Make the season bright with food, drink, music and cheer this weekend.
FOOD & DRINK
Fretboard Brewery & Public House Opening Weekend: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday. Fretboard Brewery & Public House, 301 Main St., Hamilton. Fretboard Brewing of Blue Ash has partnered with the Looking Glass Hospitality Group, the creative team behind Tahona Kitchen and S.W. Clyborne’s to bring a delicious new pub to the city of Hamilton. Fretboard Brewery & Public House serves classic pub fare such as fish and chips with an upscale twist paired with Fretboard’s craft beers. The Public House will start hosting live music every Saturday within the next few weeks too. Click here to read my profile of the Public House. www.fbpublichouse.com
Fourth Annual Charity Cheers: 5:30-10 p.m. Friday. Flipside, 7622 Blake St., West Chester Township. Take your friends to the the fourth annual Charity Cheers at Flipside for food, frivality and drink, all for a good cause. This event will feature Madtree, Fat Head's and Sonder craft beers, along with Branch & Bone. All tips from Flipside's staff will be donated to Matthew25:Ministries. the non-profit will also have a truck on sight accepting new clothes, toys and canned good items during the event. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
12th Annual Cincinnati Santacon: Noon-midnight Saturday. JACK Casino, 1000 Broadway St., Downtown. $15. 21 and older. The 12th annual Cincinnati Santacon will be held in Downtown Cincinnati, Over-the-Rhine and the Banks, plus Mount Adam's, Covington and Northside this year. Organizers expect to have 10,000 Santas participate and have a goal of getting more than 50 official Santacon stops for the crawl. The Cure Starts Now is Santacon's official charity. cincinnatisantacon.com
Barrel House Holiday Party: 6-11 p.m. Saturday. Braxton Barrel House, 5 Orphanage Road, Fort Mitchell. Free. Braxton's newest location will celebrate the season with special edition cocktails, live music and a special appearance by Santa himself. Jolly Old St. Nick will be in the taproom from 4-6 p.m. Live music will start at 7 p.m. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Fibonacci + Christmas in Mount Healthy: Noon-midnight Saturday. Fibonacci Brewing Co., 1445 Compton Road, Mount Healthy. Free. Fibonacci is just one of many local businesses taking part in Mount Healthy's holiday festivities on Saturday. The brewery will have Six Bomb Boards making live art as mulled wine and holiday sangria is served in the taproom. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
COMMUNITY
A Family Holiday Night at Krohn Conservatory: 6-8 p.m. Thursday. Krohn’s Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. $15 adults; $10 children; children four and younger free. Enjoy German music, spend time with Santa, learn how to make crafts and decorate cookies to take home (or eat), plus much more. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
House Party: ‘Tis the Season to Celebrate: 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown. Free. For December’s House Party, the Taft Museum of Art is partnering with the Cincinnati Young Black Professionals (CYBP) to welcome guests for a night full of celebrations. Create keepsake cards and swirled painted ornaments, enjoy food and drink, get a sneak peek of the Taft’s newest exhibition, "Journey to Freedom: Art Quilts by Cynthia Lockhart" and check out the museum's "Antique Christmas" exhibit. taftmuseum.org
Ugly Sweater Party: 7-10 p.m. Friday. Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., Downtown. Free. $6 admission. Come dressed in your favorite ugly sweater and rock around the UC Health ice rink while Meraki Haus μεράκι spins tunes. If you bring a gently used coat to donate to 3CDC's coat drive, you'll receive a free skate rental. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Walk on Woodburn Holiday Food Drive: 6-10 p.m. Friday. Woodburn Avenue, East Walnut Hills. Free. Celebrate the holiday season in East Walnut Hills' historic business district by enjoying live music and carolers and taking selfies with Santa & Mrs. Claus, all while supporting the Mercy Neighborhood Ministries by bringing canned or boxed foods and personal care items for their food pantry. Many businesses will also offer incentives for donations. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Christmas in Loveland 2019: 4-9 p.m. Saturday. Downtown Loveland, 425 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland. Free. Take a trip back in time while strolling the streets of historic Loveland during this holiday-themed event. Santa and Mrs. Claus, a live Nativity scene and local businesses will deck the halls all day long. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
MUSIC & COMEDY
A VAE Christmas: 7 p.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $25-$35. Music makes the season bright! Join the VAE and conductor Stephanie Nash for inspiring sounds in the spirit of the season – from favorite classics as evergreen as trees wrapped in lights and topped with stars, to new-found favorites wrapped in bows. Gather the family and give the warmth of the season a voice. www.memorialhallotr.com
THE ARTS
Holiday Pops: 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. Music Hall, 1240 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $25 adults; $15 children. Cozy up to warm and inspiring music, and make memories of a lifetime with friends and family as Megan Hilty, star of TV's "Smash" and Broadway's "Wicked" joins the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra to bring holiday classics to life. www.cincinnatisymphony.org
