CINCINNATI — Bourbon, spicy meatballs, singing felines, an over-the-rainbow house party, "Family Feud" and Carrie Underwood round out the list of things to do this weekend.
The Big Bourbon Toast: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday. Purple People Bridge, 1 Levee Way, Newport. Free. Ages 21 and older. Celebrate National Bourbon Day on Friday with a special toast on the Purple People Bridge. This is the second year for the Big Bourbon Toast. The event once again will feature New Riff Distilling’s award-winning Kentucky Straight Bourbon. New to the event – a tug of war between Kentucky and Ohio with a gilded bottle trophy and an entire year of bragging rights on the line. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
International Craft Beer Festival: 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Jungle Jim’s Oscar Event Center, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield. $55 general admission; $65 Eastgate bus tickets; $65 early admission; $25 non-drinker admission. Ages 21 and older. Does your dad resemble Homer Simpson? Does he love beer? Still looking for something to do with him this Father’s Day weekend? If you answered yes to at least two of these questions and are at least 21 years old, I suggest taking him to Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival. You’ll have the chance to bond over beer samples from more than 100 breweries, eat barbecue and enjoy a cigar (if that’s your thing). junglejims.com
Italianfest: 5-11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday; Riverboat Row, Newport. Looking for a spicy meatball? You’ll probably find it at the 28th annual Newport Italianfest this weekend. The festival features authentic Italian food and music, a cooking contest, games and rides for children. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Kings Island’s Grand Carnivale: 5 p.m. each day starting Saturday through July 7. Kings Island Amusement Park, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. $47.99 daily admission. Kings Island will kick off its inaugural Grand Carnivale international food festival on Saturday. The festival will celebrate food and traditions from China, Italy, Germany, India and France. The festival also will feature dishes created by KI executive chef James Major, a Spectacle of Color Parade at 8 p.m. each night and free concerts in front of the Eiffel Tower every Friday and Saturday night. www.visitkingsisland.com
“Cats”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. Tickets start at $31. The record-breaking musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber returns to Cincinnati as part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway series. www.cincinnatiarts.org
“The Marriage of Figaro”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. Music Hall, 1243 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. The Cincinnati Opera opens its 99th season with Mozart’s masterful comedy “The Marriage of Figaro.” www.cincinnatiopera.org
House Party x Pride: 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown. Free. Since June is Pride Month it only makes sense that the Taft Museum of Art marks the occasion with an appropriately themed House Party. The museum is partnering with Below Zero Lounge to bring aerial artists, drag performers and DJ Bjorg to Thursday’s party. Cocktails and light bites also will be available during the event. The Taft holds a specially themed House Party the second Thursday of each month. taftmuseum.org
“Family Feud Live: Celebrity Edition”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $35-$50. Remember “Family Feud”? A special celebrity touring edition of the television game show is coming to the Taft Theatre on Thursday. "Last Comic Standing" comedian Alonzo Bodden will host the show. Grocery Store Joe of “Bachelor in Paradise” fame and Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby are the captains of the two teams competing for the evening. tafttheatre.org
Cincinnati Pops at Great American Ball Park: 7:10 p.m. Friday. Great American Ball Park, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown. $12-$117. The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, led by John Morris Russell, will perform a series of patriotic songs set to Rozzi's fireworks Friday night immediately after the Reds play the Texas Rangers at Great American Ball Park. Active members of the military also will be recognized during Friday's game, which begins at 7:10 p.m., for Military Appreciation Day at the ballpark. www.mlb.com
Carrie Underwood: "The Cry Pretty Tour 360”: 7 p.m. Saturday. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway St., Downtown. $48-$96. Seven-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood is going to rock U.S. Bank Arena this Saturday. Underwood is visiting Cincinnati as part of her “The Cry Pretty Tour 360.” Special guests Maddie & Tae and Runaway June will join Underwood. usbankarena.com
Buddy Guy and The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band: 7 p.m. Sunday. PNC Pavilion, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati. $23.50-$73. Multi-Grammy Award-winning blues icon Buddy Guy and renowned blues-rock guitarist/songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd will close out the weekend with a live show at PNC Pavilion on Sunday. Anyone age 21 and older who buys a ticket will be treated to a pre-show wine tasting that begins 90 minutes before showtime. www.riverbend.org
2019 Tusculum Street Fest: 3-10 p.m. Saturday. Eastern Avenue between Delta and Stanley, Columbia Tusculum. Free. The fourth annual Tusculum Street Fest will feature local food and craft beer, live music by the Kenny Welch Band and Buzz Bin, children’s activities and entertainment by Cincinnati Circus. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Mushroom Rally: Saturday through June 23. Full Throttle Indoor Karting, 11725 Commons Drive, Springdale. $55. Calling all Queen City go-kart racers and video game players – "Let's a go!" Mushroom Rally, a touring, real-life version of the classic "Super Mario Kart" video game series, will roll into Cincinnati on Saturday. Drivers will be able schedule times to race as their favorite Nintendo series character. www.eventbrite.ca
Cincinnati Juneteenth Festival: Noon-9 p.m. Saturday; 2:30-6 p.m. Sunday. Eden Park, 950 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. Free. The annual Juneteenth Festival celebrates the end of legal slavery on June 19, 1865 in the United States after the Civil War. In Cincinnati, the date is honored with music, children activities, a living history exhibit, parade, health screenings and a special day of fun for dads on Father’s Day. www.juneteenthcincinnati.org
Pride Night at the Zoo: 4-9 p.m. Saturday. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale. $15-$85. Come out Saturday for the inaugural Pride Night at the Cincinnati Zoo. Individual child admission is $15 and includes entry into the zoo, along with animal visits, face painting, a take-home gift and crafts. For $85, those 21 and older can take part in the After Hours Party from 6:30-9:30 p.m at the zoo’s Africa Overlook Deck. The afterparty will feature light bites, dinner and dessert stations, an open bar, live music, games, a photo booth and a canvas Pride Night tote bag filled with goodies. cincy.live
Foley Road Music Festival: 2-11 p.m. Saturday. Delhi Park, 5125 Foley Road, Delhi. Free admission. Celebrate Delhi Park's new performance stage with fun, food and music. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
