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Cincinnati Reds win NL Central championship, clinch 13th playoff birth

Baseball’s oldest professional franchise will return to the playoffs for the first time since 1995, and the for the 13th time overall.  The Cincinnati Reds won the National League Central Division championship on Tuesday, September 28 on a walk-off home run from Jay Bruce.

The playoff clinching, walk-off home run by Bruce was only the fifth of its kind in the history of Major League Baseball, and it thrilled an electric crowd of more than 30,000 at Great American Ball Park.

As of now the Reds would face the Philadelphia Phillies in the first-round of the playoffs. Should the Atlanta Braves lose the National League Wild Card birth, then the Reds would face either the San Francisco Giants or San Diego Padres. Playoff tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online.

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Sign Museum to host open house during Essex Studios Art Walk

The American Sign Museum will host an open house this Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm each night. The open house is scheduled to take place during the Essex Studios Art Walk, and will showcase over 100 lit neon signs that will match over 100 participating artists.

The Walnut Hills museum first opened in 2005 and is the only public sign museum in the country. The museum’s director and founder, Tod Swormstedt, hopes to eventually move into a larger Camp Washington space that would serve as a spark towards making Cincinnati a national center for research and sign information.

“The history of signs is a micro-history of design trends and technology in the U.S., and I want to capitalize on that right here in Cincinnati,” Swormstedt told UrbanCincy in August 2010.

The open house is a unique opportunity for visitors to check out the museum’s collection which is typically only open to the public on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm, with all other times requiring appointments to be made in advance.

Swormstedt says that visitors will be treated to light refreshments, a coffee bar, and receive two-for-one admission coupons for Saturday guided tours to be held at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm. Those who show up will also be entered into a raffle to win The New Let There Be Neon book, with winners to be announced later that evening.

The American Sign Museum is located at 2515 Essex Place. For more information please call (513) 258-4020 or email Tod@SignMuseum.org.

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Cincinnati Celtic Festival returns this weekend, moves to Fountain Square

Cincinnati’s annual Celtic Festival is returning this year after high costs and low sponsorships kept the festival from happening in 2009 after close to 20 years of operations. During that time festival organizers have worked hard to right-size the event and make it more approachable by moving it to Fountain Square and keeping admission free.

“We were looking for another way to do this after moving the event to Sawyer Point where we had grand plans to try to rival the Dublin Irish Festival and really take advantage of that magnificent venue,” explained Patrick Lindsay, Chairman, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Foundation. “We had a great event in 2007, but 2008 had terrible weather as a result of the odd hurricane that came through.”

Lindsay says that they looked at a variety of new venues that would allow for a more flexible festival, but that they decided to go with Fountain Square after reaching an agreement with 3CDC and the Fountain Square Management Group. The new agreements, Lindsay says, will give the festival the ability to expand on to 5th Street if the demand is there while also tapping into the built-in infrastructure for events on the public square.

“This agreement is bringing the festival back and putting it right were we wanted it all along in the center of the city,” Lindsay exclaimed. “We are adamant about making this a first-class event with top-notch entertainment, and this venue will allow us to do just that.”

Aside from the new location, the 2010 Cincinnati Celtic Festival will also be held in October instead of March. Lindsay explained that the spring time festival was difficult to manage with the weather in Cincinnati at that time. Additionally, they see the early October time as fitting in nicely with other festivals taking place around Cincinnati at that time.

“It’s going to be so much fun to have the festival again, and have three weekends of Oktoberfest and Celtic festivals during Irish sweater weather. To be able to bring the crowd downtown and tie in with the ever-growing residential community and businesses there will be great.”

As the festival moves forward the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick are looking to establish a good track record again and growing the festival in both its reach and authenticity. Lindsay says that may mean the festival stays at Fountain Square, or that other venues like the redeveloped Washington Park may be considered. The goal, he says, is to be able to provide authentic live music, food and more while also staying true to the foundation’s mission of promoting Irish heritage and culture in the community, feeding the hungry, and promoting educational opportunities between American and Ireland.

“There is a big Irish community in the Cincinnati region. The Scottish, Welsh, and British Isles all have great representations here…we’re just looking forward to celebrating those cultures and bringing back this festival experience to Cincinnati.”

The 2010 Cincinnati Celtic Festival will take place on Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3 on Fountain Square (map). The event will be free event will include Celtic music, dancing, merchandise, contests, food and drink, and more.  Free bicycle parking is available outside on Fountain Square, inside the Fountain Square parking garage, and on surrounding streets.  The event is also served by every Metro bus route terminating at Government Square (plan your trip).

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Get tuned up for the 2010 MidPoint Music Festival

This weekend thousands of music fans from around the Midwest will descend on Cincinnati for the annual MidPoint Music Festival that started in 2002. The music festival has been grown over the last three years by its new organizers Dan McCabe. This year’s festival will showcase over 230 performances at venues throughout Cincinnati’s center city.

