One of the most fun races I've ever done, from beginning to afterparty. A $35 registration fee gets…read moreyou a good quality t-shirt, participation in a 5k at Ault Park, and admission to the post-race festivities. You get 4 beer/wine tickets and unlimited access to 30 food and drink booths. They had a great reggae band playing that made for a fun atmosphere. They clearly know what they're doing after 17 years. All the pre-race logistics went smoothly, with quick packet pickup and convenient shuttle buses to the park. The course itself is a beast. Never-ending hills on top of hills. Good thing I love a challenging run. I felt like I earned my right to pig out at the afterparty. Burgers, BBQ wings,Gliers Goetta, Yagoot, Subway, corn on the cob, dessert, and so much more... it was a smorgasbord. Minus one star for not having mile markers or official chip timing. Even though that's probably part of it truly being a 'fun' run, it's just nice to know, y'know? Other than that, I'm definitely thinking this will be an annual event on my race calendar. Kudos to the organizers.

This was my first 5k. I picked it, because I had heard it is the most fun, and the best party…read more The first tip I would give is, unless you are arriving super, super early and want to leave immediately do NOT park at Ault Park. It is a mess up there. The shuttle service is very well organized and they will definitely get you there on time. And don't worry the buses are heated (that was important this year ;-)) I would also recommend picking up your packet before the day of the race. That way you can avoid the long lines on race day. Unfortunately you'll still have to stand in a line to get your drinking bracelet, but that's worth waiting for, right? Speaking of waiting, that's the big let-down for me. Too many people. Everything required processing too many people. When the race started it took minutes before I could get up to speed, and I was constantly running in a crowd. When the race finished you then get to go to the way too many people at the food and drink tents. I would recommend training hard to be under the 40 minute mark. That way you can get to the eats before the big crowd comes in. I finished at 32:10 and my wife and I were able to try a few different food items before a huge crush of people arrived. Part of the problem is there just isn't enough room for all those people. Why don't they use more of the park for the food area? There were huge empty areas that could've been used for more space. I just don't get. The variety of food items is amazing. They had something for everyone. My pregnant wife particularly enjoyed the fried pickles (I know, what a cliché). And I enjoyed the desert tent. It's a great race, and you get a lot for your money. I just wish it wasn't quite so popular.

So excited and happy to be part of this great cause. My boyfriend and I wanted to run a 5k and…read morefound out about the Hunger Run/Walk. We jumped in and signed up right away ($25.00 a person which gets you a goody bag, long sleeve shirt, post race refreshments, chip timing and race bib). This year it was held by Matthew 25: Ministries in Blue Ash. I've heard about the run a couple years back (at the time the event was downtown) but never got a chance to do it. My work also volunteers from time to time at Matthew Ministries and have nothing but good things to say. Proceeds for the race benefit Matthew 25: Ministries' work with the people in need in the Greater Cincinnati, throughout the U.S., and around the world .This race also kicks off the Hunger 5K Food Drive, which raises food products for local pantries and shelters. There were roughly 4000 people at this event and I'm happy with the huge turn out. Not only did my boyfriend and I had a blast, but we ran it in good timing. Looking forward to next year.

The Hunger Walk is a great way to support Free Store Foodbank…read more The Hunger Walk occurs every year on Memorial Day. Previous years were at Sawyer Point but more recently the event has taken place at the Banks. Entry was $20 this year (tax deductible) with an optional $5 charge for a shirt. Sign up with your local pantry to give them credit. The race is a bit hilly, and participants are of all abilities. Most participants are not competitive, if you are not super fast, no problem with this race. There are medals for the top finishers. Snacks and music are always available at the end of the race and many people stick around to socialize. Sometimes new products (food and beverage) are showcased, but not always. Overall a great race for a great cause.

So far not the best experience…read more I wasn't able to book 30min online, so I booked an hour. When I arrived, I was told that an adult had play as well. The greeter was not friendly. We likely will not be back. Update: someone from Immersive Games called and listened to my concerns. I appreciate the follow up and customer service here. I'm looking forward to giving them another try. I've increased my rating to 4stars.

