Celebrate the Lunar New Year, support a good cause and prepare for some high-flying fun this weekend.
FOOD & DRINK
Aussie Animal Benefit: 7:30 p.m.-close. The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside. Join the folks at the Comet for a night of music to raise money for the animals of Australia struggling after the recent wildfires there. There will be various raffles and a split the pot as well. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Onesie Pub Crawl: Noon-2 a.m. Saturday. Multiple locations. $5-$20. Ages 21 and older. This might be the coziest pub crawl yet. You and your friends will travel to participating bars stretching from The Banks to Over-the-Rhine enjoying drink specials while dressed in your best pajamas. www.eventbrite.com
Chinese New Year Party at Below Zero Lounge: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday. Below Zero Lounge, 1120 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. Ages 21 and older. Hostess Quasi will deliver the heat and hot spots alongside her co-host and DJ Penny Tration to ring in the Chinese New Year and lift your spirits. You'll also be able to enjoy specialty cocktails and your chance at fortune. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Rescue the Down Under: 2-10 p.m. Sunday. Queen City Radio, 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine. Queen City Radio is holding a fundraiser on Australia Day in an effort to help that country recover from its devastating brush fires. The bar will have food by Chicken Mac Truck, live music, a silent auction, drink specials and a raffle. It also will accept donations at the bar throughout the day. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
2020 Chili Cook-Off: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. $2-$20. What better way to end a winter weekend than with a chili tasting? Findlay Market will host its 16th annual Chili Cook-off and you can judge the quality of the submissions before the best chili is announced. www.eventbrite.com
COMMUNITY
Cincinnati Chinese New Year's Eve Concert 2020: 8 p.m. Friday. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $15-$55. The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra is famous for its harmonious works. The orchestra will perform several classic works to help ring in the Chinese New Year. www.memorialhallotr.com
Fiona's Birthday Party with Graeter's Ice Cream: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Rookwood Pottery, 1920 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. Rookwood Pottery and Graeter’s are throwing a fun-filled birthday party for everyone's favorite hippo, Fiona. The party will feature tours of Rookwood's facilities, a chance to take pictures with a Fiona mascot, artist signings and the highly-anticipated second release of the Fiona Ice Cream Bowl. www.rookwood.com
Holocaust & Humanity Center One Year Celebration: 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center will celebrate the one-year anniversary of its move to Union Terminal with a day of immersive museum experiences. Visitors can meet and speak with local Holocaust survivors in the museum starting at 1 p.m. followed by a cake-cutting event at 2 p.m. The day wraps up with “Prayer Interrupted,” a concert that dives into the lives of Jews in and around the Holocaust. The concert commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. www.holocaustandhumanity.org
MUSIC & COMEDY
Cirque du Soleil: AXEL: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Heritage Bank Center, 100 Broadway St., Downtown. $44-$130. Cirque du Soleil is back on ice with AXEL. This electrifying new experience fuses world-class ice skating with breathtaking acrobatics. heritagebankcenter.com
Countess Luann and Friends: 8 p.m. Saturday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $53-$153. Luann de Lesseps was an original cast member of "The Real Housewives of New York." She's now a bona fide author, philanthropist, actor and cabaret star. The "Countess" will show off some of those skills during her visit to the Queen City. tafttheatre.org
THE ARTS
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mount Adams Circle, Mount Adams. $30-$110. This nonstop tribute recounts Buddy Holly’s meteoric rise to fame and the lasting impact he left after his untimely death at age 22. The early rocker is immortalized in this musical memoir with performances through Feb. 16. cincyplay.com
CSO Night/Light: 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $25. Ages 21 and older. Experience a different side of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with Night/Light. This event gets you closer to the music and shares another side of CSO artistry with an intimate, cabaret-style setting awash in candlelight. This weekend's performance features cellist Alban Gerhardt. www.cincinnatisymphony.org
