What To Do in Cincinnati This Week: Oct. 31-Nov. 6

WEDNESDAY 31

EVENT: Longfellow is Titanic
Over-the-Rhine bar Longfellow is dressing up as the movie Titanic for Halloween. There will be karaoke on the bow of the ship, a costume contest, an iceberg with booze and a possible appearance by Billy Zane (not really). 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday. Longfellow, 1233 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/longfellowcinti.

WEDNESDAY 31

EVENT: Halloween Movie Marathon at Hotel Covington
Hotel Covington hosts a movie marathon in the courtyard lawn featuring progressively scary features. Here's the schedule: 6 p.m. The Great Pumpkin; 6:30 p.m. Hotel Transylvania 3; 8:30 p.m. Hocus Pocus; 10:30 p.m. The Shining. Free and open to the public. Hotel Covington, 638 Madison Ave., Covington. More info here.

WEDNESDAY 31

EVENT: Wake the Dead Bash with the Spine-Tingling Mighty Wurlitzer
Spend Halloween at the haunted Music Hall as organist Trent Sims sets the stage with creepy music — “special effects abound” via the wiles of the Wurlitzer organ. Supernatural tours offered every half hour. Costumes encouraged. 9 p.m. Wendesday. $45. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatiarts.org.

WEDNESDAY 31

ONSTAGE: The Man-Beast at Know Theatre
Inspired by a gory remnant of French folklore, The Man-Beast is a chilling rendering of the werewolf, drawn straight from the legend’s origins. The Man-Beast begins in 18th-century France where helpless mountain villages are menaced by a bloodthirsty creature that kills freely. Reported to be massive and unstoppable, the animal has earned a nickname: the Beast of Gévaudan. Some in the mountains say that the Beast is more than a hungry wolf — they say it is a loup garou, a werewolf infected with a sickness that can be passed on to the humans it bites. Through Nov. 10. Tickets and more info: knowtheatre.com.

THURSDAY 01

ONSTAGE: Double Dare Live!
Double Dare Live! splats down in Cincinnati on Thursday. The popular Nickelodeon game show was the sole reason some of us wanted cable in the late 1980s. Hosted by Marc Summers (later known for hosting nwrapped on Food Network), Double Dare was a mix of trivia and wonky physical challenges, followed by the messiest obstacle course seen on TV. Now you can test your luck and try to get onstage, as contestants will be selected at the show. Don’t worry: the iconic and contestant-soaking green slime is only vanilla pudding mixed with applesauce, oatmeal and green dye (and not actual slime). 7:30 p.m. Thursday. $29.50-$58. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.

THURSDAY 01 and MONDAY 05

EVENT: Cincinnati Pizza Week and Kick-Off Party
CityBeat’s Cincinnati Pizza Week kicks off 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday at Braxton Brewing Co. (27 W. Seventh St., Covington) with sneak peek eats of participating pizzerias, live music from Ethan and Joey and beer from Braxton. It will be your first chance to pick up your Pizza Week passport; get an extra stamp when you buy a Braxton. Then, CityBeat’s Cincinnati Pizza Week takes over area pizzerias for seven days of $8 specialty pies starting Monday, Nov. 5. Participants — like Goodfellas, ALTO, Dewey’s, Brick Oven Loveland and many more — will be offering sit-down specials; grab an official Pizza Week Passport and get a stamp at each location you visit. Nov. 5-11. $8 pizzas. More info at cincinnatipizzaweek.com.

THURSDAY 01-SATURDAY 03

EVENT: Lights Out: Monster Edition at The Dent Schoolhouse
Once upon a time, a janitor named Charlie killed a bunch of kids and hid their bodies in the basement of The Dent Schoolhouse. Today, Charlie and the ghoulish girls and boys haunt one of the city’s scariest attractions each Halloween season. And if the regular Dent experience wasn’t freaky enough, the schoolhouse goes lights out for some super scares this week. Each group of intrepid haunted-house-goers gets a single glow stick to make their way through the pitch-black attraction, which has been filled with twice the number of monsters and horror actors. For an extra $10, you can opt for a “touch pass” to up the fear factor. 7:30-10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. $20-$45. The Dent Schoolhouse, 5963 Harrison Ave., Dent, frightsite.com.

THURSDAY 01

LIT: Midwestern Press Opening
Careful curation can influence interpretation. Most people would apply this concept to an art gallery with paintings and sculptures. But when the art exists inside a book, what then? A new independent bookseller that doubles as a publishing house seeks to answer this call. Midwestern Press will open the doors to its Main Street storefront on Thursday (Nov. 1) and promises a slew of events, classes and an exclusive inventory of books — each carefully and thoughtfully arranged by three dedicated owners: Thomas Wagster, Ryan Khosla and Blake Lipper. 1411 Main St, Over-the-Rhine. More info: midwesternpress.com.

