Pop the hood. Top 15 things to do this weekend in Cincinnati: June 7-9

Luann Gibbs, Cincinnati Enquirer
·9 min read
Concours d'Elegance takes place Sunday at Ault Park in Mount Lookout.
Concours d'Elegance takes place Sunday at Ault Park in Mount Lookout.

1. Concours d’Elegance: La Dolce Vita

This year’s show celebrates Italian style. You can see over 250 pristine vehicles on display in 13 classes of vintage, classic and exotic automobiles and motorcycles. Special display classes celebrate 60 years of the Ford Mustang, and tributes to Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg. Includes an art show highlighting automotive fine artists from around the country, and a craft beer garden. Park at Fifth Third Bank Madisonville Operations Center and ride free shuttle to/from event. The show benefits Juvenile Arthritis.

Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Ault Park, 5090 Observatory Circle, Mount Lookout. $45, $15 students with ID, free ages 12-under. Ohioconcours.com.

2. Schwabenfest

Enjoy music, authentic German food and beer, live music and performances by the Donauschwaben Dance groups. Oktoberfest chicken dinners are featured on Friday night, and on Saturday it's roast beef dinners. Brats and metts will be available both days.

Details: 5:30-11 p.m. Friday, 1-11 p.m. Saturday, Donauschwaben Hall, 4290 Dry Ridge Road, Colerain Township. $5, free ages under 12. Facebook.com.

Celebrate all things strawberry Saturday at the Shandon Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival.
Celebrate all things strawberry Saturday at the Shandon Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival.

3. Shandon Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival

Bring the whole family to this delicious festival, where strawberries are the star. Shop outdoor vendors and artists, browse country crafts, original art, pottery and antiques at local merchants, enjoy an antique tractor exhibit behind the firehouse with a parade at 2 p.m., and dinner from noon-5 p.m. at the Community House, homemade strawberry shortcake and ice cream all day, and food and refreshments at the firehouse from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Morgan Township Historical Society Museum (6464 Okeana Drewersburg Road) will be open from noon-4 p.m.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, State Route 126, Shandon. Free.

4. 'Hands on a Hardbody'

For 10 hard-luck Texans, a new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end, they fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. Inspired by true events, this musical is a peek into the lives of everyday, ordinary Americans struggling to survive against the backdrop of a broken and beaten working middle class.

Based on the 1997 documentary film of the same name, the play garnered three Tony Award nominations and features a catchy combination of blues, rock and country songs penned by Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio (frontman for the band Phish), along with a masterful story by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Ensemble Theatre, 1127 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. Runs June 8-30. $38. Ensemblecincinnati.org.

5. GeekOut

This pop culture convention and music festival includes game tournaments, cosplayers, flow and fire performers, contests, painters and vending. There's a masquerade, cosplay craftsmanship contest, kart racing, foam fighting, bingo & booze event, performances by the Cincinnati Barbarians, Grandma's Bouncy Houses and live music. Special guests include David Della Rocca, Green Jelly, Colin Beasley, Katie Shesko, Black Market Party, Eugene Jacket, Mash Grass, Quimby, Mind at Large, Siege, S.P.R.Y., JimBoDro, Dahlia Parton, 2d6 and Band of Pirates. Family-friendly hours run noon-8 p.m. daily.

Details: noon Friday-Sunday, Hannon’s Campground, 8501 Camden-College Corner Road, College Corner. VIP entry on Thursday, all others Friday. $100 VIP, $80 general. Tent camping is included in price. Electric camping upgrade is $45. $2 parking. Geekout-hca.com.

Head to Hueston Woods this weekend for the Arts and Crafts Fair, a juried show that benefits the Oxford Museum Association.
Head to Hueston Woods this weekend for the Arts and Crafts Fair, a juried show that benefits the Oxford Museum Association.

