com

Cameron Esposito

Ify Nwadiwe

12/4-5 Stand-up

12/11 Stand-up comedy.

comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, common wealthcomedy club.com

Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealth comedyclub.com

Will Burkart

Matt McCusker

12/4-5 Stand-up

12/11 Stand-up comedy.

comedy. Go Bananas, gobananascomedy.com

Taft Theatre, tafttheatre. org

Arnez J.

Paula Poundstone

12/4-6 Stand-up

comedy. Funny Bone, liberty.funnybone.com

12/12 Stand-up comedy. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre. org

Brian Cox

Liz Miele

12/5 His “Energence”

12/12 Stand-up comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealth comedyclub.com

Whitney Cummings 12/4 Stand-up comedy.

program offers insights into the wonder of science. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Reg Thomas Jessica Michelle Singleton

12/18 Stand-up comedy. Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealth comedyclub.com

DECEMBER

12/5 Stand-up comedy. The Comet, bombsaway comedy.com

Sheila Williams

Leanne Morgan

12/19 Stand-up comedy.

12/1 Discusses and signs Daughters of the Wind. Joseph- Beth Booksellers, josephbeth. com

12/10 Stand-up comedy.

Commonwealth Comedy Club, commonwealth comedyclub.com

Raanan Hershberg

Heritage Bank Center, Italicscenter.com

A John Waters Christmas 12/11 The welcomed

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PHOTOGR APH S COURTE SY (M I N J I N LE E) ART STRE I BE R / (WH ITN E Y CUMM I NGS) ME M I

Michael Blackson

Todd Barry

5345 MEDPACE WAY, CINCINNATI, OH 45227 | THESUMMITHOTEL.COM | 513.527.9900

A NEW GOLDEN AGE OF THE STRING QUARTET One of the ten greatest of all time —BBC

“… an exceptional quartet, whatever they play.” —New York Times

KRONOS QUARTET

DANISH STRING QUARTET

“Reimagining the string quartet…”–Gramophone

The most in-demand European quartet in America.

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Tuesday, February 9, 2027

Program: Dylan, Glass, Olatunji, Ra, Young, more

Program: Shostakovich, Smith, DSQ Members

8LI SRP] EGXMZI ƼZI XMQI Gramophone Award winner

JEAN-GUIHEN QUEYRAS, cello ALEXANDRE THARAUD, piano

PAVEL HAAS QUARTET

“… French masters of their art …”–Gramophone

One of the ten greatest of all time —BBC

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Thursday, March 18, 2027

Program: Bach, Brahms, Britten, Debussy

4VSKVEQ ,EEW .ERʛ˃IO &IIXLSZIR

ƈ)\GMXIQIRX ƼPPW XLI EMV around the Isidore.” —The Strad

“… a new wave of brilliant young string quartets.” –The Strad

ISIDORE STRING QUARTET with STERLING ELLIOTT, cello

LEONKORO QUARTET

Sterling Elliott: “ … an inspired soloist.” —The Strad

“… surely stars in the making.” —The Guardian

Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Tuesday, April 13, 2027

Program: Childs, Schubert, Webern

Program: Beethoven, Zinovjev, Mendelssohn

All concerts 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm Street. Subscribe to get all six concerts for $150 or $120—an up to 40% saving off single ticket prices—with code CAE2026. Single Orchestra and Center Balcony tickets, $40; single Side Balcony tickets, $25 (25% off on checkout with code CAE2026). Tickets and program information at

CincyChamber.org or call Memorial Hall at 513-977-8838. Students under 18 admitted free, 18 and over $10, if available, on the day of performance.

The World’s Leading Chamber Music Ar tists

CLASSICAL MUSIC

MUST-SEE SHOWS

PH OTOGR APH COU RTE SY M ARI O N FRE GE AC

DON’T MISS

Piano Man Acclaimed pianist Jonathan Mamora makes his Cincinnati debut at Matinee Musicale's recital series on September 13.

CINCY A&E 2026

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CLASSICAL MUSIC CALENDAR SEPTEMBER

Espressivo Piano Quartet: Romantic Coversations

La La Land in Concert

9/11-12 The opening

9/5-6 Celebrate the

ﬁlm’s 10th anniversary with the Cincinnati Pops conducted by Damon Gupton, who appears in the movie, and a jazz band. Music Hall, cincinnatisymphony. org/pops

Living in America 9/5-7 The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra celebrates America’s 250th birthday with patriotic pop music from the 1950s to today. Saturday is at Devou Park, Sunday at Tower Park in Ft. Thomas, and Monday at Woodside Cemetery & Arboretum in Middletown. kyso.org

show in the 2026-27 Linton Chamber Music Series features works by Danielpour, Dvorak, and Schumann. First Unitarian Church (Sunday) and Congregation Beth Adam (Monday), lintonmusic.org

Candlelight: The Lord of the Rings 9/12 The StringSource String Quartet performs the unforgettable musical score from all three ﬁlms in the trilogy. Memorial Hall, feverup. com/en/cincinnati

Lea Salonga 9/12-13 The Tony

Award-winning singer performs her hits from

Miss Saigon and Les Miserables with the Cincinnati Pops, conducted by John Morris Russell. Music Hall, cincinnatisymphony. org/pops

Jonathan Mamora 9/13 Matinee

Musicale’s 113th annual recital series kicks off with the well-regarded Indonesian-American pianist. Memorial Hall, matineemusicale cincinnati.org

Russian Giants

Rachel Breen 9/24 Xavier University

presents the awardwinning American pianist. Gallagher Student Center, xavier. edu/musicseries

