Get your fill of outdoor activities before the season finally cools down. Movies in the park, blues on the Square and Oktoberfest on the riverfront await. Intriguing lectures, great theater and a film festival also have plenty of empty seats that need you in them. Enjoy.
Wednesday, Sept. 17
Fountain Square, Fountain Blues | 5-8 p.m. 520 Vine St., downtown. DETAILS: Isaac Bluesman and Pork City Slim provide your hump-day entertainment, tonight. This classic acoustic blues duo is happy to be on stage after their April cancellation due to weather. Grab refreshment from the Fountain Bar or – our recommendation – some pre-dinner Graeter’s. You deserve it.
Thursday, Sept. 18
Mercantile Library, “Such Great Heights”: An Evening with Chris DeVille | 6 p.m. 414 Walnut St., downtown. 513-621-0717. DETAILS: The definitive history of indie rock is on display as Chris DeVille, managing editor at Stereogum, discusses his new book, “Such Great Heights: The Complete History of the Indie Rock Explosion.” From Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Neutral Milk Hotel and Fiona Apple, DeVille explores the subculture that became pop culture and the “underground” genre that shaped our lives (well, some of us, anyway). Reception at 6, program at 6:30.
Cindependent Film Festival | Various times. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 214-843-6781. DETAILS: Lights, Camera, ACTION! Meet filmmakers and storytellers from all over the world while you immerse yourself in all that is film for the next three days. Indie film programming, live screenplay readings, masterclasses, networking and lots of special events combine to celebrate this popular, powerful and creative medium. Various levels of passes and experiences are available for purchase. Tote bags, unlimited drink tickets, t-shirts and other bling come with your ticket. Runs through Sept. 20.
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati | 4-10 p.m. Sawyer Point & Yeatman’s Cove, downtown. DETAILS: It’s baaaack! Bigger and better than ever. Founded in 1976, Oktoberfest has become the largest event of its kind in America. To celebrate Cincinnati’s deep German heritage, the riverfront is transformed into the “ultimate Bavarian playground.” Enter your pup in the Running of the Wieners or grab your buddies to take part in the nation’s largest Chicken Dance. If you’re a runner, throw on your running lederhosen for the 14K/7K Brewery Run. The weekend includes lot of activities for children and families, including glassblowing workshops and a Zinzinnati Zirkus. Food and drink options abound. Have a blast, but don’t get tangled up in someone else’s lederhosen during the Chicken Dance. It’s a mighty tight squeeze. Runs through Sept. 21. Willkommen!
Friday, Sept. 19
Middletown Lyric Theater, “Rehearsal for Murder” | 8 p.m. Sorg Opera House, 635 Main St., Middletown. 513-425-7140. DETAILS: Who killed Monica Welles? Her husband Alex is convinced she was murdered and sets out to discover the truth. He reenacts her final moments in an empty theater with the same cast, crew and director who were present at her death exactly one year before. Masterful manipulation, a couple of men in the shadows and concealed identities eventually unmask the murderer. Adapted for the stage by D.D. Brooke from a television play by Richard Levinson and William Link, Joel Brown directs and Claudia Kasvin plays the deceased Monica Welles. Repeats Saturday, Sept. 20.
Conservation: Recovered from a 13th century shipwreck in the waters off the coast of Indonesia, this ceramic has unique condition requirements to prevent further degradation.
Cincinnati Art Museum, “Rediscovered Treasures” | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 953 Eden Park Dr., Eden Park. 513-721-2787. DETAILS: This interesting exhibit features nearly 60 pieces from the museum’s East Asian Art collection. What’s fascinating is they are not new to the museum, necessarily, but through modern scholarship and investigation or conservation they have become “new,” again. Many of the pieces were acquired in the last century and came to the museum without identification, information or were misidentified. New research has revealed exciting discoveries about their provenance, histories or simply the objects, themselves. Runs through Jan. 18.
