Sunday, June 2

Goodnight, Sunday.

Summer may not officially be here yet but June has arrived and with it comes lots of water activities, outdoor fun, and (hopefully) sunshine!

Now that “summer” is here, we have loads of events to choose from… as you might notice from the length of today’s newsletter!

Be sure to check out some of our more popular summer lists over on our website too!

Things to Do in June, 2024

50+ Free and Cheap Things To Do This Summer

Farmers Markets

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK 💗 

Head to Westside Brewing on Tuesday for a Community Book Swap, 5:30-7:30pm. Bring 2-3 books to swap with others. Fiction, fantasy, romance, history, whatever your genre, bring it and find others while getting to know fellow bibliophiles and supporting a local business.

There’s a Butterfly Show Game Night happening at the Krohn Conservatory on Wednesday, 6-8:30pm. This game night will feature “Mariposas”. Mariposas is played in three seasons. In general, your butterflies try to head north in spring, spread out in summer, and return south in fall. The end of each season brings a scoring round, and at the end of fall, the player with the most successful family of butterflies — i.e., the most victory points — wins the game. Tickets required.

Grab your current read and head to Silent Book Club, happening on Thursday at the Cincinnati Art Museum, 6:30-7:30pm. No discussions, no suffering that book, no worries about not having enough copies for everyone, no pressure to speak; just the enthralling act of reading. One hour of silent reading time, then a half an hour to get to know your fellow bookworms if you feel like staying.

Summit Cinema kicks off the season on Thursday with a movie on the lawn at Summit Park - Wonka (PG) starts at dusk.

Enjoy Soak Up The Fun, Summer Bash at Montgomery’s Quarter Park on Friday starting at 3:30pm. The Remains will provide live music and you can enjoy some yummy food from the pop-up food tents. They’ll have face painting and scavenger hunts for adults and kids, a flower truck, a magician, and more. Cap off the evening with a movie in the park - The Sandlot starting at 8pm.

Be sure to check out the Free Live Music List below too!

SIGN UP ✏️ 

Heritage Village Museum presents Little House in the Big Woods, August 8-9. Step into the pages of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series for Pioneer Days at the Village. Tickets required.

There’s a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Show happening on Friday, June 7 at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Get ready to boogie at the 1950s sock hop "A Dance with Death”. Tickets required.

Take a Garden Tour, organized by the Cincinnati Nature Center on Saturday, June 22, 9-5pm. This event is “Noteworthy Natives” and will be featuring 9 magnificent gardens that incorporate native plants in unique and creative ways.  Locations include North Avondale, Blue Ash, Loveland, and Indian Hill. Guests receive a Garden Tour program booklet to help plan their self-guided tour. The Garden Tour booklet grants you entrance into the gardens between 9am and 5pm. Each guest on the tour must show their booklet to gain access to each garden. Tickets required.

Registrations open on Tuesday, June 4 at noon for Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum’s July Public Tram Tour. The tour happens on July 3, 10-11:30am. Registration required and these events do sell out.

Cincinnati Observatory will have Sunday History Tours on June 9 and 23 starting at noon and 1:30pm. This special program offers those seeking to learn more about the Observatory’s history a more detailed, in-depth guided tour. Tickets required.

GOOD TO KNOW ✔️ 

Live close to Fairfield? Be sure to check out their Passport to Parks program. Use the passport to visit all of their parks and search each one to solve a riddle. Complete your passport to be entered to win prizes. Sounds like a great family friendly adventure!

COMING SOON 📆 

The Hello Kitty Truck will be making a stop in Cincinnati. The truck will be parked at Kenwood Towne Centre on Saturday, 10am-7pm. Find it near The Cheesecake Factory.

Mark your calendars for The Ohio Challenge, happening July 19-20. The event includes hot air balloons, a Night Balloon Glow, a car show, a plane show, a drone show, a fireworks show, and more. They’ll have tethered balloon rides and plane rides as well. Happens at Smith Park - Middletown Regional Airport. Weather permitting and admission charged. Some activities may require tickets/reservations.

The June Summer Music Festival at Ault Park is happening on Thursday, June 20. This event includes live music from The Menus plus local food and drinks available for purchase. They will be providing inflatables & games, and volunteer organizations will have kids’ crafts and activities from 6-8pm. No admission charged.

