Every month Tour de Cincinnati creates a shortlist of notable events around Greater Cincinnati—large festivals, food weeks, entertainment, and ongoing series—to make sure you mark down these dates to keep in mind as you make plans in the coming weeks.
Fall is fully underway and with that comes respite from the heat and a lot of fun fall things to do.
Here are several important dates for local events in October to get in your calendars now:
through October 13
Mum’s the Word
Krohn Conservatory
A garden of silent reflection. Escape the noise of the busy world and find solace among the autumn blooms.
through October 27
Ohio Renaissance Festival
Renaissance Park
Lively shows, food and drink, and unique shops that transport you back in time to the days of knights and queens.
Weekends and Labor Day
Click here for a complete roundup of all things Fall in Cincinnati
October 1–31
National Chili Month
Gold Star is helping fight against local childhood hunger by giving a portion of all chili menu items sold from October 1–31 to Freestore Foodbank. Read more here.
Weekends in October
HallZOOween
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
October 12–13, 19–20, 26–27
Trick-or-treat stations, special animal enrichment, Phil Dalton’s Theater of Illusion shows at 1p and 3p, Hogwarts Express Train Ride (additional charge applies), Scare-ousel (additional charge applies).
Free with zoo admission
October 2–6
Bourbon & Belonging
Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week, the first LGBTQ+ inclusive Bourbon festival in the country, taking place across Kentucky with 8 cities and regions participating.
October 4–6
Cincy Bookstore Crawl
Multiple indie bookstores on both sides of the river
Celebrate Cincinnati’s book culture by visiting as many indie bookstores as you can over the course of one weekend. Get your passport stamped and be entered into a prize giveaway. Each shop will have its own take on the weekend with events, activities, and specials.
October 4–13
Cincy Beer Week
Events all across the greater Cincinnati region to celebrate community, education, entertainment, and everything that has enabled Cincinnati’s beer scene to grow in the last few decades.
October 7–13
Cincinnati Taco Week
$2.50 tacos (minimum order of 3) available from more than 40 participating restaurants.
October 11–November 2
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
October 12–13
Ohio Sauerkraut Festival
Waynesville, Ohio
A weekend of 60+ food items, 460 craft vendors from 25 states, and so much more.
October 12–21
The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s Season Opener
Taft Theatre
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. opens TCT’s 2024–25 season on October 12 and runs through October 21.
October 17–20
BLINK
Back for its fourth edition, BLINK is a four-day citywide art and installation festival spanning dozens of blocks from OTR to NKY. Click the link above for more information and to download the event map.
Thursday: parade at sundown
Saturday: afterglow: Official BLINK After Party at MegaCorp feat. Austin Millz
October 17–20
Writer’s Digest Annual Conference
Three full days of expert advice from bestselling authors and literary agents to help writers of all kinds achieve their publishing goals. Featuring keynote speaker Steven Rowley
Register here
October 18–20
Charm at the Farm Vintage Market
Lebanon
Farmhouse chic, vintage finds, rustic treasures, antique furniture, repurposed pieces, clothing, jewelry, kids and baby, food trucks, and more.
October 23
MLS Cup Playoffs
FC Cincinnati have secured a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, which begin on October 23 (Wild Card Matches). FCC’s first MLS Cup Playoffs match date is TBD.
October 25–27
Vintage Market Days of Dayton-Cincinnati
Greene County Fairgrounds
The Holiday Market with vintage, vintage-inspired foods, architectural sale, repurposed finds, jewelry and apparel, live music, and food trucks.
October 26
Cyclones Season Opener
Heritage Bank Center
The Cincinnati Cyclones have their First Face-Off in front of the home crowd against the Indy Fuel.
October 26–27
Cincinnati Coffee Festival
Music Hall Ballroom
The midwest’s premier coffee festival attracting thousands of attendees as well as coffee roasters, coffee and tea shops, bakers, pastry shops, and chocolatiers from around the region. With samples, demos, a latte art throwdown, and live music.
More detailed This Weekend in Cincinnati blog posts go up weekly, so if you have not yet already, sign up for the This Weekend newsletter to be reminded of detailed events directly to your inbox every week. All you have to do is click here or go to tourdecincinnati.com where you will be prompted to subscribe.
Have any questions or want specific recommendations about things to do? Just ask!