Bid summer in the Queen City au revoir with Riverfest, help KISS rock into retirement at Riverbend, take flight during Lunken Airport Aviation Days, kick back and enjoy a cold one at St. Cecilia Church's Labor Day Festival in Independence and get ready for fall fun during the opening weekend of the Ohio Renaissance Festival.
COMMUNITY
Riverfest 2019: Noon-10 p.m. Sunday. Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown. An estimated 500,000 people will come together once again to send off summer with a bang along the banks of the Ohio River. This year’s Riverfest will feature free live music, the Cincinnati Circus Company, a Kroger fun zone and the Freestore Foodbank’s Rubber Duck Regatta. It’s all a prelude to the 43rd annual Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks, which begin at 9:07 p.m. webn.iheart.com
Ohio Renaissance Festival: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Monday. Ohio Renaissance Festival, 10542 E. State Route 73 Waynesville. $19 adult general admission special (ages 13 and older); $7.50 child general admission. While Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end to summer in the Queen City, it only makes sense we begin the transition to fall festivities. The Ohio Renaissance Festival will kick off its 30th annual season this weekend. To mark the occasion, the medieval fair is offering two for the price of one adult admissions Saturday through Monday. The festival will then continue each weekend through Oct. 27. www.renfestival.com
Lunken Airport Aviation Days 2019: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Monday. Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport, 262 Wilmer Ave. Ste. 23, East End. Take flight this weekend at Lunken Airport, literally. People can book flights on a fully restored B-17 Flying Fortress, weather permitting, all weekend long. When the World War II bomber isn’t in the air, visitors can take ground tours of the plane at $10 for adults or $20 for families with children up to 17. Veterans, active duty military and children under 8 with a paying adult can tour the B-17 for free. There will also be free hot dogs and drinks, other helicopter and airplane rides, more historic planes on display, vendors and kids activities. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
St. Cecilia Church Labor Day Festival: 6 p.m.-midnight Saturday; 4 p.m.-midnight Sunday; 2-10 p.m. Monday. St. Cecilia Church, 5313 Madison Pike, Independence, Ky. Free. This is one of the biggest community Labor Day weekend bashes outside of Riverfest. St. Cecilia will be raffling off a car, have games, rides, food and drinks honoring the holiday that honors working men and women. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Cincinnati Tattoo Arts Convention: 2 p.m.-midnight Friday; 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. $20 day pass; $40 three-day pass. Get your “buzz” on this weekend at the second annual Cincinnati Tattoo Arts Convention. Dozen of artists will display their work during the event that celebrates ink, including “America’s Tattoo Godmother,” Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand. villainarts.com
Kings Island Farewell Weekend: 5-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday. Kings Island Amusement Park, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. Admission starts at $47.99. Get in one last ride before Kings Island closes for its regular 2019 season on Labor Day. While at the park, help celebrate Droptower’s milestone 10,000,000th ride and take one last dip at Soak City Water Park, which will be open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday through Monday. And don’t fret: Kings Island will reopen for Halloween Haunt every Friday and Saturday night starting Sept. 20 through Oct. 26. www.visitkingsisland.com
FOOD & DRINK
TSFTC End of Summer Food Festival: 2-10 p.m. Saturday. Coney Island Amusement Park, 6201 Kellogg Ave. California. The Tri-State Food Truck Coalition is rolling into Coney Island to serve up a delicious end of summer bash. Dozens of TSFTC member food trucks will take over part of Coney’s picnic area. There will also be live music, drinks and local artists. Coney Island’s rides and park will also be open during the event. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
THE ARTS
Russian Allusion: 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Devou Park Amphitheatre, Devou Park, Covington. Free. The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra will close its 25th summer season in Devou Park by performing famous Russian orchestral hits from the 1800s through the 1960s. The orchestra will perform scores from composers such as Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Khatchaturian. kyso.org
MUSIC & COMEDY
KISS’s "End Of The Road World Tour”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati. $39.50-$250. Kiss KISS goodbye as the band makes its final visit to Cincinnati as part of “End of The Road World Tour.” The band that has been rocking since the 1970s announced last year that it's putting the white face paint, black spiked leather platform boots and guitars up for good. www.riverbend.org
