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Arts & Entertainment News

WiliOne performs live, hundreds come out for UrbanCincy’s 4th anniversary

This past Saturday, UrbanCincy celebrated its four-year anniversary at Below Zero Lounge. This was the second year for such an anniversary party, and it certainly will not be the last. For those who were able to make it to the party during a weekend chuck full of events, thank you. To those unable to attend, the UrbanCincy team hopes to see you soon at one of our upcoming events.

The party was a great success. Hundreds of people came through the doors to celebrate Cincinnati’s urban core. DJ Casey Coston provided music for almost two hours while guests enjoyed drinks from Below Zero’s robust bar, and food from Café de Wheels outside on the street.


The crowd enjoys the party at Below Zero [LEFT]. WiliOne performs live at UrbanCincy’s four-year anniversary party [RIGHT]. Photographs by Thadd Fiala.

After that, WiliOne gave Cincinnati its third-ever live mashup performance. WiliOne performed for just over an hour and entertained the crowd with a brand new performance that will lay the foundation for his second album which he anticipates to drop later this summer.

UrbanCincy loves to throw parties and come up with fun, urban events. Bryon Martin and Dave Rolfes will be leading the second annual Bikes+Brews ride tomorrow, and then Jenny Kessler be leading a tour of the new Ohio River Trail on Sunday, May 22. The OTR Urban Kickball League will also be returning soon. If you have any other great event ideas you think we should pursue, let us know by contacting us at UrbanCincy@gmail.com.

Thanks again for supporting this little project to support Cincinnati’s urban core for four strong years. The whole UrbanCincy team is looking forward to what will come next. Cheers.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Bikes+Brews 2011 takes place this Saturday in Cincinnati’s urban core

This Saturday marks the return of Bikes+Brews, one of the official Bike Month activities of the City of Cincinnati’s Bicycle Program. Bikes+Brews is the perfect segue into next week’s American Craft Beer Week as it will offer riders the opportunity to explore the city’s urban core while learning a bit about craft beer and how it plays into both the past and future of Cincinnati.

The ride will depart historic Findlay Market promptly at 1pm, so feel free to come early and enjoy a beer at the market’s biergarten and some hearty grub from Cafe de Wheels, who will be on hand beginning at 10:30am.

A handful of guides will be on hand, identifiable by navy blue Over-the-Rhine All-Star t-shirts, to help answer questions and keep the ride on track. This year’s ride includes a total of nine stops along a seven-mile course beginning and ending at Findlay Market. This will allow participants to meet at a single location, and offer a convenient parking location for those that will be driving to the event. That being said, it is strongly recommended to use either pedal power or public transportation.

From Findlay Market the ride will proceed past the Samuel Adams Brewery in the West End, and on to Rock Bottom Brewery on Fountain Square. A quick jaunt across the river into Northern Kentucky will take participants to Keystone Bar & Grill in Covington, then Newport’s Hofbrauhaus, the region’s largest brewpub.

After all riders have sufficiently stabilized themselves, post-liters of German brew, the peleton will cross back over the Ohio River, via the Purple People Bridge, for a quick stop at the newly opened Holy Grail at The Banks. Our final three stops will take us back into Over-the-Rhine, the heart of Cincinnati’s brewing history, for pints at The Lackman Bar, Neon’s Unplugged and finally our end destination of Market Wines somewhere in the vicinity of 6:30pm.

Bikes+Brews 2011 is part of more than 40 Bike Month events, and is free and open to the public. Admittedly, this year’s ride will be a bit more strenuous both in route, distance, number of stops and brews consumed, so please be sure to keep yourself hydrated with water. That being said, riders have complete autonomy to join late or forgo portions of the trek to either finish early or meet us at a future stop. Bikes+Brews 2010 was a great success, and one of our favorite events of the past year, and UrbanCincy is looking forward to building on the momentum this year. Let’s Ride!!!

Categories
News Politics Transportation

Special hearing geared to test supporters of Cincinnati’s streetcar plan

Three Republican members of Cincinnati City Council have requested a special meeting to review the Cincinnati Streetcar project, in order to get further clarification from city administrators about the project in its revised form.

Council members Charlie Winburn, Wayne Lippert and Amy Murray have requested the meeting. Despite previous opposition to the original plan, the council members now want clarification on the new route that will not initially connect Downtown and Uptown.

Lippert admitted that the original plan had great economic implications, and is now voicing concerns about the reduced route. This new view contradicts other Republican members of Council who expressed their doubts about the original plan’s economic impact.

At a press conference last week, Mayor Mallory emphasized that the revised version of the streetcar route is a phased implementation, with the line reverting back to its original state once there is more funding in place. The governor’s office pulled all state funding for the project, and even this week the federal government passed over Ohio when reallocating two billion dollars from another high speed rail project. This move was presumably due to Kasich returning money for the 3C Corridor project at the beginning of 2011.