JMR’s Orchestral Canvas 9/25/27 John Morris

Russell leads the Cincinnati Pops in a unique pairing of orcehstral classic and visual projections of the world’s greatest works of art. Music Hall, cincinnati symphony.org/pops

9/15 CCM

Philharmonia and guest conductor Timothy Muffitt perform Prokoﬁev’s Concerto No. 3 and Rachmaninoff ’s Symphony No. 3. UC’s Corbett Auditorium, ccm.uc.edu/onstage

Kronos Quartet 9/29 Chamber Music

Cincinnati opens its 97th season by presenting the world’s leading contemporary string quartet, celebrating their 53rd season. Memorial Hall, cincychamber.org

original compositions as well as orchestral works and jazz tunes. Cristian Macelaru conducts the CSO. Music Hall, cincinnati symphony.org

Songs of Destiny 10/17-18 Cristian Macelaru conducts the CSO and violin soloist Alexandra Conunova in a program of Howell, Khachaturian, and Brahms. Music Hall, cincinnatisymphony.org

Brahms and Frenemies 10/18 The Cincinnati Community Orchestra, which consists of more than 80 amateur and professional musicians, performs works by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner. Church of the Savior United Methodist, cincinnati communityorchestra.org

Boyz II Men 9/16 The R&B legends perform with the Cincinnati Pops, highlighting their silky harmonies and unmatched charisma. Music Hall, cincinnati symphony.org/pops

The Music of Hans Zimmer 9/19 The Cincinnati

Pops are joined by members of the May Festival Choir and Vocal Arts Ensemble to perform ﬁlm scores from Pirates of the Caribbean, Dune, Gladiator, Interstellar, and more. Music Hall, cincinnatisymphony.org/ pops

| CINCY A&E 2026

OCTOBER Death and the Maiden 10/2 Cincinnati String

Project hosts the Danish String Quartet performing Schubert’s iconic chamber piece. St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church, Clifton, cincinnatistring project.org

CSO + Jazz at Lincoln Center 10/2-4 Wynton Marsalis brings his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to Music Hall to showcase his

Roots: A Celebration of Where We Come From 10/20 Young Professionals Choral Collective blends music and personal storytelling to share each singer’s roots. Memorial Hall, ypccsing.org

Jamie Barton 10/25 Matinee Musicale presents the acclaimed American mezzo-soprano, accompanied by pianist Kathleen Kelly. Memorial Hall, matineemusicale cincinnati.org

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y R AY M U N D I S S A C

Lea Salonga

Cincinnati Symphony Concerts

“Life is good when you’re surrounded by music.”

CSO + JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL OCT 2–4 Cristian Măcelaru conductor Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis Nicola Benedetti violin

MARSALIS PREMIERE & BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO

NOV 21 & 22 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Philippe Jordan conductor Dwight Parry oboe Strauss Tod und Verklärung (“Death and Transﬁguration”), Oboe Concerto, Also sprach Zarathustra (“Thus Spake Zarathustra”)

OCT 2 | FRI 7:30 PM Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 • Marsalis Symphony No. 5, Liberty (co-commission)

CONRAD TAO, MOZART & PROKOFIEV DEC 4 & 5 | FRI 11 AM; SAT 7:30 PM

OCT 3 | SAT 7:30 PM

Gemma New conductor Conrad Tao piano

Marsalis Violin Concerto • Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition orch. Ravel/Marsalis/Măcelaru

Grenfell Clockwerk • Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 • Prokoﬁev Symphony No. 1, Classical • Haydn Symphony No. 104, London

CSO PRESENTS: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

CRISTI CONDUCTS BRAHMS SYMPHONY NO. 3

MARSALIS & MUSSORGSKY REIMAGINED

OCT 4 | SUN 5 PM

Cristian Măcelaru Music Director

STRAUSS SPECTACULAR

NINA SIMONE PIANO COMPETITION (TBD) OCT 7 | WED 7:30 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor

SONGS OF DESTINY OCT 17 & 18 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alexandra Conunova violin May Festival Chorus Howell Lamia • Khachaturian Violin Concerto Brahms Nänie, Schicksalslied (“Song of Destiny”)

GIL SHAHAM PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY OCT 30 & 31 | FRI 11 AM; SAT 7:30 PM Kwamé Ryan conductor Gil Shaham violin Simon Fate Now Conquers • Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto • Schubert Symphony No. 9, The Great

JAN 8 & 9 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Víkingur Ólafsson piano Price Ethiopia’s Shadow in America • Simpson Piano Concerto (US Premiere; Co-commission) • Brahms Symphony No. 3

COME AS YOU ARE JAN 15 & 16 | FRI 11 AM; SAT 7:30 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Steven Banks saxophone Montgomery Snapshots • Banks Come As You Are • Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story • Ellington Night Creature

DON QUIXOTE & ENESCU SYMPHONY NO. 3 JAN 22 & 23 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alisa Weilerstein cello Christian Colberg viola May Festival Chorus Strauss Don Quixote • Enescu Symphony No. 3

LOUIS LANGRÉE CONDUCTS RAVEL NOV 13 & 14 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM Louis Langrée conductor Anthony Limoncelli trumpet Ravel Ma mère l’Oye (“Mother Goose”) • Tomasi Trumpet Concerto • Ravel La valse, Boléro

cincinnatisymphony.org

TCHAIKOVSKY & BRUCKNER: Epic Romance FEB 5 & 6 | FRI 11 AM; SAT 7:30 PM Ramón Tebar conductor Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasie • Bruckner Symphony No. 4, Romantic

Fun. Thrilling. Joyful! John Morris Russell POPS Conductor

Cincinnati Pops Concerts LA LA LAND in Concert SEP 5 & 6 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Damon Gupton conductor Here’s to the fools who dream. Experience the 10th anniversary of La La Land in a swoon-worthy concert experience featuring the Cincinnati Pops, a full jazz band and all of the unbelievable piano solos performed live-toﬁlm. Set in modern-day Los Angeles, this original musical begs the question: can love endure the heartbreak of chasing one’s dreams?

