17 Things To Do in Cincinnati This Week (Nov. 06-10)

WEDNESDAY 06

EVENT: Cincinnati Pizza Week
CityBeat’s Cincinnati Pizza Week is back through Nov. 10. Head to any one of the two dozen-ish participating area eateries — Mikey's Late Night Slice, Catch-A-Fire, Dewey’s, Goodfellas, Harvest, Joe’s Pizza Napoli and more — to grab a specialty $8 pizza and have your Cincinnati Pizza Week passport stamped. Get four or more stamps and enter to win $250 in gift cards. Through Nov. 10. $8 pizzas. More info at cincinnatipizzaweek.com.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

WEDNESDAY 06

ATTRACTIONS: Fountain Square Ice Rink
The Fountain Square Ice Rink is open to the public. Wear some flannel — of the lumberjack variety, not grunge — throw on a scarf, grab some hot cocoa and you’ll basically be an extra in one of those Hallmark movies. How very twee. The rink will be open daily (except certain holidays) through Feb. 2, 2020, so you’ll have plenty of time to hone your skills and maybe not embarrass yourself completely. Concessions will be selling hot and cold snacks and boozy beverages. Through Feb. 2. $6 admission; $4 skate rental. Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., Downtown, myfountainsquare.com.
Photo: Facebook.com/Fountainsquare

WEDNESDAY 06

ONSTAGE: Mean Girls at the Aronoff Center
Wildly popular teen comedy film Mean Girls is headed to Broadway in Cincinnati at the Aronoff Center during its national tour. The musical is based on the 2004 movie, which tells the story of a clan of popular teens — dubbed "The Plastics" — who become at odds with an innocent girl that moves into their suburban Illinois town from the African savanna and attempts to take down the queen bee. The award-winning creative team behind the Mean Girls musical includes director Casey Nicholaw (Aladdin, The Book of Mormon), author Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde). Through Nov. 17. $35-$115. Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiarts.org.
Photo: Facebook.com/Meangirlsbway

WEDNESDAY 06

MUSIC: Joan Shelley
Kentucky Roots musician Joan Shelley headlines the Southgate House Revival. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6. Advance Tickets $15; Date of Show $18. Southgate House Revival, 111 E Sixth St., Newport, Kentucky. southgatehouse.com
Photo: Amber Estes Thieneman

THURSDAY 07

COMEDY: Mark Chalifoux
It’s a busy time for comedian Mark Chalifoux, onstage and off. “I’m coaching 6-year-olds in soccer,” he says, “and I’ve been traveling a lot.” He’s hoping to end 2019 on a high note. “I’m going to win my fantasy football league championship, then get a TV spot,” he states. He’s also trying to get pal, fellow comic Josh Sneed, to reboot their popular podcast Detention. “I was somewhere and a guy said to me, ‘I love your podcast.’ I thought, ‘You’ve got the wrong guy.’” But the fan continued, “You had Jimmy Pardo and T.J. Miller on.” That was indeed Detention. “That’s a super fan,” Chalifoux says. His album, Think Fast, which came out in 2018, continues to do well. Although you can buy it, Chalifoux recommends simply streaming it from your platform of choice. “I just want people to enjoy it,” he says. Thursday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 10. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.
Photo: Provided by Mark Chalifoux

FRIDAY 08

MUSIC: Bob Dylan
The music legend and his band will perform Nov. 8 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky, on the campus of Northern Kentucky University. Dylan's upcoming tour will take him to several college campuses across the country, including shows at Stanford, Iowa State University, Indiana University, Ohio State and Robert Morris University, to name just a few. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. Tickets from $47. BB&T Arena 500 Louie B Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, Kentucky. thebbtarena.com
Bob Dylan in 1978 // Photo: Chris Hakkens

FRIDAY 08

SPORTS: Cyclones Shut Out The Hate Night
The Cincinnati Cyclones are taking pride to the ice with their Shut Out the Hate promotion to celebrate the “diversity of (their) fans, employees, players and coaches, because Hockey Is Anyone’s Game.” The concourse at U.S. Bank Arena will have a special LGBTQ support and family resources pop-up and the team will be donning Shut Out the Hate jerseys to be auctioned off after the game, with additional Shut Out the Hate merchandise available online and in person. Proceeds from the jersey and merch sales will be donated to local LGBTQ charities. The team faces off against the Brampton Beast. 7:30 p.m. puck drop Friday, Nov. 8. $18-$30. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway St., Downtown, cycloneshockey.com.
Photo: Provided by The Cincinnati Cyclones

