It's a big weekend for big fun in Greater Cincinnati.
Super Bowl watch parties, cocktails and salsa are just a few of the top things to do with your downtime.
FOOD & DRINK
A Taste for Puerto Rico: 5-10 p.m. Thursday. Maize, 1438 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. $75. Join the folks of Cincinnati for Puerto Rico for a spectacular night of food, drinks and live music, all for a good cause. Maize will serve a four-course dinner featuring Bacardi drinks, followed by a silent auction and music by Alan y Manu Susarret, Son Del Caribe (quartet) and DJ Dariel. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Cocktails & Conversation: A Picture's Worth with Elissa Yancey: 7-9 p.m. Thursday. New Riff Distilling, 24 Distillery Way, Newport. $10. New Riff will host a spirited evening of cocktails and conversation moderated by Amy Tobin. The speaker and topic for January's edition of this monthly series will be Elissa Yancey with A Picture’s Worth (APW), a nonprofit journalism platform focused on capturing today’s realities for tomorrow’s history through images and multifaceted storytelling. www.peek.com
MOVE: 6-9 p.m. Friday. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. MOVE is an evening of spectacular flight, feats, grooves and maneuvers that will feature aerial acrobatics from the Cincinnati Circus Company and performances by the Q-Kidz Dance Team and the Cincinnati Ballet. DJ Smokeface will provide the beats. Rhinegeist also will donate a portion of taproom sales to Mission2Move, a chronic stress prevention program providing mindful movement classes to students in Cincinnati. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Third Annual Chili Cook Off: 1-4 p.m. Saturday. West Side Brewing, 3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood. Enjoy the rich aroma of homemade chili while savoring a craft beer this weekend. Up to 25 amateur chefs will serve their best chili recipes for judging, and you'll have a chance to sample some of those dishes, too! For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Superbowl Potluck: 6-11 p.m. Sunday. Higher Gravity, 4106 Hamilton Ave., Northside. Got any plans for the big game? Why not watch it at Higher Gravity with some good beer and food? And feel free to bring some snacks for others to enjoy. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Super Bowl Watch Party: 5 p.m.-midnight. 3 Points Urban Brewery, 331 E. 13th St., Pendleton. Come watch the Super Bowl with the folks at 3 Points. You can even reserve a table, order delivery from Nation Kitchen & Bar or bring your own food for the big game. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
COMMUNITY
Art After Dark: Monochromatic: 5-9 p.m. Friday. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. Free. Art After Dark is back, and the Cincinnati Art Museum is hosting a black and white party to celebrate. The centerpiece of the evening will be the special photography exhibition "The Levee: A Photographer in the American South." There also will be music from DJ ETrayn, food for purchase from Camp Washington Chili, specialty cocktails and docent-led tours throughout the night. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Final Friday: 5-8 p.m. Friday. Multiple Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton locations. Get ready for an expanded Final Friday. The first Final Friday of 2020 will showcase a growing number of businesses and featured artists located in the Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton neighborhoods. The OTR Chamber, 3CDC, MORTAR, Model Group, Urban Sites, Findlay Market and several neighborhood businesses have come together to grow this more than 30-year-old event. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Winter Salsa Social: 7 p.m.-midnight Friday. The Woodward Theater, 1401 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. $20 advance; $25 day of show. Ages 18 and older. Shake off those winter blues at the Woodward when the Amador Sisters and the 11-piece classic salsa orchestra Son del Caribe perform. Everyone is welcome to dance, and there will be a special feature by Volaré Dance Project. www.woodwardtheater.com
MUSIC & COMEDY
Bunbury 2020 Lineup Party: 6-8 p.m. Thursday. The Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. PromoWest Productions will host a free party at the Woodward Theater to reveal this year's Bunbury Music Festival lineup. This year's music festival will take place June 5-7 at Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove. www.bunburyfestival.com
Brantley Gilbert's Fire't Up Tour: 7:30 p.m. Friday. BB&T Arena, 500 Louie B. Nunn Drive, Highland Heights. $45.20-$70.25. Country music star Brantley Gilbert will fire up BB&T Arena with help from special guests Dylan Scott and Brandon Lay. www.thebbtarena.com
THE ARTS
Elementz Artist Showcases: 6-8 p.m. Thursday. Elementz, 1640 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. The first Elementz Artist Showcase of 2020 will feature live performances from emerging and more experienced poets, rap artists, street dancers, producers, DJs and musicians. The event also will feature a special performance by EMG, a music technology student group from Lebanon High School. elementz.org
2020 ArtsWave Campaign: 7-10 p.m. Thursday. Multiple locations. Free. ArtsWave will kick off the nation’s largest annual community arts fundraiser by illuminating more than 50 arts destinations with celebratory luminaria. Everyone is welcomed to visit popular arts and culture venues throughout Greater Cincinnati to see the specially designed luminaria that will mark a path to each venue's entrance. www.artswave.org
"Rhapsody in Blue": 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $25-$130. Go all-out with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra's all-Gershwin program that’s bluesy, jazzy and fun, featuring a brilliant improvisation of "Rhapsody in Blue." www.cincinnatisymphony.org
"Shifty": 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday. Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton. Free. The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is excited to host a unique collaboration that brings the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra and a local printmaker who will create art live on stage. On Saturday, Fitton invites everyone to the center starting at 5:30 p.m. for a free grand opening of the "Shifty" art exhibition followed by a ticked performance of the orchestra starting at 7 p.m. www.fittoncenter.org