FREE LIVE MUSIC THIS WEEK 🪕 

Jazz at the Park, Washington Park, Monday, 6-9pm | Ron Jones

Jazz at the Square, Fountain Square, Tuesday, 5-8pm | Chris Andes Quartet

Delhi Concerts in the Park Series, Delhi Park Pavilion, Wednesday, 7pm | Forever Diamond

Greenhills Concert Series, corner of Winton and Farragut, Wed., 7-9pm | Dangerous Jim and the Slims

Jazz in the Camp, American Sign Museum, Wed., 6:30-8:30pm | Keigo Hirakawa Quartet

Summer Sessions Live at VOA, Voice of America Park, Wed., 6-9pm | Carl Shepard

Wednesdays in the Woods, Burnet Woods, Wed., 7-9pm | The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars

Wildcard Wednesdays, Factory 52 (lawn), Wed., 6-9pm | Danny Frazier

Concert in the Park, Beech Acres Park, Thursday, 7-9pm | Monday Night Big Band

Groovin on the Green, Village Green Park (Fairfield), Thurs., 6-9pm | Blessid Union of Souls

Live After Five, Liberty Center, Thurs., 6-9pm | Naked Karate Girls

Live on the Levee, Newport on the Levee, Thurs., 7pm+ | Michelle Robinson Band

Rockin’ the Roebling, Smale Riverfront Park, Thurs., 6-10pm | DV8 (DJ starts at 6pm, band starts at 7pm)

Salsa on the Square, Fountain Square, Thursday, 7-10pm | Kumbia Latina / SalsAires

The Takeover, The Square at Union Centre, Thurs., 6-9pm | My Sister Sarah

Fretboard Fridays, Factory 52 (lawn), Friday, 6-9pm | Ralph and The Rhythm Hounds

Indie Friday, Fountain Square, Friday, 7-10pm | Bandages/Calumet/The Pink Spiders

Union Township Concerts, Civic Center Auditorium, Friday, 7-9pm | The Whammies

Fifth and Vine Live, Fountain Square, Saturday, 7-10pm | Remember

Music at the Esplanade, Smale Park, Sat., 5-7pm | Temani

Saturdays in the Park, Inwood Park, Sat., 10am-noon | Burning Caravan

Summer Concert Series at Boone Woods Park (Ky), Sat., 7-8:30pm | Forever Diamond

OTR Performs, Washington Park, Sunday, 6-8pm | Cincinnati Opera: Opera in the Park

DEALS + DISCOUNTS 😍 

Take some time to enjoy the arts!
Taft Museum of Art offers free admission on Sundays and Mondays.
Cincinnati Art Museum offers free general admission every day.
Contemporary Arts Center offers free general admission every day.

FAMILY FRIENDLY 🛝 

Kids Crew kicks off their season at Newport on the Levee, happening every Monday, June 3 to August 26 and starting at 11:30am. Bring your little ones for weekly adventures featuring face painters, storytellers, magicians, crafts and more! June 3 features Cincinnati Children’s Crestview and Community Relations presented by Cincinnati Children’s.

Take the kids to The Big Rig Gig on Tuesday, June 4 at the Montgomery Square Plaza, 9am-noon. See this Touch a Truck event and more over on our site.

The Blue Ash Police Department will host a Bike Rodeo at Summit Park on Wednesday, June 5, 4-7pm. The free event features a bike obstacle course where children learn safe riding skills (take your own bikes btw). Kids can also receive a free helmet, while supplies last. Free food and drinks will be provided by the Blue Ash Community Church, while supplies last.

Smaletastic Summer Fun will be had on Thursday with Smale Family Fun Day at Smale Riverfront Park, 10am-1pm. Head to the Schmidlapp Event Lawn and enjoy bounce houses, puppet shows, petting zoos, live music, and free ice cream.

Have some Puppets for Lunch on Friday, June 7 on the Grove Event Center Lawn, noon-2pm. Pack your picnic lunch and favorite blanket for an entertaining lunchtime Madcap Puppet Show performance on the lawn behind the Springfield Township Arts Center. After the show, stay for a make it – take it craft and enjoy an afternoon in the park. $2 suggested donation.

PIC OF THE DAY 📸 

Tag @365Cincinnati on Instagram to get your photo shared!

If you are at all close to Sharon Woods, I’d recommend stopping in to see the drained lake. Great Parks is just about done with draining the water from the 35-acre lake and will begin repositioning a buildup of soil and silt in the lake to double the existing wetland areas. When complete, the project will improve recreation activities and access to natural areas on and around the lake. Learn more about the project here.