We had so much fun at Immersive Gamebox! My husband and I took our 7 year old. We played Angry…read moreBirds and Shaun the Sheep. Both were very fun but Angry Birds was especially awesome. If you google, you should be able to find a 20% off coupon. It's not a low cost activity, but it seems there are always coupons available. We can't wait to go back and try other games.

I'm disappointed that Yelp has decided to hide all of the reviews of this year's race, as the…read moreexperience was truly terrible, and it's something that should be noted for any potential future participants. So, in hopes of this one being posted as well, here goes: 1) Packet pickup: One person was working the packet pickup, which was inconveniently placed in a location that had no close parking (especially because an event was going on across the street in US Bank arena) and because only one person was working, this took longer than necessary. Also on the packets (though not why I run a race, but disappointing: some people received water bottles, some didn't. You just received a sticker, a bag and your number.) 2) Race Start was not marked until 10 minutes prior to the race "start time," which was denoted by a strip of red duct tape on the road. Runners were walking up and down the street looking for the start- which, when it was discovered, was nowhere near where the course map indicated it to be. 3) Start was delayed by 30 minutes, which was blamed on the police department, which seems irresponsible and cowardly on the part of the race organizers. (This was informed to us via bullhorn, by the way.) Also doesn't help that runners also received emails with another, different start time the week of the race. 4) Aid stations were not where they were supposed to be on the course, many did not have gatorade, and the stations were not indicated on the course map. Also, given the heat and humidity of the day, they should have had more than one every 2.5 miles! Had I not had my water bottle with me, I would have probably quit the race. 5) Distance was incorrectly measured. Each mile was .25 off from what it should be, and the last mile was at least .50 off. My guess is this probably had to do with the incorrect placement of the start line. 6) Terrible customer service. The week of the race I posted asking for details about aid stations so I could plan my hydration, and they were not answered. I ended up finding this information on the website by clicking on a link that says "Hydration Station Info Coming Soon" Any complaints about the race have been deleted from their facebook page. This is a cardinal sin for anyone working in social media/ PR (which I do) and they should be ashamed for this kind of behavior and deceiving future participants. 7) "Recovery" station consisted of a tray of a single cut up watermelon, pretzels and a handful of granola bars. Oh and who can forget the jugs of warm watered down gatorade set out on tables. For a race that boasts focusing the majority of attention to the best race for the runners, they failed in their mission. Will never recommend this race to anyone, much less run it again. This company (tuscon racing) should be ashamed. They must be desperate for a profit. *Please review the not recommended link for the other hidden reviews of this race- they are not inaccurate!!

Very poorly organized event. The name would make you assume…read moreit's professionally managed, but this is not the case: website not clear on starting time, bad preparation (they did not have a starting line set until 7.10, when the race was supposed to start at 7.00), as a 10k runner I got lost as nobody on the race course could tell me where to turn and signs where not there, wrote a complaint to them via email and on facebook, but they wpuld not acknowledge (they removed my comment). never again.

Lumenocity 2016 was held at the Taft Theatre this year. What sets this year different from other…read moreyears is that the light show was indoors this year. And, since it was indoors, they were able to offer more tickets for everyone to come and see the event. In addition to that, there were about three-four shows for each day the event occurred, (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Getting to Taft Theatre was pretty easy, and since there wasn't a game going on that weekend it wasn't super crowded in downtown Cincinnati. Parking lots were easy to find. Once you parked, the block party they had in front of Taft Theatre was easy to get to. There were about five or six food trucks, and lots of activities for kids. There was even police presence throughout the festival. This year, you were able to get a wristband ahead of time once they scanned your ticket to expedite getting into the Theatre. But really, it was pretty easy to get in even without getting a wristband ahead of time. They did a great job at handling the crowd before the show. Once inside, it was easy to find your seat. The show started on time which was great! And, it was only 45 minutes which is long enough to be able to enjoy the music, but short enough that all the kids in the audience would not get bored. Seeing the light show indoors was nice, because the lights came out more vibrant compared to watching it outside projected onto a wall. And, you had assigned seating, so you didn't have to worry about saving your seat ahead of time. If you didn't want to pay to see the show, they also broadcasted it outside where the block party was. Overall this year's event was enjoyable. They had some technical difficulties leading up to the event, but it was solved by the time the event started. (The company they used to email the etickets to everyone somehow had their emails come up as spam so a majority of people did not get their tickets by the Monday it was promised. They updated their website letting people know that they were working with finding a new company to send out everyone's etickets. The tickets were delivered on Thursday night).