While much of the focus is on the music, and rightfully so, Cincinnati is also on display showcasing its galleries, restaurants, and other offerings to the thousands of music fans. For those who may be unfamiliar with MidPoint, or Cincinnati’s center city, we have put together a comprehensive guide to the 10th annual MidPoint Music Festival.

Food Options:
Music starts at 7pm each night of the festival and is scheduled to last late into the night. As a result, many festival-goers will be searching for food options. Since last year’s festival many new offerings have sprung up in the areas surrounding the performance venues.

Cincinnati’s many food trucks will be on the move throughout the weekend, Mr. Sushi has late night offerings on 6th Street, Senate is now open and serving gourmet street food in the Gateway Quarter, Joe’s Diner has reasonably priced diner fare just off of Main Street in Over-the-Rhine, and a variety of existing establishments like Shanghai Mamas, Lucy Blue Pizza, and Gilpin’s Bagel Deli will be serving late into the night. Festival organizers also say that many of the MPMF venues will be serving food as well.

New Venues:
Festival organizer Dan McCabe has also been able to take advantage of several new venues now open for this year’s three-day event. Located downtown on W. 6th Street, FB’s will be new to this year’s festival. In Over-the-Rhine, Neon’s Unplugged will be another new venue and will also be the host for the Gold Star Chili Artist Clubhouse. Nearby MOTR, owned by McCabe, will be the other new venue and will continue to offer live music daily without a cover charge after the festival is over.

Free Stuff:
While MPMF is a bargain with three-day wristbands costing just $39 (available up through the start of the festival only), one-day passes at $20, or a cover charge at each venue, there are also plenty of options for folks to enjoy the festival at no cost. One such opportunity is the festival’s new partnership with the public library. Free live music will be offered on Fountain Square each night starting at 7pm. A free poster expo will be held at 5pm each day at the Know Theatre as a way for local artists to showcase their artistic talents.

Other Downtown Happenings:
Aside from MPMF, there are a plethora of other activities happening in the downtown area this weekend including the Final Friday gallery walk in Over-the-Rhine, Atomic Number 10’s one-year anniversary party, The Lackman’s grand opening, and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Music:
More than 230 performances in three nights can be difficult to plan for, even for the most ardent music fan, so here are a few strategies to think about heading into the weekend:

  • Get a Pass: If you missed out on the opportunity to purchase a three-day wristband, or are unable commit to the whole weekend, buy a one-day pass for $20 at any venue throughout the festival. Not only will it allow you the opportunity to explore different venues, but it also provides the opportunity to ride the free Metro Hybrid Shuttles.
  • Be Curious: Much of the fun at MPMF can be had by checking out new places and new bands that you may not have known. There are a total of 25 venues this year that will provide ample opportunity for even veteran Cincinnati music fans to experience music in new and interesting ways.
  • Support Local Artists: While the festival is a showcase for many artists outside the region, there are others that are a part of the Cincinnati scene which are worth seeing, especially if you have not seen them before. There are too many to name, but here are a few: Pomegranates, The Seedy Seeds, Wussy, You You’re Awesome, and Chocolate Horse.
  • Seek Out National & International Artists: While the local scene is key, MPMF provides bands from outside our region the chance to come in and play to a large crowd. It also provides fans the opportunity to sample some of music’s biggest up-and-comers. Again, there are just too many to name, but here are a few must see performances this weekend: Caribou, Phantogram, Surfer Blood, Best Coast, and Male Bonding.

The 2010 MidPoint Music Festival will be the biggest, and looks to be the best, one yet. Organizers and businesses expect downtown Cincinnati to be packed and turn into a giant playground for music fans.

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Arts & Entertainment News

CET wins regional Emmy award for Cincinnati Parks documentary

CET received a Regional Emmy Award for its documentary on Cincinnati’s famous park system at the 46th annual Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Awards in July 2010. Cincinnati Parks: Emeralds in the Crown tells the story of the creation of the city’s top-notch park system, how it continues to work today, and what plans are in store for the future.

“To me the heart of the story is the legacy from citizens who acted on a vision of a public park system,” explained Cincinnati Parks Director Willie F. Carden, Jr. “Our city parks remain strong and vibrant to this day thanks to the support of the entire Cincinnati community, and we congratulate CET on winning the regional Emmy for Emeralds in the Crown.”

Those who missed the original broadcast of this award-winning documentary will have several chances to check it out on CET in the near future. The first of those opportunities will take place this evening as CET will air the documentary at 9pm. Emeralds in the Crown will once again air on CET on Friday, September 24 at 10pm; and Sunday, September 26 at 4pm.

CET officials say that the public station will air a series this fall called Cincinnati Parks Recollections that will feature segments that were edited from interviews that did not make the final cut for the one-hour documentary. Broadcast times for this series, and the documentary, are available on CET’s website.