The first official summer weekend is here, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it throughout Greater Cincinnati. From swimming the day away at Coney Island or eating your way through essential Cincinnati cuisine at Taste of Cincinnati, there are numerous ways to enjoy your long Memorial Day weekend.
If you're looking for even more to do every day of the week, visit the CityBeatevents calendar, which is free to use if you have something planned that you’d like to advertise to CityBeatreaders.
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Photo: facebook.com/harpista
Brandee Younger at Caffè Vivace
7-10 p.m. May 25
Gather around to enjoy some contemporary jazz, coffee and atmosphere as harpist Brandee Younger performs at Caffè Vivace. Younger made history in 2022 when she became the first Black female solo artist to be nominated in the Grammy Awards' Best Instrumental Composition category for her song “Beautiful is Black”. The instrumental harpist includes classical, jazz, soul and funk in her arrangements. Tickets range from $30-$140. Each set is sold separately.
8:30-10:30 p.m. May 27. 975 East McMillan St., Walnut Hills, facebook.com/events.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
6th Annual Mental Health Talent Show of America
6-9 p.m. May 26
Mental illness is something serious often overlooked, misunderstood or ignored. At the 6th annual Mental Health Talent Show, performers who are either living with mental illness, or are connected to mental illness through others, take the stage. Here mental health awareness is spread through performers and their lives. Come join the event, which features open mic performances, door prizes, a DJ and an early buffet, to celebrate togetherness and advocacy at Mecklenburg Gardens. Performer and producer Chaz Clifton Walker is the master of ceremonies for the night. As said on their event listing, “Recovery is a good thing, always." Cost is $12 at the door.
6-9 p.m. May 26. Mecklenburg Gardens Restaurant, 302 E. University Ave., Clifton, mecklenburgs.com.
Photo: Provided by Weston Art Gallery
Weston Works Art Challenge Exhibition
May 26 and 27 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and May 28 noon-5 p.m.
Local artists made unique art out of Weston Art Gallery trash and it’s going to be on view through June 4. A call went out last month urging artists to use garbage like past marketing materials from the gallery. Participants inevitably immortalized previous exhibits and recycled while they did it.
May 26 and 27 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and May 28 noon-5 p.m. Weston Art Gallery, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiarts.org/weston-art-gallery.
Photo: Ruizhe Du, Unsplash
Punks Care 2 Part II at Southgate House Revival
5:30 p.m. May 27
Last year, the Punks Care 2 inaugural benefit show raised enough money to fund 3,600 meals, according to its website. Almost exactly a year after that show, partners Hüsker Foöd Zine of Cincinnati and The Peterson Compound of Tennessee are back with 13 bands and two stages at the Southgate House Revival. "Fighting food insecurity one show at a time," is the motto. This year's family-friendly punk show benefits the Freestore Foodbank. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the show.
5:30 p.m. May 27. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. 6th St., Newport, southgatehouse.com.
Photo: facebook.com/events
FORIS at Madison Live!
8 p.m. May 27
Two Ohio musicians found synchronicity and formed a musical duo, FORIS. Audley and Junior Astronaut – both out of Dayton – will perform in Covington on Saturday in anticipation of the release of their EP, "BREACH." Local hip-hop group Patterns of Chaos and indie rock band Sylmar will be the supporting acts. Tickets are $10.
8 p.m. May 27. Madison Live!, 734 Madison Ave, Covington, madisontheater.com.
Photo: Cincinnati Parks
Green Light Night at the Sawyer Point Roller Rink
7-10 p.m. May 27
The opening night of the Riverfront Rink at Sawyer Point kicks off its season with a sunset skate on Saturday. In celebration of a partnership between Skate Downtown Cincy, Cincinnati Parks and Cincinnati Parks Foundation, skaters are encouraged to wear green while helping roll out the outdoor rink. A live DJ and performance from Cincinnati’s Reckless Sk8ters top off the free skating session. Rental skates will be available.
7-10 p.m. May 27. Sawyer Point Roller Rink, 925 Riverside Dr., Downtown. facebook.com/events.
Photo: Kevin Lush
Dave Matthews Band at Riverbend Music Center
7:30 p.m. May 27
Does Dave Matthews ever stop touring? We aren’t complaining, just saying however they managed to release a 10th studio album (Walk Around the Moon, released May 19) is impressive. Surely those golden era ’90s hits will be thrown in the mix of live music. And you can add a $2 donation with the purchase of a ticket to benefit Dave Matthews' ongoing partnership with The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign.
7:30 p.m. May 27. Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., California, riverbend.org.
Photo: Brittany Thornton
Venus Night at Cincinnati Observatory
8:30-10:30 p.m. May 27
See it for yourself: the brightest star-like thing in the sky on Venus Day this Saturday. Educational programming is scheduled at the Cincinnati Observatory, preceding the opportunity to look through its historic telescopes to find Venus, the Moon and surrounding stars. Day-of tickets are still available and are $15 per adult and $10 per child.
8:30-10:30 p.m. May 27. Cincinnati Observatory, 3489 Observatory Place Mount Lookout, facebook.com/events.
Photo: Katie Griffith
Roebling Books & Coffee Memorial Day Weekend Block Party
1-8 p.m. May 27
If you like coffee, food and live music, then this event is for you. Come down to Roebling Books & Coffee this Memorial Day for their block party and fundraiser. Come for the coffee and stay for the food from Lil's Kitchen, art vendors, face painting and live music at their Dayton, Kentucky location. All ages are welcome. While no tickets or payment is necessary, donations are appreciated. All proceeds will go to artist Kotie who will be painting a mural live at the event.
1-8 p.m. May 27. Roebling Books & Coffee, 301 6th St., Dayton, facebook.com/events.
Photo: facebook.com/coneyislandpark
Coney Island's Opening Day
10 a.m.-8 p.m. May 27
Coney Island lovers get ready, because the park is planning to add even more activities this summer. The park plans to add an even bigger splash of fun with pickleball, fowling (a combination of football and bowling), disc golf and Sports Alley — a fun-filled arena for the kids. Sports Alley includes soccer pool, a combination of billiards and soccer (players kick the “billiards ball” into the corner pockets of the arena), and street curling, in which players slide heavy stones across a synthetic surface toward a target to win points. Whatever the activity, there’s fun for the whole family.
10 a.m.-8 p.m. May 27. Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township, coneyislandpark.com.
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