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Activities

 • Cincinnati Opera
 • Cincinnati Ballet
 • Cincinnati Pops, renowned performances.
 • Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO).

Music venues
 • Cincinnati Music Hall. The Music Hall is home to the world renown Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera.
 • Bogart's Concert Hall, 2621 Vine St., (513) 562-4949. Small venue with big acts. Popular among younger people.
 • Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave. Located on the Ohio river and draws big name artists like Elton John, Three Doors Down, and KISS.
 • TimberWolf Amphitheatre. TimberWolf Amphitheatre is located at Paramount Kings Island. This arena also draws some big name artists. The artists that play here are usually teen heart throbs like Aaron Carter.

Amusement parks
 • Paramount's Kings Island. Paramount's King's Island is one of the world's greatest amusement parks. The park is divided into three different areas - the main park with adult attractions, a children's park, and a water park. Admission to the park grants access to every one of the areas. Kings Island is also the home to record holding coasters - Beast, the world's longest wooden roller coaster, and the Son of Beast, the only wooden looping roller coaster.
 • The Beach Water Park,  . General admission to the park cost $26.99, however, there are often discounts after 5 PM, on holidays, and Mondays. Between June 11 and August 21 the park is open from 10 AM to 9 PM. The park is in Mason, OH and is near King Island.
 • Coney Island. Coney Island is a piece of Americana - a park that has been in operation for over 120 years. The park is located closer to Cincinnati, on the Ohio River. General admission is $17.50 to use the rides and Sunlite Pool. Sunlite Pool is the world's largest recirculating pool (200' by 401'). The park is usually open from 10 AM to 9 PM. For cheaper admission go after 4 PM when the price drops to $8.95.

Festivals
 • Riverfest, Cincinnati's largest bash. Held on the banks of the Ohio during the Labor Day weekend, the event is highlighted by the spectacular Rozzi's fireworks display.
 • Party in the Park,  . Held several times through out the summer and entertains 8,000 with the hottest musical acts and cold draft beers. The party is held at Yeatman's Cove. Check the website for details.
 • Taste of Cincinnati,  . Taste of Cincinnati is held every Memorial weekend and draws 500,000 people each year. The Taste of Cincinnati is held on four blocks of Central Parkway where more than 40 restaurants sell their food for $4 or less. Live musical acts are brought in to entertain the not-so-hungry.
 • Union Centre Boulevard Bash!. The Union Centre Boulevard Bash! is a three day outdoor music fest. The festival is held in August. Check the website for details.
 • Oktoberfest,  . Cincinnati remembers its German history with a two day festival dedicated to beer and the marriage of Bavarian royalty. Cincinnati's Oktoberfest draws 500,000 over two days (Munich's Oktoberfest draws 6 million over two weeks) making it second biggest Oktoberfest after Munich's. On the Sunday everyone gathers at Fountain Square to participate in the "World's Largest Chicken Dance." This is a must for any visitor to Cincinnati. Oktoberfest is held in mid to late September. Check the website for details.
 • Tall Stacks. Held every four years, this festival focuses on Cincinnati's riverboat history. The last Tall Stacks was held in 2003 and saw 900,000 visitors. Due to the tremendous success the Tall Stacks festival will be held a year earlier during October 4-8, 2006. Live music lines the festival area.
 • The Flying Pig Marathon The 26 mile race held every May.

Sports
Sports are taken extremely seriously. Everyone roots for the Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals, but college basketball is where Cincinnati becomes divided.

 • Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals were almost always the punch line of a joke about the NFL. No more, though, since the hiring of Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis. In his first season (2003), Lewis led the Bengals with an 8-8 record compared to the 2002 record of 2-14. Since their turnaround, a visit to a Bengals game is recommended and if you can get a ticket. Their new home is Paul Brown Stadium, named for the Hall of Fame founder and first head coach of the team in their American Football League days.
 • Cincinnati Reds,  . The "Big Red Machine" has always been a leader in professional baseball since its formation as the first professional baseball team and when the Reds played the first night game in Cincinnati. The team earned their nickname during the 1970s, when the team made six post-season appearances and won two World Series with the likes of Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Tony Perez and manager Sparky Anderson. The Reds' new home is Great American Ball Park, located on the downtown riverfront near the site of the stadium it replaced, the now-demolished Riverfront Stadium.
 • University of Cincinnati Bearcats. The basketball team plays at the Fifth Third Arena on UC's main campus, in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati.
 • Xavier University Musketeers. Their basketball team plays at the Cintas Center, just northeast of downtown.
 • Miami University RedHawks Athletics. The home of Ben Roethlisberger, Miami University fields college athletics in all major NCAA Division 1 sports, including football, ice hockey, men's and women's basketball, swimming, and many others. The campus is located in Oxford, about 40 miles north of downtown Cincinnati. Visit the official site or the unofficial fan site  .

Major Events
 • Toyota/WEBN Fireworks. Each year, on Sunday night before Labor Day, this event draws thousands to the banks of the Ohio River and even shuts down traffic across a few local bridges.