Amazed I'm the first to (create/review) this absolutely amazing event. This is the second year for…read moreLumenocity, and it was Fantastic!! I was out of town last year at Lollapalooza, sleeping on a boat, when the inogural Lumenocity happened, but luckily I have a friend that was so impressed that he got Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra season tickets JUST to be eligible for the tix to Lumenocity 2014! The event 2014 had food/beer(Rhinegeist) trucks down Race Street, all kinds of vendors, food and Cincy local craft artists in the treed part of the park. This part was open to people without tix to the actual event, and it was food/art festival that was more attended than anything I've seen in Washington park, and I'm there weekly. The show: The show was spectacular. YouTube it. If you haven't been, YouTube the hell out of Lumenocity, and share it. Make it viral. One of the best symphonies in the world, synchronized to amazing digital graphics, using one of Cincinnati's best landmarks(Cincinnati Music Hall) as a canvas. It is amazing, emotional, and one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time.

This is a great race. I ran the 15k and it was VERY challenging. The hills on this course are not…read morefor the faint of heart. I would really recommend this race if you are running the Flying Pig. I recommend the 15k if you're running the half and the half marathon if you're running the full Flying Pig marathon. The hills are great practice for what you will encounter on the Flying Pig course. Plus, it's a great way to get you pumped before (Flying Pig) race day. This is a great cause, it must be said. Heart disease kills so many people each year, men and women alike, and Mercy Health does a great job representing this charity and embracing the cause. Plus, racing in Cincy is always a great time. We have an amazing and inclusive running community here and I love every time I get the chance to participate in a running event here.

This is my first year to participate in the Heart Mini Marathon, but for many years, I've been a…read morehuge supporter and donated to this organization. I registered for the 3 Mile/5 Mile Heart Walk for $35.00 which started at noon. My Team was Cyclebar. The Heart Mini is Cincinnati's largest single-day fundraiser and hometown favorite of 37 years! Each year close to 25,000+ registrants come together to participate in a heart healthy exercise and raise life-saving funds to fight the #1 and #4 killers, heart disease and stroke. (from web) For those who are runners you can register for the following: -15k Heart Mini Marathon -Heart 1/2 Marathon -5K Heart Race There is also a 1k Steps for Stroke and a 2K Kids Race. I had to pickup my Bib and T-shirt at the Duke Energy (Health & Fitness Expo) presented by Sam's Club. There were over 70 vendors offering health screenings, fitness apparel sales, food sampling and family activities. For an extra $15.00 there was a mini morning yoga session and $20.00 for the Heartbeat Fitness Dance (Zumba). So much festivities going on. This year's event was on March 15th (Sunday). You begin at 5th and Broadway (the walkers) and go up Columbia Parkway and back. The day of the race was perfect! 60 degree weather and sunny! Beautiful day for a walk/run! This event was well organized- there was medical care on the course and at finish chutes, & there were multiple fluid stations on course and at the finish line. It was really nice to see people out there walking/running for a cause. FYI, there is free WI-fi provided by Powernet. I'm definately going to do this again next year. I had so much fun!

Awesome time for everything goetta! Their menu items are always so creative and involve generous…read moreportions of goetta. This year we also particularly enjoyed their air conditioned tent and live music as well! If you love goetta, creativity, and variety then look no further for your next place to get it and put this on the calendar the next time it come around.

It's all things Goetta! Goetta games, goetta prizes, a goetta world map! How fun! And it's a local…read moreproduct that is run by a guy who seems to be pretty nice so that's a fun product to get behind. I've been wanting to go to this for years and I finally made it. Will I go again? Nope. But that's because I just like goetta and can make everything I want at home and not dilute it with all yhe other stuff. It was worth going to once, for me. The food would have been better if it actually had more than a tablespoon of goetta on it. They also have plenty of alcohol - ever other booth is an alcohol selling booth - so youre covered there as well. It was fun to go and see and meet the founder's son (or grandson?) and learn more about goetta. Beef, pork, oats, and spices - whatever those may be - make a yummy treat!

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.