Flow into your weekend with a fun-filled dance party, visit a new nightclub and enjoy contemporary moves at the Aronoff before attending a jazz and choir concert that will lift your spirits.
FOOD & DRINK
Human Rights Campaign '90s Dance Party: 8-11 p.m. Thursday. Lost & Found OTR, 22 E. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine. Dance to your favorite '90s music and enjoy a drag show while supporting the Human Rights Campaign at this popular Over-the-Rhine bar. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Ghost Baby: 4 p.m.-close Thursday and Friday; 2 p.m.-close Saturday; closed Sunday. Ghost Baby, 1341 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine. This Over-the-Rhine bar and lounge officially opened this week. Located more than four stories underground inside former brewery lager tunnels, Ghost Baby promises a blend of craft cocktails and live music for a haunting experience. The lounge owners have partnered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, whose members occasionally will provide music to set the mood. This weekend will feature performances by roots and reggae group Mojo Ocho on Thursday, the Grace Lincoln Band on Friday and the Nancy P. Trio on Saturday. www.ghost-baby.com
Art of Food: 6 p.m. Friday. The Carnegie, 1028 Scott Blvd, Covington. $125 individual; $240 couple. For one night only, The Carnegie will transform into a sumptuous celebration of art, food, drink and dancing. This year's annual Art of Food event will feature a five-course meal presented by a team of local chefs and wine pairings by Cutting Edge Selections. Guests also will intereact with artists, chefs and performers throughout the evening. thecarnegie.com
Dunkel the Breweries, Dunkel the Fun Release Party: 5-11 p.m. Friday. Samuel Adams Taproom, 1727 Logan St., Over-the-Rhine. Sam Adams' Cincinnati Taproom has teamed up with Taft's Brewing Co. to bring you a delicious Munich-style Dunkel. To celebrate this moment in craft beer history, Sam Adams is throwing a tapping party that will feature giveaways, live music and -- obviously -- great beer. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Joella’s Hot Chicken Mason Grand Opening: 10:30 a.m. Saturday-8 a.m. Sunday. Joella's Hot Chicken, 5016 Deerfield Blvd., Mason. Ages 18 and older. Winner, winner, chicken dinner -- for a year. Joella's Hot Chicken will give away nearly $50,000 in free hot chicken meals to the first 100 people in line to celebrate the grand opening of its new Mason location. Guests are invited to start lining up in front of the store 24 hours in advance. Winners will be announced at 8 a.m. Sunday. There will be a DJ for entertainment as the sun comes up, and a breakfast of coffee with chicken and waffles will be served to everyone in line. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
COMMUNITY
Thrive: We ARE: 9-11 p.m. Thursday. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. $10. Elementz presents “We Are,” an artistic evening of hip-hop celebrating the amazing black men in Greater Cincinnati who represent the values of strength, empowerment, innovation, leadership and love. The concert will feature local emerging artists Vibe-One, Dayo Gold, Chris Crooks and Jaybe Lamahj. elementz.org
Bark Bash: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. Free. Help the Museum Center celebrate super dogs during this daylong event. Vendors such as Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa, Brewhaus Bakery & Dog Bones and many more will be handing out free treats for your four-legged friends in the Rotunda. There also will be a panel discussion of local organizations and people highlighting the link between mental and physical well-being and dog ownership and support. The museum's OmniMax theater will offer multiple screenings of "Superpower Dogs," too. Be aware: While the Museum Center welcomes service dogs inside Union Terminal, staff ask that people keep all other dogs and pets at home for this event. www.cincymuseum.org
Cincinnati Home+Garden Show: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. $12 adults online purchase; $14 adults at the door; free admission children age 12 and under. Start planning for spring during this annual home and garden show featuring hundreds of vendors. The show will continue Feb. 27-March 1. cincinnatihomeandgardenshow.com
The Mainstrasse Mardi Gras Parade: 7 p.m. Saturday. Mainstrasse Village, Ninth and Main Streets, Covington. Free. The Mardi Gras Parade in Covington is back! This year's event will kick off at Ninth and Main Streets and continue to Fifth Street. There will be fat heads, beads, music and dancing. There will be drink specials all throughout Mainstrasse Village as well. www.meetnky.com
MUSIC & COMEDY
The Adventure Zone: 7 p.m. Thursday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $42.50. Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy from "My Brother, My Brother and Me" have recruited their dad, Clint, for some role-playing games. Join the McElroys as they solve puzzles, make friends and probably slay a few monsters in their performance of “The Adventure Zone.” “My Brother, My Brother and Me” is a television series launched on the NBC streaming app Seeso in which the brothers take audience questions and turn answers into pearls of wisdom. tafttheatre.org
“Singables & Swingables: An Evening of Jazz”: 7:30 p.m. Friday; 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. $25. Tap your toes and snap your fingers as you enjoy songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Manhattan Transfer, The Andrews Sisters and more of the country’s best-loved jazz singers. The Cincinnati Music Theatre will perform the songs inside the Aronoff’s Fifth Third Bank Theater. www.cincinnatiarts.org
The Fab Four Ultimate Tribute: 8 p.m. Friday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $28-$49. This is a show no Beatles fan will want to miss. “The Fab Four-The Ultimate Tribute” is an Emmy Award-winning group known for its uncanny, note-for-note live renditions of Beatles' classics such as "Can't Buy Me Love," "Yesterday," "A Day In The Life," "Twist And Shout," "Here Comes the Sun" and "Hey Jude.” tafttheatre.org
KRS-One: 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday. OTR Live, 209 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine. $10-$20. Rapper KRS-One will take the stage at OTR Live after Sons of Silverton gets the evening started. Doors open at 9 p.m. DJ Pillo will be on deck as well. www.eventbrite.com
"We Gotta Shout! Gospel Meets Jazz": 4 p.m. Sunday. Corinthian Baptist Church, 1920 Tennessee Ave., Bond Hill. $20 adults; $10 children. The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra will present a concert that promises to thrill listeners and lift spirits. The orchestra will perform music inspired by the classic 1963 recording “We Gotta Shout!” with members of the Cincinnati All-Star Gospel Choir. The 1963 recording featured the legendary Clara Ward and her gospel singers, along with the Dukes of Dixieland. It was widely recognized for the cultural barriers it broke down. Sunday's concert hopes to do the same. www.cincinnatijazz.org
THE ARTS
Louis on 125: “The Directors”: 7 p.m. Thursday. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. In celebration of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s 125th anniversary season, Louis Langrée and special guests are exploring the orchestra’s origin and musical legacy with a three-part event series. This Thursday’s lecture is the second of the three and will explore the CSO’s music directors and their contributions to the orchestra’s legacy. The lecture will take place in Music Hall’s Wilke Studio. www.cincinnatisymphony.org
Retro/ACTIVE: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. $45-$55. Retro/ACTIVE will feature masterworks from the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s 51st season, plus a new work by DCDC's chief artistic administrator and producing director Debbie Blunden-Diggs. Works will include “Vespers,” Ulysses Dove's touching poetic tribute to womanhood; “On the Wings of Angels,” Warren Spear's soaring tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen; and “Indestructible,” Abby Zbikowski's tribute to the endurance of those who struggle for justice. This performance is part of ArtsWave’s “Flow: An African American Arts Experience” initiative. www.cincinnatiarts.org