LEA SALONGA SEP 12 & 13 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM John Morris Russell conductor Celebrated for her iconic performances in Miss Saigon and Les Misérables, and as the singing voice of Disney’s Jasmine and Mulan, Tony Award–winning Broadway icon Lea Salonga returns to the Cincinnati Pops for an unforgettable evening of music and storytelling.

BOYZ II MEN SEP 16 | WED 7:30 PM John Morris Russell conductor Grammy-winning R&B legends Boyz II Men bring their silky harmonies and unmatched charisma to the Cincinnati Pops stage for a night of pure musical magic.

THE MUSIC OF HANS ZIMMER SEP 19 | SAT 7:30 PM Experience the musical thrill of one of cinema’s greatest living composers — Hans Zimmer. You’ll relive some of the most epic moments from his most enduring ﬁlm scores like Pirates of the Caribbean, Interstellar, Dune, Lion King, Gladiator and more.

JMR’S ORCHESTRAL CANVAS SEP 25–27 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM John Morris Russell conductor A true masterpiece for the senses, this unique live music experience takes orchestral classics and pairs them with sweeping visual projections of some of the world’s greatest works of art — transforming Music Hall into a living gallery as images and melodies come alive together.

PSYCHO in Concert OCT 27 | TUE 7:30 PM Sarah Hicks conductor Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary thriller Psycho comes alive on the big screen as every scream, every heartbeat, every jump scare is heightened by the pulse-pounding effect of a live orchestra.

cincinnatipops.org

DISNEY’S THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL in Concert Live to Film NOV 28 & 29 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Duo Shen conductor At this special holiday event, the Cincinnati Pops presents Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in concert performed live-to-picture! This beloved classic, featuring all of your favorite Muppets characters, guarantees instant memories and fun.

HOLIDAY POPS DEC 11–13 | FRI 11 AM & 7:30 PM; SAT 2 PM & 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM & 7 PM John Morris Russell conductor Gaby Moreno vocalist Celebrate the magic of the season with Cincinnati’s favorite holiday tradition! Featuring talented choirs and dancers from around our city, plus special guests and a few surprises along the way, this is the Cincinnati Pops concert that captures all the wonder, warmth and togetherness of the holidays.

NYE: DANCING IN THE STREET: Music of Motown DEC 31 | THU 8 PM Byron Stripling conductor Chester Gregory vocalist Michael Lynche vocalist Crystal Monee Hall vocalist On New Year’s Eve, the Cincinnati Pops becomes a soul-powered time machine and a living jukebox of some of Motown’s greatest hits. From the very ﬁrst downbeat, the air crackles with that unmistakable Detroit groove — brassy riffs, velvet harmonies and basslines so smooth they practically dance on their own.

HOOK in Concert JAN 2 & 3 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Alex Amsel conductor Steven Spielberg’s beloved classic Hook comes to life on stage as the Pops performs John Williams’ iconic score live-to-picture! Williams’ lush, imaginative score captures the wonder of Neverland, the nostalgia of childhood and the eternal struggle between growing up and staying young at heart.

A.R. RAHMAN JAN 25 & 26 | MON & TUE 7:30 PM A Grammy and two-time Academy Award winner, A.R. Rahman is one of the world’s most proliﬁc composers and the genius behind the soul-stirring music of Slumdog Millionaire. The Pops joins Rahman to take his genre-spanning compositions — ranging from Eastern classical, pop, world music and rap — to breathtaking new heights.

MAY THE FOURTH: The Music of Star Wars MAY 4 | TUE 7:30 PM Enrico Lopez-Yañez conductor May the Force be with you! Celebrate the greatest day in the Star Wars universe — May the Fourth — with the Cincinnati Pops as they perform John Williams’ unforgettable scores from across the saga.

STRAVINSKY X KENDRICK LAMAR

Lollipops Family Concerts

JAN 29 & 30 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM

FERDINAND THE BULL

Steve Hackman conductor

OCT 10 | SAT 10:30 AM (2 PM Sensory Friendly)

Who bears the curse — the puppet or its master? Steve Hackman’s Stravinsky X Kendrick Lamar confronts this question in a daring fusion of Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize–winning DAMN.

BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK with Tony DeSare MAR 19–21 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM

Step into the gentle world of Ferdinand the Bull, where a softhearted bull would rather smell ﬂowers than charge into action. Through lively narration and playful orchestral music, the Cincinnati Pops brings Ferdinand’s story to life using the instruments of the orchestra to paint characters, moods and settings.

PLAY BALL!

Damon Gupton conductor

APR 3 | SAT 10:30 AM

A concert for all generations of music fans: experience the legendary songs of Billy Joel backed by the power of the Cincinnati Pops! Tony DeSare lends his signature vocals and dynamic piano playing to a symphonic celebration of the Piano Man’s most iconic rock hits.

Step up to the plate for a grandslam musical adventure! The excitement of America’s favorite pastime comes to Music Hall, where the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd and the thrill of the game come alive through music. Cheer along and be part of the action as the Orchestra captures everything from pre-game warmups to ninthinning heroics. Batter up — it’s time to swing into the music with the Cincinnati Pops!

