CINCINNATI — Find a little slice of the great outdoors in Covington, show your Pride in the Queen City, bounce around an inflatable house in Springfield Township or find your fun at one of the annual summer festivals taking place this weekend.
Cincy Brew Ha Ha Launch Party: 7-11:30 p.m. Thursday. Taft’s Brewpourium, 4831 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village. Free. Want to know who’s invited to perform at the 13th annual Cincy Brew Ha Ha on Aug. 23 and 24 at Sawyer Point Park? If so, then this event is for you. If not, but you like craft beer, you still might want to go for the $1-off pints at Taft’s Brewpourium. Brew Ha Ha organizers will reveal its 2019 comedian headliners during the official launch party. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
CFTA Food Truck Fest: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday. Summit Park, 4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash. Free. Some delicious eats are rolling into Summit Park on Friday. The Cincinnati Food Truck Association will showcase some of the best meals on wheels in Greater Cincinnati during its annual Food Truck Fest in Blue Ash. www.summitparkblueash.com
Yonder by Commonwealth: 5:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Commonwealth Bistro, 621 Main St., Covington. When Yonder opens Saturday, the rooftop patio will add more than just 36 additional seats to Commonwealth Bistro. Yonder will feature its own small plates and drink menu served in a space that should remind you of the great outdoors. And that's exactly what owners Tess and Chris Burns were going for when they designed the space in Covington's Mainstrasse Village. Tap here and read my full preview of Yonder before you go. www.commonwealthbistro.com
Taste of Silverton: 4-9 p.m. Saturday. Meier’s Wine Cellar, 6955 Plainfield Road, Silverton. Free. Come one, come all to the Fifth annual Taste of Silverton on Saturday. Second Wind Band will deliver live music, while local favorites such as Delhi Indian Cuisine, HighGrain Brewing Co., Krimmer’s Italianette Pizza, Silverton Cafe and others serve up local food and drinks. For more information visit the Facebook event page.
Taps, Tastes & Tunes: 5-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. The Streets of West Chester, 9465 Civic Centre Blvd., West Chester. Free admission. Fill up on flavors of Butler County at the second annual Taps, Tastes & Tunes Festival in West Chester. This three-day event will feature delicious local fare, live music and some delicious cold brews. www.cincinnatifestivalsandevents.com
Official Cincinnati Pride Weekend Kickoff Party: 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday. 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Road, Oakley. $5 suggested donation. Ages 21 and older. Dance the night away, donate to a great cause and kick off Cincinnati Pride Weekend all at one event this Thursday. Cincinnati Pride is hosting this special event for the second year in a row at the 20th Century Theater. DJ Jacoby is bringing the music, while Ginger Lesnapps & Alexander Cameron and Alexander Storm will show off their talents. There will be a raffle for some great prizes, too. Proceeds from the night will benefit Cincinnati Pride. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Mary, Queen of Heaven FunFest: 6-11 p.m. Friday; 5-11 p.m. Saturday; 3-8 p.m. Sunday. Mary, Queen of Heaven Parish, 1150 Donaldson Highway, Erlanger. It’s summertime in Greater Cincinnati and that means Catholic parish festival season is upon us. This weekend Mary, Queen of Heaven in Erlanger will host three days of live entertainment, games, raffles, food and drinks. www.mqhparish.com
Big Bounce America: 1-7:05 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-9:05 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m.-6:05 p.m. Sunday. Heroes Sports Park, 2175 Springdale Road, Springfield Township. $16 ages 3 and younger; $25 ages 4-15; $30 ages 16 and older. Are you an adult who likes bounce houses? How about giant ball crawls? Making your way through inflatable obstacle courses? If so, Big Bounce America is for you. Reserve your play session before the touring, blow-up fun factory rolls into town this Friday. And yes, this is actually a family-friendly event. www.thebigbounceamerica.com
Rapid Run Fest 2019: 6-11:30 p.m. Friday; 5-11:30 p.m. Saturday; 4-10:30 p.m. Sunday. St. Simon Church, 825 Pontius Road, Delhi Township. Free. West Side residents, this festival is for you. St. Al's On-the-Ohio and St. Simon Parishes are once again joint organizers for the annual Rapid Run Fest. This three-day community event will feature live music, food, rides, drinks and games. www.rapidfunfest.org
Cincinnati Pride Festival and Parade: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday. Sawyer Point, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown. Free. This year’s Cincinnati Pride Weekend is a significant one. This weekend’s festivities honor the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, the recognized first Pride event that took place in New York City. The two biggest Cincinnati Pride events will take place Downtown on Saturday. The 2019 Cincinnati Pride Parade will kick off the celebration, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday on Seventh Street at the intersection of Central Avenue and ending at Sawyer Point. The park then will open for a daylong party featuring vendors, music, performers and a whole lot of family fun. There are also multiple events on Thursday and Friday leading up to Saturday’s festivities. The best way to get all of the event details is to visit the official Cincinnati Pride Facebook page.
Spirit Song Christian Music Festival: 4-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Kings Island Amusement Park, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. $70 single-day tickets. This year’s Spirit Song Music Festival lineup at Kings Island lineup includes Toby Mac, Skillet and For King and Country, plus many more popular, faith-based musical acts. Multi-day passes for the festival are also available. www.spiritsongfest.com
Gov’t Mule with Nikki Lane: 7 p.m. Friday. PNC Pavilion, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati. $23.50-$57. For nearly a quarter century, Gov’t Mule has played its unique blend of music. This Friday, renowned singer-guitarist Warren Haynes and his band will perform at PNC Pavilion. The stop is part of Gov’t Mule’s extended “Summer of ’19 Tour.” www.riverbend.org
Randy Rainbow: 8 p.m. Friday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $47. Viral online comedy video sensation, Randy Rainbow will bring his unique blend of humor to the Taft Theatre on Friday. Rainbow gained international fame for the political spoof “BRAGGADOCIOUS” he created and released after the first 2016 presidential debate. The comedian has gone on to co-host Sirius XM Radio shows and write for comedian Kathy Griffin. www.tafttheatre.org
A Celebration of Black Music: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Hyatt Regency, 151 W. Fifth St., Downtown. $75 reserved seats; $60 general admission. A little more than a month since the sudden loss of its founding member, R&B group After 7 will perform this Saturday at the Hyatt Regency as part of “A Black Celebration of Music.” After 7's founder Melvin D. Edmonds died on May 18 at the age of 65. The older brother of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds led After 7 to national fame in the 1990s. Pieces of a Dream, West Coast Jam, Jonathan Butler and Kirk Whalum also will perform during this event. www.theabercrumbiegroup.com
Tim Allen Live in Concert: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. $49.50-$125. Ages 18 and older only. Tim Allen is a versatile actor and comedian who has played one of America’s favorite TV dads and Santa Claus on the big screen, and he also is the voice behind “Toy Story’s” lovable Buzz Lightyear. When Allen takes the stage in Procter & Gamble Hall for two shows on Saturday, he’ll probably let rip a few words never uttered by those characters. www.cincinnatiarts.org
Foreigner: 8 p.m. Saturday. The Lawrenceburg Event Center, 91 Walnut St., Lawrenceburg, Indiana. $65-$350. You're either of a respectable age or a fan of 1970s and '80s rock bands (perhaps a "Jukebox Hero") if you remember Foreigner. It's been a while since the band has topped the charts, but you have to respect a band that has rocked for nearly 40 years. Foreigner will take the stage in Lawrenceburg on Saturday. www.thelawrenceburgeventcenter.com
