CINCINNATI – This extended holiday weekend is a busy one with multiple seasonal events and fun for everyone.
Christmas Glow at Land of Illusion: 6 p.m. Wednesday-Tuesday. Land of Illusion, 8762 Thomas Road, Middletown. $16 per carload Mondays-Wednesdays; $20 per carload Thursdays-Sundays. Celebrate the holiday season at the Christmas Glow at Land of Illusion. This is a mile-and-a-half drive-through display that contains 3 million lights and a Christmas Village Santa Workshop. glow.landofillusion.com
Western & Southern Thanksgiving Day 10K: 8-11:30 a.m. Thursday. Paul Brown Stadium, Downtown. $40. For 109 years, Cincinnati has been celebrating Thanksgiving together with family and friends on foot. Start your holiday at the run and earn an extra helping of food later in the day. thanksgivingdayrace.com/index.html
Thanksgiving Day Parade: 10 a.m.-noon Thursday. Price Hill. Celebrate Thanksgiving with this longstanding tradition that highlights the Price Hill community. The parade begins at 10 a.m. from Western Hills High School, goes down Glenway and Warsaw and ends at St. Lawrence Church with a reception featuring snacks, pictures with Santa, a petting zoo and a performance from the St. Lawrence Children's Choir. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Santa Arrives at Cincinnati Museum Center: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. Cincinnati’s most-loved holiday tradition isn’t complete without a visit from Santa. Santa will arrive by helicopter at the Cincinnati Museum Center around 11:50 a.m. with a special celebration at noon. cincymuseum.org
Kings Island Winterfest: Select nights starting Friday through Dec. 31. Kings Island Amusement Park, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. Free admission for Gold Pass members; $25.99 general admission. Winterfest, a Cincinnati holiday tradition, returns to Kings Island Amusement Park for its second year in a row. Enjoy lights, live entertainment and more than 17 rides at the park. www.visitkingsisland.com
Winterfair Holiday Art Market Cincinnati: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Northern Kentucky Convention Center, 1 W. Rivercenter Blvd., Covington. $7. Browse and purchase unique pieces of art and jewelry from the people who craft them. ohiocraft.org
Hometown for the Holidays: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Downtown Milford, Main Street, Milford. Milford’s annual Hometown for the Holidays is a family-friendly, free event featuring a variety of holiday happenings in historic downtown Milford. Strolling Victorian carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides and antique fire engine rides are part of the festivities. For more information, visit the event Facebook page.
Arctic Blast at Carol Ann's Carousel: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Carol Ann's Carousel, 2 Rosa Parks St., Downtown. Come to the carousel for family holiday fun with crafts, giveaways and a live penguin program this weekend. On Friday, enjoy crafts and special deals on token packages, as well as a chance to win a giveaway every hour. On Saturday, watch as a live penguin slides into the Carousel from 11 a.m. to noon. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Macy's Light Up The Square: 6-11 p.m. Friday. Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., Downtown. Free. Get into the holiday spirit with a visit from Santa, live music and the official tree lighting and fireworks show at Fountain Square. The ice rink will be open, along with the Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt. For more information, visit the event Facebook page.
Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt: Noon-10 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., Downtown. The Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt returns to Fountain Square for its seventh year to kick off the holiday season with German traditions. Christian Moerlein founder Greg Hardman will lead a parade at 2 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit the event Facebook page.
Light Up the Levee: 4-10 p.m. Sunday. Newport on the Levee, 1 Levee Way, Newport. Free. Newport on the Levee will present Winter Wonder on the Levee, a three-month extravaganza that kicks off with its 10th annual Light up the Levee grand illumination tree-lighting celebration on Sunday. Festivities will include the opening of the Levee's new ice skating rink, which will remain open through Feb. 18, 2019. There also will be rink-side holiday cocktails, Santa arriving at the Levee, music and fireworks. www.newportonthelevee.com
"A Christmas Carol": Wednesday-Dec. 29. Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mount Adams Circle, Mount Adams. $35.40-$101.40. The annual performance of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" returns to Playhouse in the Park with its first show at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Michael Evan Haney will direct this year's adaptation. www.cincyplay.com
Here Comes the Sun: A Beatles Tribute: 8 p.m. Friday. Memorial Hall, 125 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $35-$45. Fifteen Beatles tribute musicians will come together Friday at Memorial Hall for an evening of great music. The Newbies will perform "Here Comes the Sun," a concert inspired by the Beatles' extensive use of the word "sun" in their songs. www.memorialhallotr.com
98º at Christmas: 8 p.m. Saturday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. $39.50-$79.50. Hometown favorite 98º will put on a festive show at Procter & Gamble Hall on Saturday. The group will perform songs from its "Let It Snow" and "This Christmas" albums. www.cincinnatiarts.org
Lando's Old School Happy Hour 8th Anniversary Party: 5-10 p.m. Friday. Cove51, 11473 Chester Road, Sharonville. It's that time of year again for the biggest old-school happy hour in the Midwest. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Thanksgiving Eve: I'm not sure how or when it happened, but the night before Thanksgiving has become the night to go out and party with old and new friends. In order to help you plan the perfect evening, I compiled a list of some of the best bar parties taking place throughout Greater Cincinnati. Tap here to see our Thanksgiving Eve 2018 party guide.
Thanksgiving Brunch at Hotel Covington: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday. Hotel Covington, 638 Madison Ave., Covington. $60 adults; $50 seniors (65+); $19 children ages 5-12; free children under age 4. Forget cooking and go to Hotel Covington's Thanksgiving brunch buffet instead. The buffet will feature Tewes Farm turkey with smoked turkey neck gravy and cranberry/orange marmalade, prime rib au jus and horseradish sauce, yeast rolls, artisanal cheeses, fresh bread, boiled shrimp, crab claws, seafood salad and desserts. Reservations are required. For more information, visit the event Facebook page.
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LBC Black Friday Release: 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday. Listermann Brewing Co., 1621 Dana Ave., Evanston. Listermann Brewing Co. will open early for its special Black Friday release event. Limited-edition bottles and brews will be on sale as long as supplies last. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Black Friday Brews: 10 a.m.-midnight Friday. Brink Brewing Co., 5905 Hamilton Ave., College Hill. Brink will open early for its special Black Friday release event. Limited-edition bottles and brews will be on sale as long as supplies last. There also will be a food truck at the brewery starting at noon, along with live music from Kyla Mainous and Chris Casey. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
