CINCINNATI – There are more than a few reasons to be merry this weekend.
Fourth Annual Dad Day: Noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Come decked out in your best plaid for Rhinegeist's fourth annual Dad Day beer release party. Beyond the return of the brewery's hoppy holiday ale, Rhinegeist also will have fresh Dad merchandise for sale. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
2018 Dark Charge Day: 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday. Braxton Brewing Co., 27 W. Seventh St., Covington. Braxton once again will deck downtown Covington with a festive spirit during its annual winter block party. The brewery will tap its Dark Charge bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, plus four variants. There also will be live music and food available throughout the day. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Third Annual OTR Ugly Sweater Crawl: 2-10 p.m. Saturday. 16-Bit Bar + Arcade, 1331 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine. $25. Jingle your way through Over-the-Rhine in your ugliest holiday sweater on Saturday. There will be music, giveaways, drink specials, holiday movie trivia and an official Ugly Sweater T-shirt at the end of this festive bar crawl. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Columbia Tusculum Ugly Holiday Sweater Bar Crawl: Noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Columbia Tusculum neighborhood. There's a theme to this weekend – going out in clothes you normally wouldn't wear in public. Columbia Tusculum, the neighborhood along Eastern Avenue near Delta Avenue, is hosting its own ugly sweater pub crawl featuring local watering holes such as Streetside Brewery and Allyn's Cafe. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
UnSilent Night: 5-8 p.m. Friday. The porch at Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Bring the noise for the Cincinnati edition of UnSilent Night on Friday. The event is an eclectic parade through Over-the-Rhine that begins in Washington Park. There will be music and fun-filled DIY light projects, and everyone is welcome to participate. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Redsfest: 3-10:30 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. $17 adults; $7 children ages 4-12. Cincinnati Reds fans, rejoice. This weekend Redsfest returns Downtown. Get up close with some of your favorite Reds players and meet a few future stars. www.mlb.com
Pincinnati 2018: 2 p.m.-midnight Friday; 10 a.m.-midnight Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Holiday Inn & Suites, 4501 Eastgate Blvd., Eastgate. Pincinnati, the inaugural pinball show in Greater Cincinnati, goes full tilt starting Friday. The show will feature more than 100 machines from local collections, all set for free play. www.pincinnati.com
Covington Winter Night Bazaar: 4-10 p.m. Saturday. Roebling Point, 302 Court St., Covington. This outdoor holiday shopping event will feature a visit from the famous Budweiser Clydesdales, two dozen local crafters, cozy fire pits, warm drinks, local bites and Christmas trees for purchase. www.rcov.org
Crafty Supermarket Holiday Show 2018: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. More than 100 craft vendors will fill the Music Hall ballroom during the ninth annual Crafty Supermarket Holiday Show on Saturday. There also will be a DJ, food, a cash bar and swag bags for the first 100 shoppers. craftysupermarket.com
Holiday Market: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. Local artisans and craft vendors will set up shop at Findlay Market for a weekend filled with holiday cheer, gift shopping and seasonal food and drinks. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Lebanon Horse-Drawn Carriage Parade & Festival: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. Historic Downtown Lebanon, 212 N. Broadway St., Lebanon. Free. This annual holiday parade and festival turns 30 this year. Local vendors will line Mulberry and Mechanical streets starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by carriage parades at 1 and 7 p.m. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Westwood's Deck the Hall: 4-7 p.m. Saturday. Westwood Elementary School, 2981 Montana Ave., Westwood. Westwood's sixth annual Deck the Hall event will include a holiday market full of local artists and vendors, free food from Kretschmar, hot chocolate, activities for all ages, free photos with Santa, food trucks, a coat drive, live music and tree-lighting ceremony. This year's event will take place on the lawn of Westwood Elementary facing Montana Avenue. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Independence Christmas Walk: 6-9 p.m. Saturday. Downtown Independence, 5272 Madison Pike, Independence. Free. The city of Independence will be all aglow when it hosts its annual Christmas Walk. Vendors will line Madison Pike near the Kenton County Courthouse and inside the Independence Senior Center. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Olde West Chester Christmas Walk: 2-8 p.m. Saturday. West Chester Township Administration Building, 9113 Cincinnati Dayton Road, West Chester Township. Free. The Merchants of Olde West Chester will host a free, family-friendly community event. Holiday-inspired activities will include photos with Santa, shopping, children's games and crafts, a petting zoo, horse-and-wagon rides, food and drinks, live music and a parade, which begins at 7 p.m. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
2018 Annual East Row Victorian Christmas Tour: Noon-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Movement Church, 415 E. Eighth St., Newport. $16. After picking up tickets for the annual East Row Victorian Christmas Tour at Movement Church, people will be able to walk through participating homes in this historic Newport neighborhood. eastrow.org
"Swan Lake:" 8 p.m. Thursday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $38-$58. The National Ballet Theatre of Odessa will bring its full-scale production of "Swan Lake" to the Taft Theatre on Thursday evening. The performance tells the story of a heroic young prince who works to free a beautiful swan maiden from an evil spell. The performance includes music composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. tafttheatre.org
"The Play That Goes Wrong:" 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. $31-$99. Prepare to laugh this weekend when the touring Broadway comedy "The Play That Goes Wrong" stops in Cincinnati. This is a show within a show where a bubbling theater troupe attempts to muddle its way through a production of the faux mystery "The Murder at Haversham Manor." www.cincinnatiarts.org
"A Christmas Story:" 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, 4990 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill. $29 adults; $26 seniors, students and children. The classic "A Christmas Story" will come to life at the Covedale this weekend. Relive the story of young Ralphie Parker and his quest to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com
John Butler Trio: 7:30 p.m. Friday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $28.50-$48.50. Australian singer-songwriter John Butler will perform at the Taft Theatre on Friday. Beat-box and soul-folk performer Dustin Thomas will join Butler on stage. Each ticket for this show includes a digital download of the John Butler Trio's newest album. tafttheatre.org
Bronfman Plays Brahms: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $15-$99. Pianist Yefim Bronfman will join the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra during two performances of Brahm's "Variations on a Theme of Haydn" and "Piano Concerto No. 1," along with Haydn's "Symphony No. 44, Trauersinfonie." The concert is part of the CSO's "Series 2." cincinnatisymphony.org
Chris Tomlin Christmas: 7:30 p.m. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $28-$98. Popular Christian singer Chris Tomlin will share the joys of the Christmas season on Saturday. Tomlin is a well-known spiritual leader who has sold more than 8 million albums. tafttheatre.org