AMERICAN ORIGINALS: Bluegrass Summit APR 30–MAY 2 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM John Morris Russell conductor Michael Cleveland + Flamekeeper The Steel Wheels Sister Sadie John Morris Russell and the Cincinnati Pops celebrate American Roots music with a powerhouse gathering of today’s most electrifying bluegrass artists. From tender ballads to barnburning breakdowns, experience the raw virtuosity and closeharmony storytelling of bluegrass elevated by the rich, full sound of a full symphony orchestra.

Your next “whoa” experience? It’s right here.

BEETHOVEN & BERIO FEB 27 & 28 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM

CSO PROOF: GENESIS PROJECT

Matthias Pintscher conductor Roomful of Teeth

APR 15 | THU 8 PM

Neuwirth Dreydl • Berio Sinfonia • Beethoven Symphony No. 6, Pastorale

Seven composers. Seven days of Genesis told through sound.

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

CLASSICAL ROOTS

Matthias Pintscher conductor

MAR 5 & 6 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM

APR 17 | SAT 7:30 PM

Cristian Măcelaru conductor Alexandra Dariescu piano

John Morris Russell conductor Members of the Nouveau Program Classical Roots Community Choir

Mendelssohn Overture in C • Mayer Faust Overture • Schumann Piano Concerto in A Minor • Wallen Concerto for Orchestra (World Premiere, co-commission)

RACHMANINOFF SYMPHONIC DANCES

BACH ST. MATTHEW PASSION MAR 13 & 14 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Louise Alder soprano Karen Cargill mezzo-soprano Nicholas Phan tenor (Evangelist) Morgan Smith baritone Nmon Ford baritone (Jesus) May Festival Chorus Bach St. Matthew Passion

THE UNINHABITED ISLAND

APR 23 & 24 | FRI 11 AM; SAT 7:30 PM Marta Gardolińska conductor Leila Josefowicz violin Bonis Ophelie, Salomé, Le songe de Cléopâtre • Szymanowski Violin Concerto No. 2 • Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances

CRISTI CONDUCTS MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 9 MAY 8 & 9 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Mahler Symphony No. 9

APR 2 & 3 | FRI 11 AM; SAT 7:30 PM Louis Langrée conductor Sunwook Kim piano Adams The Chairman Dances • Schumann Piano Concerto • Haydn Overture to L’isola disabitata (“The Uninhabited Island”) • Kodály Dances of Galánta

RAY CHEN, KORNGOLD & SHOSTAKOVICH MAY 14 & 15 | FRI & SAT 7:30 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Ray Chen violin Tanzil Remembering • Korngold Violin Concerto • Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

LANG LANG PLAYS RACHMANINOFF APR 7 | WED 7:30 PM Cristian Măcelaru conductor Lang Lang piano Enescu Concert Overture on Popular Romanian Themes • Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

MOZART & PROKOFIEV APR 10 & 11 | SAT 7:30 PM; SUN 2 PM Delyana Lazarova conductor Isata Kanneh-Mason piano Tabakova Orpheus’ Comet • Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 • Prokoﬁev Symphony No. 5

Inspiration lives everywhere. Why not ﬁnd it here?

CLASSICAL MUSIC

10/26 Founded in 1929, the Cincinnati Civic Orchestra is one of the nation’s oldest all- volunteer orchestras. Its 98th season-opening concert features works by Haydn and Schubert. Glendale Lyceum, cincinnaticivicorchestra.org

La Boheme 10/29-31 CCM Opera

Series presents Puccini’s classic tale of bohemian dreamers surviving on the streets of Paris. UC’s Corbett Auditorium, ccm.uc. edu/onstage

Gil Shaham Plays Tchaikovsky 10/30-31 The

legendary violinist plays Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as well as works by Schubert and Carlos Simon. Music Hall, cincinnati symphony.org

NOVEMBER Balourdet String Quartet: Breath and Bow 11/1-2 The 2026-27

Linton Chamber Music Series features works by Bartok, Ravel, and Valerie Coleman as the quartet is accompanied by ﬂutist Demarre McGill. First Unitarian Church (Sunday) and Congregation Beth Adam (Monday), lintonmusic.org

Jean-Guihen Queyras 11/4 Chamber Music

Cincinnati presents one of the world’s great cellists accompanied by

| CINCY A&E 2026

pianist Alexandre Tharaud. Memorial Hall, cincychamber.org

Richard Elliott 11/8 The annual Organ

Concert Series presents twentysomething composer Daniel Ficarri, who serves as Associate Director of Music and organist at Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church, hydeparkchurch.org

In This House We Believe 11/13-14 MUSE Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir presents its fall concert featuring guest singer/songwriter Crys Matthews. Christ Church Cathedral, musechoir.org

Louis Langree Conducts Ravel 11/13-14 Principal Trumpet Anthony Limoncelli makes his CSO solo debut in a program of Ravel and Tomasi. Music Hall, cincinnatisymphony.org

A Sea Symphony 11/20 CCM Chamber Choir and Chorale join CCM Philharmonia to perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony, which brings Walt Whitman sea poems to musical life. UC’s Corbett Auditorium, ccm.uc. edu/onstage

Strauss Spectacular 11/21-22 Philippe

Jordan conducts the CSO and Principal Oboe Dwight Parry in an all-Strauss program. Music Hall, cincinnati symphony.org

Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite 11/22 CCM Jazz Orchestra transforms Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker score into jazz intrepretations arranged by Duke Ellington and Billy Trayhorn. UC’s Corbett Auditorium, ccm.uc.edu/onstage