6. Arts and Crafts Fair

Browse unique vendors and high-quality crafts at this juried show. Works are all original and include paintings, prints, photography, floral arrangements, stained glass, yard sculpture, jewelry, soaps and candles, carvings, pottery, furniture, clothing, ornaments, baskets, rugs, unique textiles and more. You can also tour the Doty Homestead and the 1840s Pioneer Barn, enjoy food vendors and funnel cakes. The fair benefits the Oxford Museum Association.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Hueston Woods Pioneer Farm, 6924 Brown Road, Oxford. $10 per car or $5 per person. Facebook.com.

See more than 100 works from America's first corporate photography collection at the Taft Museum of Art. Pictured: "Martha Graham in Letter to the World" by Barbara Morgan, 1940, gelatin silver print. Bank of America Collection.
See more than 100 works from America's first corporate photography collection at the Taft Museum of Art. Pictured: "Martha Graham in Letter to the World" by Barbara Morgan, 1940, gelatin silver print. Bank of America Collection.

7. Moment in Time: A Legacy of Photographs/Works from the Bank of America Collection

Taft's summer art exhibition features over 100 works from America's first corporate photography collection, which showcases the technical capabilities and impact on fine art. Included are works from William Henry Fox Talbot, Julia Margaret Cameron, Timothy O’Sullivan, Alfred Stieglitz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ansel Adams, Dorthea Lange and Walker Evans, among others.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday, Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown. Runs June 8-Sept. 15. $15, $12 seniors, free ages 17-under. Sundays and Mondays are always free. taftmuseum.org/moment.

8. On Freedom’s Doorstep: Celebrating Black History in Cincinnati 1788-1919

Celebrate Cincinnati's Black history during this fun, family-friendly afternoon. Interpreters portray notable Black Cincinnatians, there are fine and performing arts presentations, local Black food and retail vendors, a quilting history and demonstration, kids games and hands-on activities, a Black Brigade tribute and storytelling.

Details: 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Heritage Village Museum, 11500 Lebanon Road, Sharonville. $10, $5 seniors and ages 4-11. Heritagevillagecincinnati.org.

The Tillers headline Sayler Park Sustains on Saturday. The festival celebrates sustainability and includes workshops on composting, homesteading with goats, soil health and other eco-friendly ventures, plus food trucks, vendors, craft beer and family fun.
The Tillers headline Sayler Park Sustains on Saturday. The festival celebrates sustainability and includes workshops on composting, homesteading with goats, soil health and other eco-friendly ventures, plus food trucks, vendors, craft beer and family fun.

9. Sayler Park Sustains

This neighborhood festival features sustainability workshops, food trucks, vendors, craft beer and live music from The Tillers, Sarah Gorak, The Newport Secret Six, Rabbit Hash String Band, The Brotherhood Singers, Joe's Truck Stop, Dustbin, The Hammer & the Hatchet, Tim JW Baker.

Details: noon-10 p.m. Saturday, Nelson Sayler Memorial Park, 6600 Gracely Drive, Sayler Park. Free. saylerparksustains.org.

10. Covington Garden Tour

Enjoy a public tour of nine gardens in a neighborhood that includes some of the city’s best examples of Victorian architecture. There will be free parking at John G. Carlisle Elementary School (910 Holman St.) as well as on-street. A portion of proceeds benefits The Point Arc.

Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Old Seminary Square Neighborhood, 1010 Russell St., Covington. $20. Covingtongardentour.com.

See a number of vintage General Motors vehicles at the 20th Century All GM Car Show and Swap Meet, taking place Sunday at Jeff Wyler Eastgate Auto Mall. Pictured: A 1985 Chevrolet K20.
See a number of vintage General Motors vehicles at the 20th Century All GM Car Show and Swap Meet, taking place Sunday at Jeff Wyler Eastgate Auto Mall. Pictured: A 1985 Chevrolet K20.

11. 20th Century All GM Car Show and Swap Meet

Check out GM vehicles that are at least 25 years old while enjoying live music, food trucks and more. Want to show off your GM? There are unique trophies awarded to the top 40 cars, plus several specialty classes. Proceeds benefit Matthew 25 Ministries. The show is free for spectators, and $20 to enter your vehicle in the competition.

