What an exciting turnout for this event! Walnut Hills is not an area that too many people are…read morefamiliar with, so it was nice to see so many people make it out. What I loved about this event was the energy was high and everyone was welcome. This wasn't a snobby event. it was a finger licking, get down to business kind of event. With almost every food truck in town the lines weren't horrible and there was more than enough entertainment to go around. I will say some of the music might have been a bit inappropriate since there were young children at the event. The "wobble wobble touch you booty to the floor" kinda thing was a little weird but I totally dug the energy. There were plenty of activities that I haven't seen anywhere else. There was a paint your own pottery station, and other crafting tables as well. I liked that the Waffo truck was there. I had never heard of them before so that was fresh and new. All in all it was a well organized event and not everything went perfect but I appreciated the effort to bring the community together! Well done, and I look forward to attending again next year.

I really enjoyed this festival. Living in Oakley, this festival wasn't far from home so my wife and…read moreI decided to check it out and grab some food. What a wonderful time we had. It was supposed to end at 5:00 and we didn't get there until 3:00 so it did seem to be winding down somewhat when we got there. We grabbed some beers from the Rhinegeist booth (which was also serving Great Lakes beer) and decided to try some food trucks. Unfortunately some of the trucks were already running out of food so we didn't get our first choice which was Red Sesame Korean tacos. We had a falafel wrap from Andy's Mediterranean and then grabbed the very last grilled cheese from C'est Cheese. Also inside the festival area was the new Fireside Pizza restaurant and bar inside an old fire station with it's large door open. I was a bit disappointed that multiple food trucks hadn't prepared enough to last the whole festival but we still managed to get plenty of food. There was a stage with a jazz band playing when we showed up. After they quit playing there were a series of announcements and congratulations from some of the organizers of the festival and community organizers. This was followed by a high energy soul group, 2nd Wind. This was the highlight of the festival for us. They had four singers and a great band. The crowd was enjoying it so much that the festival ran over by an hour allowing the band to continue playing while the people danced and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. This was a great neighborhood festival with not too many people but still plenty so that there was a festive atmosphere. There were people painting a crosswalk and a person on stilts making balloon animals. The crowd was diverse and very representative of the people of Cincinnati. We both had fun and had the chance to interact with many different people. Although I hadn't heard of this festival the previous years, I am definitely looking forward to it next year.

A nice festival put on in Cheviot. Located in one of the local area parks, they offered some live…read moreentertainment options, pretty decent cocktails, Italian sweets and food vendors. They had some carnival rids available for the kids and if you live in the area the even shares a parking lot with the community pool. Visited in the afternoon shortly after the festival started up for the day and it wasn't too busy at all. Though I was following the festivals social media post I didn't know the schedule of events. Having this information before hand would have been useful for attending around a band, demonstration or speed trivia that was scheduled. Each of the food items I sampled were good including the fried ravioli, arancini, cannoli and limoncello marscapone cake. The two bite size cannoli being a highlight. Oh, and don't worry; they fill them when orders so it's still a very crisp wafer. And for the adults? A wine garden! Bottles of wine available, but the signature cocktails is where it's at! The white summer sangria being the highlight amongst attendees in my group. $1-$2 donation suggested for entry, great cocktails and some ways to tire the kids.

This is a small town festival at its best! It is more like a mini Italian Taste of Cincy than…read moreanything else. The highlights: fried ravioli, fried oreo, the wine/sangria station, and the cookie table-they serve made to order cannoli, pizzelles, and dozens of other varieties of homemade cookies for eating right there or take away. Of special note: Stuarto's Olive Oil is an annual treat for us- we stock up on our specialty oils, balsamics, and salt mixes-and they let you sample everything! They have an outdoor stage with various acts and an indoor barn style room where food demos and art pieces are housed. There are also raffle booths and carnival rides and games for the kiddos. It is not a large festival and you can make your way through the entire are in about an hour. I would consider it a lunchtime or dinner event, but certainly not a "spend all day" here kind of festival, unless you really want to sample all the alcohol. :) A lovely little 3 day summertime magic, it is almost always the first weekend of June and worth at least a few hours of your time.

This is always a fun festival which celebrates my heritage Italian. There is rides for the kids, a…read morebooth of local Italian families pictures and many food and drink booths. Alfios Pompillios just to name a couple of restaurants serving their delicious Italian fare. Also cannolis, Italian beer and music all day. Even if you are not Italian you can pretend at the festival

Italianfest is simply ok in my book. I definitely think it has potential to be something much more,…read moreso hopefully it can raise the bar to compete with other culturally focused festivals in the area (Panegyri, Oktoberfest, etc). This year had plenty of food vendors but the offerings were not that appealing after our walk through. We fortunately split some great pasta (vendor currently doesn't have a brick&mortar location) and each of us ate a tasty cannoli since festival calories do not count at all :) If you are seeking simple, often from scratch food, you will be in luck and should find something to devour. To any vendors reading this, please have a legible menu posted high above the crowd so that passersby can read it. Lines tended to be long and most vendors were *LISTEN UP: Ca$h Only. I actually had cash on me but the long lines at the portable ATM signified that many others lacked such an important item. The crowd was very thick at times and props to those with strollers that attempt to swim upstream against everyone. ha ha Parking is probably best had at the nearby Newport on the Levee garage or surrounding lots. Much of the surrounding neighborhood is for residents only.