FRIDAY 08

ATTRACTION: Christmas Nights of Lights
Yes. As soon as Halloween is over, it’s time for holiday lights. Coney Island transforms into a drive-thru Christmas show during the ten-week-long Christmas Nights of Lights. Enjoy the warmth of your car while lights manipulated to resemble dancing candy canes, glowing snowmen, colorful tunnels and giant holiday trees are synchronized to Christmas tunes both classic and new available via your car radio. The two-and-a-half-mile long display features more than one million lights. The show begins at dusk and runs until 10 p.m. daily through Jan. 5, 2020. $6 per person. Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave., California, coneyislandpark.com.
Photo: Provided by Coney Island

FRIDAY 08

EVENT: Brick Bar
When we wrote about the Brick Bar pop-up this spring — and when it was slated to appear in Cincinnati in July and then was rescheduled for November — did we really think the bar made with more than 1 million LEGO-style bricks was going to appear in the Queen City? No. We did not. But it seems like Brick Bar is actually coming and it’s popping up at the American Sign Museum (probably the most ideal place for this type of playful event). The traveling bar — which features LEGO-style sculptures and fountains, DJs, an adult ball pit, ping-pong and a bevy of the building bricks for anyone to use — has made its way from Australia to London to America. Of course, it wouldn’t be a pop-up bar without booze, and Brick Bar offers cocktails and beer in oversized containers shaped like LEGO blocks. You have to reserve your spot in advance for a 90-minute session in the bar. Food and drink are sold separately. 4-11:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8 and 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. $15-$25. American Sign Museum, 1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington, thebrickbars.com.
Photo: Provided by Brick Bar

FRIDAY 08

MUSIC: Marcus Miller
Though known as an influential Jazz player, bass superhero Marcus Miller is far from just a “Jazz bassist.” He’s done sessions with Jazz greats like Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie, collaborated with David Sanborn and Wayne Shorter and worked closely with Miles Davis in the ’80s, producing, writing and playing on Davis’ late-period work, including the Grammy-winning Tutu. He had a similar (though longer and more commercially fruitful) relationship with R&B legend Luther Vandross, for whom he wrote and produced during the most successful period of the singer’s career. Miller has also worked with other notable superstar artists, including Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Elton John and Bryan Ferry, and his resume includes film scores for more than two dozen movies, including 2017’s Marshall. Miller is also an accomplished solo artist and bandleader, with 13 studio albums to his name. His most recent was last year’s Laid Black on Blue Note Records, on which he incorporated everything from Gospel to Trap into his groove-centric Contemporary Jazz mix. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. $45-$85. Ludlow Garage, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.
Photo: Erinc Salor

FRIDAY 08

EVENT: Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market
The Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market returns to the Duke Energy Convention Center, offering a one-stop shop for holiday gifting. There will be more than 350 boutiques and specialty stores, but this is more than a shopping spree — it’s an outing. Take breaks from buying and hang out in the wine and appetizer lounge or visit the adjacent Cincy Specialty Food & Treats Show for some goodies. And on Friday and Saturday evening (4-7 p.m.), there’s a special Girls Night Out promo with discounted tickets. 8 a.m.-11 a.m. VIP and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. general admission Friday, Nov. 8; 8 a.m.-10 a.m. early entry and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. general admission Saturday, Nov. 9; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. $10; $20 early entry; $30 VIP; $7 Girls Night Out; discounted tickets online. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown, cincinnatiholidaymarket.com.
Photo: Provided by Cincinnati Holiday Market

