CINCINNATI – It's the weekend before Thanksgiving, and all through the town a lot of food and music and merriment are about to go down.
Samuel Adams Taproom Grand Opening: 3-10 p.m. Thursday. Samuel Adams Taproom, 1632 Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine. Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch will show his hometown some love when he opens his first Samuel Adams taproom in the Queen City to the public. The taproom will offer Cincinnati-exclusive brews as well as decor that reflects the city's rich brewing heritage and an outdoor patio to enjoy in warmer months. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Walk + Wine: 6-9 p.m. Thursday. Sharon Woods Park, 11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville. $30 designated driver; $40 per individual; $75 for two people. Ages 21 and older. Kick off the Holiday in Lights season by taking a stroll through Sharon Woods Park while enjoying wine, heavy hor d'oeuvres and a commemorative picture with Santa. More than 120 gleaming holiday figures will light the path as you walk. For more information visit the event Facebook page,
Taste of Lebanon Fall Festival: Noon-7 p.m. Sunday. St. Anthony of Padua Maronite Church, 2530 Victory Parkway, East Walnut Hills. Sample authentic, homemade Middle Eastern dishes during the annual Taste of Lebanon Fall Festival. Dishes will include meat pie, shawarma, pita bread and baklava. www.thetasteoflebanon.com
Holiday in Lights 2018: 5:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 6-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. Sharon Woods Park, 11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville. $15 per vehicle; $45 for buses and 15-passenger vans. Driving through Sharon Woods to see holiday lights has been a holiday tradition for more than 28 years, and this year will be no different. The Hamilton County park will transform into a winter wonderland with thousands of sparkling light displays. www.holidayinlights.com
Secret ArtWorks from The Banks: 7-10 p.m. Friday. The Banks, 145 E. Second St., Downtown. $125-$300. Enjoy an evening of drinks and artwork on Friday inside the former Howl at the Moon location at The Banks. Your admission ticket will give you the opportunity to take home one of more than 1,000 pieces of art from local artists on display. The catch? You won't know who the artist is until after you've selected the piece. www.artworkscincinnati.org
BlaCk OWned Anniversary 7: 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday. The Transept, 1205 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $30-$50. Celebrate BlaCk OWned's seventh anniversary on Friday at the Transept. BlaCk OWned began as a clothing line that has since expanded into a brick-and-mortar store and a soon-to-open Downtown coffee shop. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
The Holiday O.F.F. Market: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. MadTree Brewing, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley. This month's O.F.F. Market in Oakley is a special affair featuring dozens of local vendors. The holiday market is the perfect place to find that unique gift for family or friends. www.theoffmarket.org
Germania Christkindlmarkt: 5-10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Germania Society of Cincinnati, 3529 W. Kemper Road, Colerain Township. The oldest and most authentic German Christmas market in Greater Cincinnati returns to the Germania Society of Cincinnati's festival grounds this weekend. The Christkindlmarkt will feature traditional German food, a petting zoo, caroling, a children's lantern parade, carriage rides and dozens of vendors. The entire market will be under enclosed, heated tents. germaniasociety.com
PNC Festival of Lights: 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 5-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. Runs through Jan. 1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale. $12-$17. Marvel at more than 3 million lights at the zoo starting Saturday. Friday evening is a special preview event for members of the zoo. Visits with Santa Claus begin at 4 p.m. daily during the regular holiday season. cincinnatizoo.org
Holiday Junction:10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. Included with the price of general admission. The Duke Energy train display returns to Union Terminal after a two-year hiatus as part of a new Holiday Junction experience at the Cincinnati Museum Center starting Saturday. The junction features separate areas that display floor-to-ceiling LEGO landscapes with motorized trains, the classic Duke trains and a chance to meet with Santa starting the day after Thanksgiving. www.cincymuseum.org
Summit Park Ice Rink: 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Friday; noon-10 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17-Dec. 14. Holiday hours: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon-8 p.m. Dec. 15-Jan. 4. Summit Park, 4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash. $5 admission; ages 3 and under free. The ice rink is under the glass canopy. Food trucks also will be nearby. The rink will close at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and it will be closed on Christmas and New Year's Day. www.summitparkblueash.com
O.A.R.: 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $30-$55. O.A.R. shot to fame after 2001 and has never looked back. This year the Maryland-based group released a new single, "Just Like Paradise." O.A.R. will play that song and other favorites, with support from opening acts Parker Louis and Angela Perley & the Howlin' Moons, at the Taft. tafttheatre.org
'Rock of Ages': 7 p.m. Thursday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. $30-$75. Love the 1980s? Then you won't want to miss the "Rock of Ages" 10th anniversary tour when it stops at the Aronoff Center on Thursday evening. The ode to 1980s Hollywood will feature music by Styx, Poison, Twisted Sister and White Snake. www.cincinnatiarts.org
Houndmouth: 8 p.m. Friday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $30-$35. Philippe Bronchtein and Modern Love Child will join indie band Houndmouth at the Taft Theatre on Friday. Houndmouth is best known for its nostalgic sound, which is often compared to that of Randy Newman and Tom Petty. tafttheatre.org
'A Charlie Brown Christmas': 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. $29-$60. This classic holiday story will be retold by Red Tail Live on stage during two Saturday performances at Procter & Gamble Hall. Watch as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts gang stage their own Christmas play and discover the true meaning of the season. www.cincinnatiarts.org