Michael Chertock 11/23 Xavier University presents a classical recital from the famed pianist. Gallagher Student Center, xavier.edu/ musicseries

DECEMBER Isidore String Quartet 12/1 Chamber Music

Cincinnati presents the acclaimed quartet performing Schubert’s String Quintet with cellist Sterling Elliott. Memorial Hall, cincychamber.org

Civic Orchestra Holiday Concerts 12/3, 6, 10 The all-volunteer Cincinnati Civic Orchestra hosts three holiday concerts at the Kenton County Public Library, Colerain Senior Center, and Springﬁeld Township Grove Event Center. cincinnaticivicorchestra. org

Conrad Tao: Mzaert & Prokofiev 12/4-5 The renowned pianist performs works by Grenfell, Haydn, Mozart, and Prokoﬁev with the CSO, conducted by Gemma New. Music Hall, cincinnatisymphony.org

Isidore String Quartet

The Arc of Innovation 12/4&6 Cincinnati

String Project Quartet performs works by Hadyn and two modern composers, Caroline Shaw and Amy Beach. St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church, Clifton, cincinnati stringproject.org

Feast of Carols 12/5-6 CCM Chamber

Choir and Chorale join with UC’s Choruses and Cincinnati Youth Choir for this annual holiday tribute concert. UC’s Corbett Auditorium, ccm.uc. edu/onstage

Our Holiday Wishlist 12/5-6 Cincinnati

Men’s Chorus celebrates the season. Memorial Hall, memorialhallotr.com

Curl Up With a Good Book 12/6 The Cincinnati Community Orchestra performs literary works by Humperdinck, Taylor, Liszt, and Schonberg. Church of the Savior United Methodist, cincinnati communityorchestra.org

Holiday Pops 12/11-13 John Morris

Russell leads the

Cincinnati Pops to bring your holiday favorites to life, featuring vocalist Gaby Moreno. Music Hall, cincinnatisymphony.org/ pops

Handel’s Messiah 12/12 Young Professionals Choral Collective presents one of the choral repertoire’s most beloved works. ypccsing.org

Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings 12/19-20 The series of

live string quartet concerts in candlelight takes a holiday turn with carols, hymns, and pop songs. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, feverup.com/en/ cincinnati

Dancing in the Street: Music of Motown 12/31 Ring in the new

year in Motown ’60s and ’70s style with John Morris Russell, the Cincinnati Pops, and vocalists Chester Gregory, Michael Lynche, and Crystal Monee Hall. Music Hall, cincinnati symphony.org/pops

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y J I YA N G C H E N

Civic Orchestra Fall Concert

DESIGN BY:

ANNOUNCING

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Expansion! An additional stage is coming next door to our current theater. Opening Season: 2028–2029 Visit cincyshakes.com to learn more.

A.R. RAHMAN with the Cincinnati Pops JAN 25 & 26 Music Hall

Cincinnati welcomes the genius behind the music of Slumdog Millionaire. The Cincinnati Pops presents a symphonic celebration of global music with Grammy and two-time AcademyAward winner A.R. Rahman. One of the world’s most proliﬁc music composers, Rahman joins the Orchestra to bring his genre-spanning compositions — ranging from Eastern classical, pop, world music and rap — to breathtaking new heights.

Tickets on sale now! cincinnatipops.org

144 MUST-SEE SHOWS

LIVE CONCERTS Sting's tour with guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas stops at the Brady Music Center on November 4.

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY ME M I

DON’T MISS

We’ll Be Watching You

CINCY A&E 2026

| CM 53

LIVE CONCERT CALENDAR Ohio Is for Lovers Festival

Jennifer Knapp

9/5 Rose Music Center

Revival, southgatehouse. com

9/1 Ludlow Garage,

(Dayton), rosemusic center.com

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Jubu Smith

Margo Price

Gladys Knight 9/5 Ludlow Garage,

9/2 Brady Music

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Center, bradymusic center.com

Valley of the Sun

Chance the Rapper

9/5 Liberty Theater

Steve Forbert 9/3 Southgate House

Revival, southgatehouse. com

Third Eye Blind 9/3 MegaCorp Pavilion, promowestlive. com/cincinnati

Roots Revival: Ben Turner & Wabs and Friends 9/3 Washington Park,

washingtonpark.org

Woodward Walk the Plank Festival 9/4 Woodward Theater,

woodwardtheater.com

Squeeze 9/4 Rose Music Center

(Lawrenceburg), whiskeycitysliberty theater.com

Jazz at the Park: Phil DeGreg Trio

Wu-Tang 9/5 Riverbend Music

Center, riverbend.org

| CINCY A&E 2026

Tequila Sunrise & Petty City 9/11 Fraze Pavilion (Dayton), fraze.com

Eric Clapton

9/12 Riverbend Music Center, riverbend.org

9/8 Heritage Bank

Center, heritagebank center.com

Sam Barber 9/8 Brady Music Center, bradymusic center.com

John Craigie 9/9 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Revival, southgatehouse. com

9/4 Sorg Opera House (Middletown), sorgoperahouse.org

9/11 Woodward Theater, woodward theater.com

Hank Williams Jr.

O.A.R.

