It may feel like a mad dash at work to get ready for the weekend, but don't worry, you'll be rewarded with German beer, sausages, superheroics and spooktacular good times once you've crossed that finish line.
COMMUNITY
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Second and Third streets between Walnut and Elm streets, Downtown. Free admission. Everything about this year's Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is bigger and better than ever. The World's Largest Chicken Dance will take place simultaneously on nine stages, Friday's hours are extended and the Running of the Wieners is a day earlier than usual (1 p.m. Thursday along Freedom Way). Now, if they'd just make the tap pours and beer steins bigger... www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com
Halloween Haunt: 6 p.m.- 1 a.m. Fridays; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. General admission starts at $33.99. More than roller coasters will make people scream at Kings Island Amusement Park starting this Friday. Dozens of attractions designed to scare visitors will be on display at the park every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 27. Of course, coasters such as the Beast, Banshee, Diamondback and Mystic Timbers will still be offering their year-round thrills. There will also be plenty of fun Halloween activities for kids during the daylight hours each Saturday and Sunday, with the exception of Sept. 21. www.visitkingsisland.com
Cincinnati Comic Expo: 3-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. $55 weekend adult; $5-$35 single-day admission. If your idea of dress-up fun is more Superman than Walking Dead, mask up and make your way to the annual Cincinnati Comic Expo this weekend. Hundreds of primary colored superheroes, vendors and comic book fans will fill the Duke Energy Convention Center. Visitors will have the chance to meet their favorite sci-fi and superhero actors too. cincinnaticomicexpo.com
Fire Up the Night: 4-11 p.m. Saturday. Coney Island Amusement Park, 6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. $25 per carload. Enjoy a day of rides and live entertainment before dozens of countries compete in Coney’s annual pyrotechnic spectacular. Fireworks will begin lighting up the night sky around 8:30 p.m. coneyislandpark.com
THE ARTS
“Come From Away": 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. The touring Broadway musical, “Come From Away” has come to the Queen City. This musical tells the true story Newfoundland, the small town that welcomed the world during the chaotic aftermath of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Cultures clash and bonds are forged in this uplifting portrayal of the human spirit. www.cincinnatiarts.org
“At the Summit: Strauss + Dessner": 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $14-$130. Conductor Louis Langrée, along with pianists Katia and Marielle Labéque will bring Richard Strauss’ last orchestral odyssey “Don Juan” and Cincinnati-native Bryce Dessner’s “Concerto for Two Pianos” to life this weekend at Music Hall. Strauss’s “An Alpine Symphony” will also be performed. www.cincinnatisymphony.org
Two New Exhibition Openings Celebration: 7-11 p.m. Friday. Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown. Free. Come out to celebrate the opening of two brand new CAC exhibitions. The first is by artist Robert Colescott called "Art and Race Matters." The second is Jens Schwarz's "Displaced." You'll be able to meet the artists during this very special event. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
MUSIC & COMEDY
“HipArt: Rites of Passage”: 8 p.m. Thursday. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. $10. "HipArt: Rites of Passage" is the first performance in Elementz 2019-20 "Thrive" concert series. The evening will showcase the generations of youth who have passed through Elementz over 17 years. It also includes a new generation of street dancers, emerging Emcees, OG “Nitty” Morris and Elementz Creative Director Abdullah Powell, whose music is a commentary on his own generational journey. www.cincyticket.com
Indigo Girls: 8 p.m. Thursday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $35-$75. Legendary indie rock duo, the Indigo Girls should bring back some great memories for anyone who came of age in the 1990s. Amy Ray and Emily Saliers will be joined by Lucy Wainwright Roche during their Queen City stop. tafttheatre.org
The Mavericks: 8 p.m. Friday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St. Downtown. $48-$58. The Mavericks are masters of country-Latin rock and roll, a genre born in the rich cultural mix of Miami and then tempered in Nashville. The band hit it big on the country and rock charts of the 1990s and haven't slowed down since. tafttheatre.org
Miranda Lambert: "Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour:" 7 p.m. Saturday. BB&T Arena, 500 Nunn Drive, Highland Heights. $79.75-$89.75. Country singer superstar Miranda Lambert will rock the campus of Northern Kentucky University when her "Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars" tour rolls into BB&T Arena. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