Falcon Theater, “The Secretary” | 8 p.m. 636 Monmouth St., Newport. 513-479-6783. DETAILS: Now this sounds hysterical. Ruby runs a gun company that protects women by helping them protect themselves. Ruby names her guns after the women who have used them to save a life, usually their own. The Bridesmaid, The Babysitter, The Mallwalker. When the school’s elderly secretary faces her own six-bullet moment in the school, Ruby names her weapon The Secretary. Guns suddenly start going off all over town, but no one’s firing them! What? Written by playwright Kyle John Schmidt, the play is about safety, survival and guns in a world that’s up in arms. Timely. Directed by Claire LaNicca. Runs through Oct. 4.
Saturday, Sept. 20
Playhouse in the Park, “Mythic” | Preview performance: 7:30 p.m. 962 Mt. Adams Circle, Mt. Adams. 513-421-3888. DETAILS: Make sure to see this new take on the Greek myth of Persephone and her overbearing mother, Demeter. This is the American premiere of the pop-rock comedy with book and lyrics by Marcus Stevens and music by Oran Eldor. If you don’t know the story: Determined to make her own way in the world, Persephone goes against her mother’s wishes. Sneaking into a party at the Acropolis she meets bad-boy Hades and descends into the Underworld believing she is forging her own path. Move quickly to see this reimagining of an old story that’s sure to sell out fast. Analise Scarpaci and Mamie Parris make their PIP debuts as Persephone and Demeter. Learn more c/o Rick Pender, from the September M&M magazine. Runs through Oct. 19.
City Flea | 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. DETAILS: Artisans and vendors display all of their creativity and artistry for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. Support these local creatives and vendors while you enjoy friends, neighbors, community and a collection food truck options. It’s always a fun day. Refreshment at The Porch to top it all off.
Cincinnati Pops, “The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration” | 7:30 p.m., Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: In this tribute to legendary pop icon Whitney Houston, experience original and re-mastered recordings with new orchestrations, led by conductor Daniel Wiley, in a reimagining of her most popular hits. From “The Greatest Love of All” to “I’m Every Woman” and “Saving All My Love for You,” time-travel back to the 1980s and experience one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Repeats Sept. 21 at 2 p.m.
Ensemble Con Fuoco, “Into Light“ | 7 p.m. St. Martin of Tours, 3720 St. Martin’s Pl., Westwood. 513-751-0651. DETAILS: “Into Light” takes you on a journey from supplication to renewal through choral masterworks spanning the centuries. The afternoon ranges from the Renaissance and Romantic eras to the minimalism of contemporary and living composers in works by Harris, Victoria, Bruckner, Byrd, Pärt, Gjeilo, Hagenberg, Dailey, Hogan and others. Artist director David Castillo Gocher and Krista Cornish Scott conduct the ensemble. Repeats Sunday, Sept. 21, Indian Hill Church, 6000 Drake Rd.
Sunday, Sept. 21
Harriet Beecher Stowe House, “Ralph Waldo Emerson: The Sage of Concord” | 4 p.m., First Unitarian Church, 536 Linton St., Avondale. 513-751-0651. DETAILS: Playwright and actor Philip Paradis brings the American essayist, poet and abolitionist Ralph Waldo Emerson to life in this funny and touching one-man show. In the dramatic portrayal, Emerson shares anecdotes of his life and times and his views on reading and writing, nature, religion and science. Paridis is a Resident Playwright at American Theatre of Actors, Manhattan Repertory Theatre and has served on the faculty at Northern Kentucky University.
Monday, Sept. 22
Woodward Theater, “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” | 7:30 p.m. 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-345-7987. DETAILS: Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg, this film depicts the life of this once-rising young star with an “otherworldly voice and boundary-pushing artistry,” prior to his unexpected death at the age of 30. Told through never-before-seen footage and accounts from his mother, partners and bandmates, the film shines a light on this life cut much too short.
Tuesday, Sept. 23
Washington Park, “Lilo and Stitch” | 9 p.m. 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. DETAILS: This is it. Your last chance this year for movies in this park. This 2025 Disney science fiction comedy lights up the screen. Follow lonely Lilo as she adopts Stitch, a rambunctious alien puppy who helps her mend her broken family. Bring a jacket, in case it’s cooler, plus a comfortable chair to the last outdoor movie of 2025.
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