Bronson Arroyo Band

I’m From Jamaica, Ohio

washingtonpark.org

Crystal Bowersox

bradymusiccenter.com

9/11 Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

9/7 Washington Park,

(Dayton), rosemusic center.com

9/4 Brady Music Center,

9/10 Southgate House

9/9 Southgate House

Shinedown 9/9 Brady Music

Center, bradymusic center.com

Branford Marsalis & Dianne Reeves 9/10 Aronoff Center

for the Arts, cincinnati arts.org

Chris Standring 9/12 Ludlow Garage, ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Beth Hart 9/12 Taft Theatre,

tafttheatre.org

Scotty Bratcher 9/12 Sorg Opera House (Middletown), sorgoperahouse.org

Hot Magnolias 9/12 Fountain Square,

myfountainsquare.com

Gable Price & Friends

Chance the Rapper

Pitbull

Dokken

9/15 Riverbend Music

9/19 Rose Music

Center, riverbend.org

Center (Dayton), rosemusiccenter.com

Elevation Rhythm 9/15-16 MegaCorp

Pavilion, promowestlive. com/cincinnati

Gin Blossoms, Blues Traveler & Spin Doctors

Ted Nugent 9/19 Lawrenceburg

Event Center, the lawrenceburgeventcenter. com

2nd Wind

9/17 Riverbend Music

9/19 Fountain Square,

Center, riverbend.org

myfountainsquare.com

Jack White

Gogol Bordello

9/18 MegaCorp

9/20 Bogart’s, bogarts.com

Pavilion, promowestlive. com/cincinnati

Air Supply 9/19 Hard Rock

Asleep at the Wheel 9/20 Memorial Hall, memorialhallotr.com

Casino, casino.hardrock. com/cincinnati

Judah & the Lion

Brooks and Dunn

bogarts.com

9/19 Riverbend Music

9/21 Bogart’s,

Center, riverbend.org

Theater, woodward theater.com

Over the Shire & Far Away

Ron Pope

9/21 Memorial Hall,

9/19 Ludlow Garage,

memorialhallotr.com

Jazz at the Park: Retro Nouveau

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

The Wellerman

9/14 Woodward

9/14 Washington Park,

washingtonpark.org

9/23 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY ME M I

SEPTEMBER

THE KAPLAN NEW WORKS SERIES

ROMEO & JULIET

LIVE!

THE NUTCRACKER

,1 &21&(57 :,7+ OVER THE RHINE CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PRESENTED BY

DIRECTOR’S VISION: TWO VOICES

FAMILY SERIES: HANSEL & GRETEL CINCINNATI BALLET DANCERS | PHOTOGRAPHY: AARON M. CONWAY

LIVE CONCERTS

9/23 Brady Music

Center, bradymusic center.com

Belles

10/5 Washington Park,

9/26 Liberty Theater

washingtonpark.org

(Lawrenceburg), whiskeycitysliberty theater.com

Bright Eyes

9/23 Southgate House

Revival, southgate house.com

Buena Vista Orchestra

9/24 Taft Theatre,

tafttheatre.org

Carole King & James Taylor Story

Robert Trower

memorialhallotr.com

9/24 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

OCTOBER

Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Modest Mouse

9/24 Memorial Hall,

10/1 MegaCorp

memorialhallotr.com

Sara Bareilles 9/25 Taft Theatre,

tafttheatre.org

Jason Ringenberg 9/25 Southgate House Revival, southgate house.com

Pokey LaFarge 9/25 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Henhouse Prowlers 9/25 Liberty Theater

(Lawrenceburg), whiskeycitysliberty theater.com

Augustana 9/25 Fountain Square,

myfountainsquare.com

Pavilion, promowest live.com/cincinnati

Los Lonely Boys 10/1 Ludlow Garage,

10/7 Brady Music

Center, bradymusic center.com

Melissa Manchester 10/8 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Come Worship Tour: CeCe Winans, Charity Gale, Terrain 10/8 Heritage Bank

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Center, heritagebank center.com

Brantley Gilbert

The Dream Syndicate

10/1 Rose Music

Center (Dayton), rosemusiccenter.com

Liam Kazar 10/1 MOTR Pub,

motrpub.com

The Brothers Comatose 10/2 Southgate House

Revival, southgate house.com

Jesse McCartney 10/2 Turfway Park,

turfway.com

Talk Low Music Festival

Freya Skye

9/25-27 Woodward

Center, bradymusic center.com

Theater, woodward theater.com

Vanilla Fudge 10/7 Ludlow Garage, ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

9/28 Memorial Hall,

Dead Letter Office

10/6 Bogart’s, bogarts.com

bogarts.com

9/28 Bogart’s,

Molly Tuttle & Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country

Trio

Dan Tyminski Band

10/3 Brady Music

10/8 Southgate House

Revival, southgate house.com

Center (Dayton), rosemusiccenter.com

| CINCY A&E 2026

Linda Ronstadt Experience

House Revival, southgatehouse.com

10/21 Memorial Hall, memorialhallotr.com

Niladri Kumaar

Emmaline

10/14 Aronoff Center

10/22 Memorial Hall, memorialhallotr.com

for the Arts, cincinnati arts.org

Euge Groove 10/16 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Collective Soul

Brantley Gilbert

10/24 Hard Rock Casino, casino. hardrock.com/cincinnati

10/16 PNC Pavilion,

riverbend.org

The Sixties Show

The Damn Shames 10/16 Liberty Theater

10/9 Taft Theatre,

(Lawrenceburg), whiskeycitysliberty theater.com

Robbie Fulks 10/10 Southgate

House Revival, southgatehouse.com

Karyn White 10/10 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Jazz at the Park: Jordan Pollard