FRIDAY 08

ATTRACTIONS: Holiday Junction at the Cincinnati Museum Center
The 73rd-annual Holiday Junction will transform the Cincinnati Museum Center into a whimsical winter wonderland through Jan. 5, 2020. The classic Duke Energy Holiday Trains display includes more than 300 rail cars and 60 locomotives that run on 1,000 feet of track. Real train aficionados can have fun identifying the new and old formations within the display’s intricate diorama, including a Carlisle & Finch 1904 toy train and a pre-World War II Lionel set. In addition to a whole lot of locomotives, the event also features a special “interactive winter wonderland” where guests can build snowmen, leave footprints and even take a ride on a train. You can also pay a visit to Brickopolis, where you’ll find plenty of Disney and comic book character portrayed in fun LEGO-style scenes. Or head to Tower A on weekends to get a view of the Union Terminal rail yard. Nov. 8-Jan. 5, 2020. $14.50 adult; $13.50 senior; $10.50 ages 3-12; $5.50 ages 1-2; free for members. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, cincymuseum.org.
Photo: Provided by Cincinnati Museum Center

SATURDAY 09

MUSIC: Wilco
Jeff Tweedy might want to just get an apartment in Cincinnati. He was here last year to promote his fantastic memoir, Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back). The live interview/performance event at Walnut Hills High School was one of only six dates on the book tour. Then this year Tweedy played a solo show at Music Hall’s Ballroom, which was part solo acoustic concert, part stand-up comedy set (throughout, the singer/songwriter did a running bit about how the gig was like a wedding reception due to the odd configuration of the venue). After the book and a pair of solo albums, Tweedy has reconnected with his Wilco bandmates for Ode to Joy, the group’s 11th studio album, which was released in early October. Wilco is a perennial critical darling but there seemed to be more praise than usual for Joy; Stereogum and Rolling Stone both said it was their best album in years. Wilco has played Cincinnati consistently over the past three decades, from a small club show at Ripley’s and an opening set with The Jayhawks and Victoria Williams at the Cincinnati Zoo to headlining concerts at the Aronoff Center and the Taft. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. $45-$75. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.
Photo: Annabel Mehran

SATURDAY 09

EVENT: Friends Fest at MadTree
Get by with a little help from your friends at MadTree during Friends Fest 2019, a celebration of brewery relationships featuring more than 40 beers, cocktails and mead, plus bites from select brewery chefs and Catch-A-Fire pizza. MadTree’s buddies include Blackberry Farms, Creature Comforts, Fat Heads, Jackie O’s, Stone Brewing and many more — both regional and national. Each boozy purveyor is bringing a selection of special creations, and MadTree is also releasing a couple of collaboration brews: an IPA with Creature Comforts and a Belgian-style ale with Blackberry Farms. Ticketing is limited to 300 people. 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. $99; $149 specialty bottle pack. MadTree, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, facebook.com/madtree.
Photo: Phil Heidenreich

SATURDAY 09

MUSIC: GA-20 with Neal Francis
Unlike the vast majority of contemporary Blues acts, in their songwriting and recording, duo GA-20 (Matthew Stubbs and Pat Faherty) deftly captures the vintage grit of classic Blues and R&B records as seen on their fantastic debut album, Lonely Soul. The Boston-based twosome’s sound is heavy, raw and perfectly sparse — the tracks on Lonely Soul are full-bodied but only feature their guitar work, Faherty’s vocals, a studio drummer and a few special guests, including Luther Dickinson on slide guitar and some harmonica from Charlie Musselwhite. GA-20 records for Karma Chief Records, a sub-imprint of the successful Loveland, Ohio-based Soul label Colemine Records. The duo’s local appearance is a part of Fretboard Brewing Company’s two-night second-anniversary celebration and they’ll be joined by labelmate Neal Francis for the shindig. The anniversary starts Friday, when local greats Ernie Johnson From Detroit and Strange Mechanics play the Blue Ash brewery. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. Free. Fretboard, 5800 Creek Road, Blue Ash, fretboardbrewing.com.
Photo: Facebook.com/GA20Blues

SUNDAY 10

EVENT: Art on Vine
Monthly maker pop-up Art on Vine is moving indoors to its winter hub at Rhinegeist. Discover and shop more than 70 local crafters, collectors and fine artists while sipping on a brew or snacking on dishes from Sartre OTR. Noon-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. Free admission. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, artonvinecincy.com.
Photo: James Jenkins