BLINK Cincinnati
October 17–20
Back for its fourth edition, BLINK is a four-day citywide art and installation festival spanning more than 30 blocks from OTR to NKY. Over the next several days there will be many events to accompany BLINK, as well as logistical changes around the event. Click here to go to the official website for more information about the event itself.
Events
October 12–20
BLINK Retail Pop-Up
1326 Vine Street
Exclusive apparel, accessories, pins, and prints. (Available online and in-store.)
Click the link above for hours
Tuesday
BLINK Creativity Summit
American Sign Museum, 4–8:30p
An evening of inspiration, networking, and learning for creative minds to explore new ideas, spark innovation, and connect with like-minded individuals.
Wednesday
BLINK and Doodle
Alice Bar, 6–10p
Live, interactive art event with 30+ artists.
Free; RSVP here
BLINK Bright Ride
Findlay Market, 6:30p
Queen City Bike hosts Cincy’s biggest and brightest bike ride, featuring decorated, lit up, colorful wheels in a short, flat ride around OTR and downtown.
Open to all ages and abilities; all people-powered wheels welcome: skates, blades, boards, and bikes of all kinds!
Thursday–Sunday
Asianati Night Market
Court Street Plaza
Experience the vibrant tastes, sounds, and smells of Asia’s night markets over four nights of BLINK, featuring Asian cuisine, entertainment, games, and activities.
BLINK at Braxton
Braxton Covington
Disco Arcade installation, live music on 7th all weekend, reusable light-up pint cups, and rooftop Glow Garden with views of the BLINK Drone Show.
BLINK at Findlay Market
Food, drinks, shopping, and entertainment in the Findlay Market Zone, which is home to new murals, tasting tours, outdoor bars, and a night market.
BLINK at Sam Adams: Cheers to Cincy
Sam Adams Cincinnati Taproom
In collaboration with ArtWorks and in celebration of BLINK, Sam Adams is releasing a new beer, a German pilsner called Cheers to Cincy. The event will feature live music both Friday and Saturday from 6:30 to 9:30.
Nauti Nights of Lights
Pilar
Light-up leis and decorations, themed cocktail, DJ Hope on Saturday from 9p to 1a, and photo ops—all right on Court Street and in the Downtown Zone.
Thursday
BLINK Parade
Mehring Way, 8p
The parade will start at Paycor Stadium and end at Great American Ball Park.
Click here to watch a video of the route
Friday
BLINK with Play Library Fundraiser
OTR Stillhouse, 6–8p
Drinks, light bites, bingo, and a silent auction—all to benefit Play Library.
Tickets
Gee Horton + Friends: BLINK Kickoff Party
CinemaOTR, 6–8p (champagne toast at 7:30)
Family friendly event kicking off Blink weekend and celebrating local artist Gee Horton’s “Coming of Age” mural series featured in the 2024 Blink festival.
Free; RSVP here; shop merch here
Friday and Saturday
Flavors of Light
The Firehouse Covington Yard
An exclusive pre-party happy hour event during Cincinnati’s BLINK light projection festival. Enjoy gourmet light bites crafted by local and national Celebrity Chefs.
The Setback Glow-Up: BLINK Edition
Drinkery OTR
BLINK celebration with DJ Slick Nick (Friday at 10p), DJ OTR Carl (Saturday at 10p), and $5 Blinking Banshee served with light-up ice cubes (while supplies last).
Friday–Sunday
BLINK with Cincinnati Parks
Schmidlapp Event Lawn
Fusion of wellness by day and a disco dream by night.
Event schedule:
1–4p Wellness classes (Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, dance)
5–6p Drum circles
8–11p Outdoor dance party with Heroes Rise and DJ Vader
Saturday
Day Glow Body Flow
OTR CRC, 12–7p
Day-long wellness event with yoga, hip hop dance cardio, and DJed rollerskating—all FREE to start your day of BLINK.
BLINK Pop-Up at Findlay Kitchen
4–11p (cash bar and restrooms); food pop-ups 6–10p
Start your night of BLINK exploration with an exclusive Findlay Kitchen pop-up, featuring a curated menu, access to private restrooms, and more.
Your $25 ticket directly supports Findlay Kitchen, a vital resource for budding small businesses in Cincinnati
afterglow: The Official BLINK After Party feat. Austin Millz
MegaCorp Pavilion, doors at 10p
Headlined by Austin Millz and featuring DJ Prymtime and DJ Boywife.
Transit
The most preferred mode of transportation to get to BLINK would be to find a park and ride and take the fare free Metro (free from 6p–midnight each night of the event). And, while it is encouraged for all visitors to use public transportation to get to the event, there are many different parking options and all parking garages outside of the BLINK footprint will be open at event pricing. This year you are also able to reserve parking. For all things parking and accessible transit, click here.
Tip: Park on the outskirts of the BLINK festival footprint and walk, bus, Redbike, e-scoot, or take the streetcar to get to your destination.
Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA)
CincyLink, an express bus from Butler County to Cincinnati, will shuttle attendees from Park and Rides to the Riverfront Transit Center from 5:30–11p each night of BLINK. The last shuttle will depart from the RTC at 11:30p to return to the Butler County Park and Rides.
Cincinnati Metro
Routes will be disrupted during BLINK weekend (October 17–20) and all service from Government Square will be moved to the Riverfront Transit Center. All Metro service will be fare free from 6p–midnight each night of BLINK.
Cincinnati Red Bike
Nonprofit station-based bike share system with dozens of stations around downtown and NKY. Download the Red Bike app to ride.
The Connector
Fare FREE streetcar providing ADA accessible transport from north of Over-the-Rhine south to The Banks.
Electric Scooters
Bird and Lime scooters available for rent seven days a week from 6a to 11p. Download one of their respective apps to ride.
Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK)
Including the Southbank Shuttle, a public trolley system that serves the cities of Bellevue, Newport, and Covington in Northern Kentucky; traveling to and from downtown Cincinnati in Ohio. The cost to ride the shuttle is $1 each trip. All TANK service will be fare free from 6p–midnight each night of BLINK.
Note: The Southbank Shuttle will be on a detour for all four nights of BLINK after 6p. It will connect BLINK goers with one stop in Newport, one stop in Covington, and a stop at the Riverfront Transit Center.
Tip: You can download the Transit app while you are in town to help you navigate the bus and streetcar. You can also pay for bus fare in the app.
Accessibility
BLINK festival planners, led by Accessibility Director, Holly Maniatty, have partnered with All In Events to ensure inclusivity and to provide access for patrons with disabilities, including accessible:
- Viewing areas
- Drop-off and pick-up points throughout the festival
- ASL interpreting for events and music
- and so much more
Click here for complete information regarding accessibility at BLINK.
Entertainment
There is a full lineup of entertainment all four days of the festival, featuring dozens of musicians AND performances, at several different venues. Click here for information.
Unofficial Guides
Blinkfoot
Custom routes, including family friendly and date night options.
BLONK Cincy
An unofficial app for a rogue guide to BLINK.