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

10/11 Ludlow Garage,

Daughtry

House Revival, southgatehouse.com

Tab Benoit tafttheatre.org

10/24 Southgate House Revival, southgatehouse.com

10/24 Turfway Park, turfway.com

for the Arts, cincinnati arts.org

Tavern, xavier.edu/ musicseries

Ellis Paul

10/16 Southgate

Richard Shindell

10/8 Northside

memorialhallotr.com

9/26 Rose Music

10/14 Southgate

10/16 Aronoff Center

Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel

10/4 Memorial Hall,

Supersuckers

The Bad Plus

Holly Bowling Flashback Funk Fest

Collective Soul

Mike Dawes 10/17 Ludlow Garage,

Zach Williams 10/24 Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Andrew McMahon 10/24 Memorial Hall, memorialhallotr.com

The Fab Four 10/25 Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Jazz at the Park: Dixie Karras

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

10/26 Washington Park, washingtonpark.org

Episodic Memory

BLKBOK

10/17 MOTR Pub,

10/30 Ludlow Garage,

motrpub.com

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Sugar 10/20 MegaCorp Pavilion, promowest live.com/cincinnati

Magnolia Boulevard 10/30 Liberty Theater

(Lawrenceburg),whiskey cityslibertytheater.com

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY HARD ROCK CA SI NO

Thee Sacred Souls

SHARE A LAUGH, SUPPORT A CAUSE

FRI, OCT 23 | 8PM

FOR TICKETS VISIT HARDROCKCASINOCINCINNATI.COM MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO G A MBLE. G A MBLING PROBL EM? CA L L 1-800-589-9966

LIVE CONCERTS

Haunted Fest: Knock2, GRiZ, Starjunk 95

Sting

Little Feat

11/4 Brady Music

11/10 Taft Theatre,

tafttheatre.org

10/30-31 MegaCorp

Center, bradymusic center.com

Pavilion, promowest live.com/cincinnati

Sam Lewis

11/12 Ludlow Garage,

11/6 Southgate House Revival, southgate house.com

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Clutch 10/31 Brady Music

Anthony Gomes

Center, bradymusic center.com

Ashley McBride

NOVEMBER

11/7 Brady Music Center, bradymusic center.com

Los Lobos

Master P. and More

Tom Rush

11/14 Heritage Bank

11/19 Ludlow Garage,

Center, heritagebank center.com

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Blues & Boogie Piano Summit

Cheap Trick

Los Lobos

11/14 Memorial Hall,

11/13 Memorial Hall,

tafttheatre.com

memorialhallotr.com

Gerald Albright 11/13 Ludlow Garage,

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Teddy Thompson

Jake Speed & the Freddies

11/1 Southgate House

11/7 Memorial Hall,

Revival, southgate house.com

memorialhallotr.com

Colby Acuff

11/15 Taft Theatre,

Turnover

11/14 Woodward Theater, woodward theater.com

tafttheatre.org

Queen City Blues Fest

11/3 Bogart’s,

11/7 Southgate House

bogarts.com

Revival, southgate house.com

Cash Money & No Limit Tour: Birdman, Juvenile,

11/18 Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnati arts.org

memorialhallotr.com

Kenny G

Everclear 11/20 Bogart’s, bogarts.com

Dweezil Zappa 11/20 MegaCorp Pavilion, promowest live.com/cincinnati

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY PI E RO F G I UNT I

The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight

11/19 Taft Theatre,

| CINCY A&E 2026

Ha Ha Tonka

Keb’ Mo’

David DePierro

11/20 Southgate

11/22 Hard Rock

11/28 Ludlow Garage,

House Revival, southgatehouse.com

Casino, casino.hardrock. com/cincinnati

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Sara Evans

Queensryche

11/21 Turfway Park,

11/27 Hard Rock

turfway.com

Casino, casino.hardrock. com/cincinnati

King Buffalo 11/21 Woodward

Theater, woodward theater.com

DECEMBER

Celtic Angels Christmas

Irish Christmas in America

12/8 Memorial Hall,

12/13 Ludlow Garage,

memorialhallotr.com

ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Straight No Chaser

Whitechapel

12/9 Taft Theatre,

12/16 Brady Music Center, bradymusic center.com

tafttheatre.org

Aly & AJ

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Senses Fail

11/28 Bogart’s,

12/2 Taft Theatre,

12/9 Bogart’s,

Aaron Lewis

bogarts.com

tafttheatre.org

bogarts.com

Underoath

Peter Noone & Herman’s Hermits

12/17 Hard Rock Casino, casino.hardrock. com/cincinnati

12/4 Brady Music

Center, bradymusic center.com

12/12 Ludlow Garage, ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

Stella Cole 12/6 Ludlow Garage, ludlowgaragecincinnati. com

A Cozy Christmas With Queen City Cabaret

John Denver Christmas 12/18-19 Aronoff Center for the Arts, cincinnatiarts.org

Blue Oyster Cult

12/12-13 The

12/19 Lawrenceburg

Carnegie, thecarnegie. com

Event Center, thelaw renceburgeventcenter. com

Dweezil Zappa

PHOTOGR APH COURTE SY PROMOWE ST LIVE

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SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL

OCTOBER 16, 2026

PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL

DECEMBER 18-19, 2026 JARSON-KAPLAN THEATER

OCTOBER 3, 2026

PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL

OCTOBER 30, 2026

PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL

JANUARY 2-3, 2027

PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL

OCTOBER 14, 2026

JARSON-KAPLAN THEATER

NOVEMBER 5, 2026

PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL

JANUARY 12, 2027

PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL

ON SALE SEPTEMBER 18!

ALL SHOWS AT THE ARONOFF CENTER

CincinnatiArts.org • (513) 621-ARTS (2787)

PH OTO G R A PH CO U R T E SY PSYCH O

MUST-SEE SHOWS

SCREEN & CINEMA

DON’T MISS

Scream Queen in Concert The classic Hitchcock thriller Psycho gets the full Cincinnati Pops treatment October 27 at Music Hall.

