Ho, ho, ho! Expect lots of holiday cheer this weekend in Cincinnati. Suit up for Santacon (and try not to drink too much eggnog), hear your favorite festive songs at the Holiday Pops concert or gawk at the Christmas-themed variety shows at “A Magical Cirque Christmas.”
If you’re looking for a special gift for someone (or yourself – we won’t judge), head to the Gem and Jewelry Expo for a sparkling treasure. Or head to Paycor Stadium to see Joe Burrow’s return to his home field in the highly anticipated Ravens game.
Bundle up and head to one of these top 10 events around Cincinnati this weekend.
Have an event you’d like us to know about? Submit it online at cincinnati.com/events, and we’ll tell the world about it. Head to that same site to peruse our full calendar of events.
1. Cincinnati Santacon
Join the crowd of over 10,000 Santas roaming around downtown Cincinnati, Covington and Mount Adams. Register for a wristband to take part in all the festive activities, including costume contests and food and drink specials at over 50 venues participating in Santacon. Proceeds go towards The Cure Starts Now, a nonprofit dedicated to pediatric cancer research.
Details: noon-midnight Saturday, over 50 venues in downtown Cincinnati, Covington and Mount Adams. $10 registration fee online, $15 at the event. Register: csnevents.regfox.com.
2. Bengals vs. Ravens game
Joe Burrow is back, baby! The Cincinnati Bengals play the Baltimore Ravens this week.
Pre-game block party: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., The Banks, Freedom Way, Downtown. Free. bengals.com.
Game: 1 p.m., 1 Paycor Stadium, Downtown. bengals.com.
“Even More Before the Roar” Tailgate: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Smale Riverfront Park, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown. facebook.com.
3. Gem and Jewelry Expo
Shop gems, minerals, crystals, pearls, jewelry, crafts, beads and more. Find some great gifts for the “gems” in your life or treat yourself (you deserve it)!
Details: 1-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Sharonville Convention Center, downstairs ballroom, 11355 Chester Road, Sharonville. facebook.com.
4. Holiday Pops
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Cody Fry will join conductor John Morris Russell, the Pops, choruses and dancers from around the city to bring your favorite holiday songs to life.
Details: 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. cincinnatiarts.org.
5. ‘A Magical Cirque Christmas’
“A Magical Cirque Christmas” takes Christmas festivities to new heights – literally. See this high-flying spectacle performed by the world’s most elite cirque performers. At this variety show, see acrobatics and displays of strength and agility set to classic Christmas songs.
Details: 7 p.m. Friday, Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. cincinnatiarts.org.
6. ‘Masters of the Mic’Â at Hard Rock Casino
At “Masters of the Mic,” enjoy the hits from rap artists Warren G, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Arrested Development and Talib Kweli.
Details: 7 p.m. Sunday, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, 1000 Broadway St., Pendleton. casino.hardrock.com.
7. Augusta’s ‘White Christmas Parade’
Celebrate Christmas in the historic riverside town of Augusta with their old-fashioned parade, featuring dancing, floats, music and Santa.
Details: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, 219 Main St., Augusta. augustaky.gov.
8. Heritage Village Museum’s 19th Century Holiday Guided Tour (last chance!)
Experience the charm and wonder of a 1800s holiday on the 19th Century Holiday Guided Tour. Step inside seven historic buildings to see the evolution of Christmas traditions. Discover the earliest Christmases of Cincinnati, the elegance of a Victorian Christmas and the newly renovated Myers Schoolhouse, featuring remnants of the 1891 Christmas Pageant.
Details: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Heritage Village Museum, 11500 Lebanon Road, Sharonville. $12 per person or $10 per museum, free ages 3-under. heritagevillagecincinnati.org.
9. ‘A Franciscan Christmas’
At “Franciscan Christmas,” see a nativity scene, including live farm animals. International Christmas displays, including 100 creche scenes from around the word, are visible on weekends inside the church.
Outdoor nativity scene: 1-7 p.m. daily, St. Francis Seraph Church, 1615 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. Runs Nov. 30-Jan. 6. Free.
International Christmas displays: 4-7 p.m. Friday, noon-7 pm. Saturday-Sunday, St. Francis Seraph Church, 1615 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. Runs Nov. 30-Jan. 6. Free. sfsparish.org.
10. Renaissance Park’s Yuletide Village (ending soon!)
Enjoy festive shows, shop a marketplace for classic wooden toys, warm up with spiced apple cider, travel through the Rivers of Lights and Gum Drop Alley, and avoid Krampus!
Details: 5-9 p.m. Friday, 3-9 p.m. Saturday, 10542 E. State Route 73, Waynesville. Runs every weekend Nov. 28-Dec. 20. yuletidevillage.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 10 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend, Dec. 12-14
Reporting by Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