The meeting will be held at 6pm in Council Chambers at City Hall (map). There will be an open comment period, and any available streetcar supporters are strongly encouraged to come early, fill out a comment card, and give a short, prepared statement explaining why they are in favor of the project.

Streetcar supporters march in the 2010 Bockfest Parade. Photo by Sherman Cahal.

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Arts & Entertainment News

Cincinnati Fashion Week offers seven days of style

Cincinnati Fashion Week, a celebration of all things couture in the Queen City, is finally upon us. The event launched for the first time in 2010, and was a uniquely grass-roots movement. Over 200 people came together – volunteers, retailers, media, sponsors and partners – to produce a series of events that drew over 2,000 participants from all over the region.

The five-day fashion marathon included unique retail experiences at seven high-end boutiques, VIP Parties, a Tribute event with Landor Associates, a merchant fair with Future Blooms and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, and two full-length runway productions. The collaboration for the event experience was born as an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the wealth of young and professional design talent in the area, highlight local non-profits, and increase local revenue.

This year the producers aim the bar higher, with one event each night of the week aiming to please fashionistas all over. The week sees male-oriented fashion on Tuesday, Japanese-inspired couture from an expert at the Art Museum on Wednesday, Graphic design inspired windows at the Shillito lofts on Thursday, a fund-raising dinner on Friday, and a fashion show finale Saturday night. Phew!

Ten designers, including local favorites Amy Kirchen, Laura Dawson, and Lindsey Lusignolo, are displaying their creations during the week. The styles range from women’s ready-to-wear to socially conscious fabrics, and everything in between.

The next wave of design talent is alive and well in Cincinnati, and Fashion Week helps bring the creativity front and center. Be sure to check out one or all of the events to get a taste of global design in the heart of the Queen City. For more information on designers and events, head over to the Fashion Week website.

Cincinnati Fashion Week 2010 photo for UrbanCincy by Thadd Fiala.

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Arts & Entertainment News

Weekend wrapup

If ever there was a weekend to go out and celebrate Cincinnati’s urban core, this would be the one to do it. Lots of great events happening – check it out!

* Tune-in Park – May 6, 7pm-12am – Far-I-Rome Productions (of the OTR Skate) is presenting a big music event at Burnet Woods and Arlin’s. It’s $5 for access to both venues, and you can catch sets from The Minor Leagues, The Ohms, Buckra, Skeetones, Ford Theatre Reunion (Lexington, KY) and more.

Since Far-I-Rome does it big, we’ve also got art installations (Bunk, Ant Farm Collective and others), food vendors (Habaero, Cafe de Wheels, Toppers Pizza) and of course, beer (Moerlein, Mt. Carmel, Hudepohl). Local beer, food, tunes in an underutilized park space… a great combination!

* Crafty Supermarket – May 7, 11am-6pm – Clifton Cultural Arts Center – Crafty Supermarket is back for round four with over fifty local crafters from seven states with wares and goodies for sale. The first one hundred shoppers in the door get a swag bag. Food will be available from La Terza Coffee, Dojo Gelato, Sweet Peace Bakery, Picnic + Pantry and Fireside Pizza.

There will be screen printing demonstrations and local DJs from ProjectMill spinning tunes. This is the perfect opportunity to get Mom something local for her big day.

* Upstairs Downstairs Historic House Tour – May 7, 1pm-5pm – Cincinnati Preservation Association and Architects Plus will present the annual “Upstairs, Downstairs” Historic House Tour showcasing architecturally significant houses on Grand Vista Avenue in Pleasant Ridge. Advance reservations are required. Tickets are $25.00 for members and $30.00 for guests. Tourgoers will receive an informative program with historic profiles of each house. To make a reservation or receive an invitation, call 513-721-4506 or email to info@cincinnatipreservation.org.

* Ride With Confidence
– May 7, 1pm-2pm- Park + Vine, 1202 Main Street
Learn the law of riding your bike on Ohio’s roadways and strategies for protecting your right to ride as a bicyclist from Steve Magas, Bike Lawyer, 1 p.m.

Steve’s presentation touches on the history of bicycling in America, several criminal cases where motorists were prosecuted for hitting cyclists, and hot button issues impacting cyclists today. Space is limited to 25. $5 suggested donation benefits Queen City Bike. RSVP bikelawyer@aol.com before May 6. For more information about Ohio’s Bike Laws and Steve’s bicycle law practice, visit www.OhioBikeLawyer.com.

Last but not least, don’t forget about the Fourth Anniversary party Saturday, May 7 at Below Zero!

Crafty Supermarket image via Mixie Studio