CINCY A&E 2026

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SCREEN & CINEMA CALENDAR Cindependent Film Festival 9/16-20 Film screen-

La La Land in Concert 9/5-6 Celebrate the

ﬁlm’s 10th anniversary with the Cincinnati Pops conducted by Damon Gupton, who appears in the movie, and a jazz band. Music Hall, cincinnatisympho ny.org/pops

Nightlight: Crazy, Stupid, Love 9/11 The outdoor movie series on the Covington riverfront includes food trucks, bar drinks, and pre-ﬁlm DJ. Covington Plaza, nightlight513.com

Horrorhound Film Festival 9/11-13 Showcase of

independent horror ﬁlmmaking. Sharonville Convention Center, horrorhound. com

ings, VIP experiences, Deep Dives, Screenplay Speakeasies, and master classes. Memorial Hall and Mariemont Theatre, cindependentﬁlmfest.org

Nightlight: Project Hail Mary 9/18 The outdoor

movie series on the Covington riverfront includes food trucks, bar drinks, and pre-ﬁlm DJ. Covington Plaza, nightlight513.com

48 Hour Film Project 9/25-27 Participants

write, shoot, and edit a short ﬁlm based on a prompt announced at the kickoff. Celebrate with awards at the premiere. 48hourﬁlm. com/cincinnati

Wicked

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth in Concert

9/12 Fraze Pavilion (Dayton), fraze.com

9/30 The original movie screens and is

accompanied by a live band on stage and an enchanting candlelit atmosphere. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

OCTOBER Yellow Springs Film Festival 10/1-4 The fourth annual independent film festival will present the Julia Reichert Award to an emerging female documentary filmmaker. Little Art Theatre (Yellow Springs), ysfilmfest.com

Spooky Summit Cinema 10/9 Summit Park,

summitparkblueash.com

Ghostbusters in Concert 10/14 Screening of

the original movie accompanied by a live band on stage and an enchanting candlelit atmosphere. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

Yellow Springs Film Festival

| CINCY A&E 2026

INDEPENDENT AND INCLUSIVE Earlier this year, multi-genre Cindependent Film Festival and the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival, organized by Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD), unexpectedly announced a merger. They rebranded under one unified identity: the Cindependent Film Festival Presented With LADD. What does such a merger mean for the future of both organizations? For one thing, sustainability. According to Cindependent founder and Executive Director Allyson West, the partnership combines strengths. LADD contributes its organizational infrastructure and fundraising opportunities, providing about 30 percent of the revenue needed to produce the annual film festival. Cindependent’s reputation as one of the region’s leading identities in independent film, meanwhile, draws submissions and audiences from around the world, presenting more opportunities for exhibition, filmmaker development, and audience building. Such a blend of resources, says West, furthers Cindependent’s mission of creating a home for independent filmmaking— with an increased awareness for and representation of disability after the merger. The new festival is September 16-20 and kicks off with a grand reopening night at the Mariemont Theatre, which Cindependent has been renovating for nearly seven months. Attendees can expect more accessibility resources—expanded captioning and audio description, ASL interpretation for key events, sensory-friendly programming, and accessibility tools for guests— as well as more films and stories by and about people with disabilities. “Cindependent has always existed to turn strangers into friends,” says West. “Every screening, conversation, and late-night discussion after a film is an opportunity for someone to find their people. This year, it feels like that community is about to get a whole lot bigger, which is incredibly exciting.” –EMMA BALCOM

P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y ( B O T T O M ) Y E L L O W S P R I N G S F I L M F E S T I VA L / ( T O P ) C I N D E P E N D E N T

SEPTEMBER

Psycho in Concert 10/27 Sarah Hicks

Hocus Pocus

conducts the Cincinnati Pops to accompany a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller. Music Hall, cincinnatisympho ny.org/pops

Rocky in Concert

Hump! Film Festival

pre-ﬁlm DJ. Covington Plaza, nightlight513.com

10/15 Features ﬁlms

creating a public space for sex-positivity, representation, and inclusivity. Woodward Theater, woodward theater.com

Nightlight: Hocus Pocus

Nightlight: Sinners 10/16 The outdoor

movie series on the Covington riverfront includes food trucks, bar drinks, and pre-ﬁlm DJ. Covington Plaza, nightlight513.com

10/15 The outdoor

movie series on the Covington riverfront includes food trucks, bar drinks, and

Hocus Pocus 10/17 Fraze Pavilion (Dayton), fraze.com

10/30 Screening of the

original movie accompanied by a live band on stage and an enchanting candlelit atmosphere. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

band on stage and an enchanting candlelit atmosphere. Taft Theatre, tafttheatre.org

OutReels Cincinnati 11/6-8 Founded in

2012, the festival presents innovative and thought-provoking ﬁlms from around the world. Mariemont Theatre, outreelscincin nati.org

Rocky Mountain Express 11/13-1/4/27 Spectac-

NOVEMBER Blade Runner in Concert 11/6 Screening of the original movie accompanied by a live

ular aerial cinematography tells the story of how a railroad was built in this gorgeous, perilous terrain.Lindner Family Omnimax Theater, cincymuseum. org

Train Time 11/13-1/4/27 Join the

crew of a giant freight train for an eye-popping, music-infused journey across America. Lindner Family Omnimax Theater, cincymuseum.org

Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert 11/28-29 Duo Shen conducts the Cincinnati Pops to accompany a screening of The Muppets’ take on Charles Dickens. Music Hall, cincinnati symphony.org/pops

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