This review is long past due but I have to echo what Lauren said, the "taste" part was missing…read more I've seen more food options on a weeknight at Washington Park than for this MAJOR festival. Not only was the amount of food a total bummer, but the lines because of the lack of food was atrocious. We are talking hour wait times from line to getting your food. It was an organizational nightmare as lines whipped around into other lines and through the grass and roads surrounding. The lack of local beer was also very apparent. They had miller light, coors, and one "craft beer booth/tent" that had a few local madtree cans and then some bigger craft beer names. Again, a total disappointment for an event of this caliber. I don't know if the sponsors weren't getting a lot out of this and decided not to participate this year or if the people organizing this event just weren't really pitching/selling the event hard enough to get sponsors. Either way with as much going on as Cincinnati has - I would not recommend this festival. The only saving grace was being a 90's babies and hearing blessed union of souls and even that was a disappointment as they played mostly cover songs of other peoples music.

First I will say this review is for the 2017 Taste of Blue Ash only…read more For the first time I was disappointed!. In past years I would rave about the great music, food, and drinks. This year the music was still good and the reason for receiving any stars. The "Taste" piece is where it missed the mark. There were barely any food options, and of the small selection of choices the lines were super long. I guess that was due to the fact there wasn't much to choose from. What happened Blue Ash? It was more of a festival than a "Taste". This is a family tradition we love going to to and this year was just unfortunate....

It's been more than 10 years since I've attended the Cincinnati International Wine Festival. My Mr…read more surprised me on Valentine's Day. I was super excited! He purchased 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon. Online there is the general admission, VIP or Wine pairings with meals (that is evening session). Since Duke Energy is renovating the building downtown, the location this year is at the New Foodstore Foodbank on Rosenthal Way outside off the River Road exit. The set up was really nice. Not as spacious like Duke Energy but it was spread out. There were over 700 different wines from all over the world. I probably sampled over 35 different wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Rioja, Toscana, Red Blends, Chianti and much more! There were water stations everywhere and crackers on the water stations to cleanse your palette. They had small appetizers and desserts to absorb the alcohol. They had one bathroom but the lines were not long. It was pretty busy in the afternoon, but you didn't have to wait long. What an awesome experience and if you are a wine lover, this is definitely worth going to. The price ranges for the wines start from $25.00 on up. Looking forward to next year!

I'm honestly surprised as a wine geek and level 1 Sommelier that it's taken me this long to finally…read moreattend this event. I scored tickets to surprise my lady for Valentines Day because she went once years ago and wanted to go again because she really enjoyed it. It's usually held at Duke Energy Center, but since it's currently under construction, it was held at the Cincinnati Freestore Foodbank distribution center just off of River Road. There was an absolute plethora of different wines of all varietals to try as well as different stations for light bites. The layout was easy to traverse too. I really liked that there were a number of local wineries represented along with the international wineries. The ticket prices may seem high to a first timer of this event, but it's definitely worth it with everything you can sample. Plus it's all going to good local charity causes. I think my lady and I will be going again next year.

This is the first year of the Old Milford Oktoberfest, and it looks like a winner! It's not big -…read moreonly a block long or so - but it has all of the necessary components of a legitimate Oktoberfest: an oompah band, German food, and of course, good beer. The Little Miami Brewing Co., a key sponsor, is located at one end of the venue, and it's only one block from the many restaurants and shops of downtown Milford. We are also fortunate to have beautiful weather today, which is perfect for this event. These elements add up to a thoroughly enjoyable event, which I look forward to attending in the future.

We had an absolutely gorgeous day for the 2017 Show, and we took full advantage of it. This was my…read morefirst time at the Hyde Park Square Art Show, and I was not disappointed. There are 200+ artists at this show, and a good variety of jewelry and art in various mediums and price ranges. We saw everything in about three hours, and I was able to buy several unique holiday gifts for friends and family, as well as one or two (possibly three) fun things for myself. The setting was perfect - the local business district participated by offering food and drinks to show visitors - and we had no trouble parking fairly close to the show. There were portable bathrooms at the end of each section, and I loved the community food stands (staffed by parents and kids) throughout the show. I bought cupcakes to help support the relief efforts in Puerto Rico, and one or two Italian sausage sandwiches to support a local school. While the show was definitely well-attended, it didn't feel crowded. I never had to wait more than a few minutes to make a purchase, and I didn't feel that any booth was so packed that I couldn't enter. I am a veteran art and wine show attendee, and I truly believe that the one thing that makes a show a successful (and potentially repeat) experience for attendees is this: everything can't cost hundreds of dollars. As a quilter, I fully understand that art is often time-consuming and expensive to create (I never try to negotiate with the artists) but offering a variety of pieces at different price points will satisfy a larger number of potential customers. If I attend an art show and find nothing I can afford, I'm not likely to return. The Hyde Park Square Art Show is definitely done right, and I look forward to returning for the 2018 show!

Best oldest Fair in town, just has to be. Between the parade Thursday, carnival, 4H and food all…read moreweekend, it's the place to be on the West side Best side all fall!! Still time to come out!!

Who doesn't like the fair? What!? You don't, well stop reading this…read more.. OK, so now that I have all the fair lovers, lets get into it. The Harvest Home Fair is a downright ancient tradition here on the West Side of Cincinnati. Every year on the weekend after Labor Day a little fair pops up to take over Harvest Home Park in Cheviot. It has all the fair essentials; rides, animals, and of course the wonderful fair food. They even manage to fit a little rodeo area in, too. The one downside was the expense. It was $5 just to get in! And then you had to pay for everything else, too. Well, the rodeo was free actually. But the rides and food were not cheap! All in all we spent $31 for my wife and me, and I can imagine a family would seriously spend some dough. But there's no point trying to deny your child the joys of a fair once they know it's there. Hey that rhymed. Awesome.