Details: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Jeff Wyler Eastgate Auto Mall, 1117 State Route 32, Batavia. Information: [email protected].

Taste on the Levee showcases dining destinations at Newport on the Levee.
Taste on the Levee showcases dining destinations at Newport on the Levee.

12. Taste on the Levee

Enjoy selected bites from a number of the Levee’s restaurants. Admission includes an entry wristband, food vouchers, small plates from each eatery, a glass of Champagne, live entertainment and a swag bag. Ages 21-up.

Details: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Newport on the Levee Riverwalk, 1 Levee Way, Newport. $60. Newportonthelevee.com/events/taste-on-the-levee.

13. Cocktails & Creatives

The art of mixology meets AI innovation at this vibrant cocktail competition, where the area's top bartenders and pioneering AI artists blend their skills, and each ticketholder tastes and votes for their favorite. Includes live music, crafts and local vendors.

Details: 3-7 p.m. Sunday, Voodoo Brewpub, 120 E. Eighth St., Downtown. $95 VIP includes early entry and swag bag, $55 general. cocktailsandcreatives.com.

Charm at the Farm, an open-air vintage market featuring rustic gifts, furniture and home decor, takes place this weekend in Lebanon.
Charm at the Farm, an open-air vintage market featuring rustic gifts, furniture and home decor, takes place this weekend in Lebanon.

14. Charm at the Farm

This outdoor market features local artisans and rustic gifts, furniture and home decor. VIP admission gets you first dibs on merchandise Friday evening, plus discounts, a drink coupon good for wine, beer, soda or water, and entry all weekend. On Saturday, there's an early bird admission option from 9-11:30 a.m. before the gate opens to the general public. Early bird admission also allows you back in on Sunday. Friday and Saturday admission must be purchased online in advance.

Details: 4-8 p.m. Friday (VIP only), 9-11:30 a.m. (early bird) and noon-4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, 4953 Bunnell Hill Road, Lebanon. $20 VIP, $17 early bird, $12 general Saturday, $10 general Sunday. Charmatthefarm.com.

15. Friendship Flea Market

Twice a year, the Friendship Flea takes over the town for nine days of shopping and fun. It's a big deal, with over 500 vendors, as well as horse-drawn carriage rides, a spring shoot hosted by the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association and more. Stay late and enjoy campfires and live music from 8 p.m.-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. There's primitive and electric camping along the creek for $10 per person, per night, with ages 12-under free.

Details: 9 a.m. daily, State Route 62, Friendship, Indiana. Runs June 8-16. Admission to market is free; parking is $3. friendshipfleamarket.com.

Road trip time! Hop in the car and hit up the sales along U.S. 25 in Kentucky this weekend at the US 25 Yard Sale.
Road trip time! Hop in the car and hit up the sales along U.S. 25 in Kentucky this weekend at the US 25 Yard Sale.

Honorable mention: Other cool shopping options

  • US 25 Yard Sale: Hop in the car and explore hundreds of yard sales along 200 miles of US 25 from Walton to Jellico.

  • The OFF Market: Browse small businesses, artisans, brewers, bakers, farmers and more.

    • Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Summit Park, 4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash. Free. Theoffmarket.org.

  • Pride Market: Shop local artists and makers.

    • Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free admission. Artisanfest513.org.

  • Flea Market: The village hosts a flea market to fundraise for restoration projects.

    • Details: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, White Water Shaker Village, 11813 Oxford Road, Harrison. Whitewatervillage.org.

  • Art on Vine: Browse local artists and craftspeople.

    • Details: noon-6 p.m. Saturday, Court Street Plaza, Court St., Downtown. Artonvinecincy.com.

  • Cin City Reptile Show: Reptiles and other exotic pets, vendors, supplies and more.

    • Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Holiday Inn, 5800 Muhlhauser Road, West Chester Township. $10, free ages 5-under. cincityreptileshow.com.

  • Second Sunday on Main: Pride on Main: Browse local shops, vendors and crafters while enjoying live music and performances.

    • Details: noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Main St., Over-the-Rhine. facebook.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 15 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend: June 7-9

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