THURSDAY 01

EVENT: Taking the Plunge: History of Public Bath Houses in OTR
Baths are synonymous with warmth and solitude. Sink in — maybe even pop in a fizzing bath bomb — and for a half hour you can slide into sudsy contentment. But, Cincinnatians didn’t always bathe this way. Dive into the Over-the-Rhine Foundation’s tour and be transported back to the early 20th century, when costly in-home plumbing and water heaters drove citizens to commercial bath houses since many didn’t have their own. Learn about the history of these communal spots and advocates that pushed for publicly funded baths. After, commune the modern way: at 3 Points Urban Brewery. 5:30 p.m. Thursday. $25. Over-the-Rhine Foundation, 416 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine, otrfoundation.org.

THURSDAY 01-FRIDAY 02

EVENT: Cincinnati’s First Podcast Festival
The festival — dubbed Cincinnati’s First Podcast Festival — is made up of five live performances and a number of breakout brainstorming sessions throughout the day; guests can sit face-to-face with podcasters to discuss different topics related to podcasting or creative work. The festival is targeted at those with a wide range of podcasting experience, with three tracts making up the fest. Cincinnati’s First Podcast Festival takes place Nov. 1 and 2 at Memorial Hall. More info/tickets: memorialhallotr.com.

FRIDAY 02

MUSIC: Radio Artifact’s One-Year Anniversary Party
One year ago, online radio station Radio Artifact was launched by Northside brewery/music venue Urban Artifact, featuring unique, community-minded programming that, like the bookings at Urban Artifact, is heavy on music created by locals. Since its launch, the station has joined the Cincinnati Public Radio family, becoming part of the organization’s digital radio platform (you can find it on the HD2 station of 91.7 FM, making it a sister channel of WVXU). This weekend, the venue is hosting a birthday celebration for Radio Artifact featuring many of the on-air personalities from the channel. The show hosts will chat onstage about their different programs and, since many of the hosts are also musicians, the musical entertainment for the night will be provided by local bands that include Radio Artifact DJs among their members. The music lineup includes performances from Go Go Buffalo, The Phasmids, Phasmonaut, Venicia & the Shadow People, Hot Diggity Daffodil and Fitz Pape, who hosts the Ambient and Drone music program The Hum every Wednesday at 10 p.m. Listen to Radio Artifact online at radioartifact.com. 8 p.m. Friday. Free. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, artifactbeer.com.

FRIDAY 02

EVENT: Mac & Cheese Throwdown
At CityBeat’s inaugural Mac & Cheese Throwdown, local chefs will go head-to-head in a melty, cheesy smackdown competition pitting mac-and-cheese dish against mac-and-cheese dish to see whose creation reigns supreme. Participants include Eli’s BBQ, Court Street Lobster Bar, The Eagle OTR, Keystone’s Mac Shack, MamaBear’s Mac and more. After sampling all the mac and cheese you can handle, attendees will decide on the winner. 5:30 p.m. Friday. $35. American Sign Museum, 1330 Monmouth St., Camp Washington, macandcheesecincy.com.

FRIDAY 02

EVENT: Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market
Halloween is over, which means it is finally time for holiday-lovers to emerge from hibernation. It also means that the end-of-the-year shopping season has begun, and the Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market is coming out strong with a three-day event. You can grab a group of friends and switch back and forth between shopping the 350-plus boutiques at the show and the much-appreciated wine lounge. New this year: wider aisles, a larger show room and longer hours. VIP shopping and early entry happen 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Friday and Saturday. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. $8 online; $10 at the door. Duke Energy Convention, 525 Elm St., Downtown, cincinnatiholidaymarket.com.

FRIDAY 02

COMEDY: John Heffron
John Heffron first gained nationwide attention as a participant on NBC’s Last Comic Standing during that show’s second season in the summer of 2004. He won, but a few months later a third season debuted which pitted Season 1’s comics against Season 2’s. “Even the prom queen gets to keep her title for a year,” he’d go on to tell audiences. The win for Season 3 went to fellow comic and friend Alonzo Bodden. Fortunately, both have continued to have successful careers. Heffron continues to headline and has just released his fifth comedy album, The Laughs You Deserve. Drawing on his Midwest and middle-class upbringing, Heffron offers a relatable but unique perspective, as demonstrated by a recent trip to the mall. “There are to acceptable ways to wear a cap,” he states. “Twelve o’clock, and six o’clock if you’re a sniper or a catcher.” 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday; 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday. $15-$48. Funny Bone Liberty, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

FRIDAY 02

ATTRACTIONS: Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World
After a brief intermission while the freshly renovated Cincinnati Museum Center underwent final systems testing, Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World is open once again. The exhibit catalogs the 5,000-year evolution of the guitar from its early days in the Nile River Valley through the Renaissance, the Woodstock era and today. Stringed instruments that tell the history of the modern guitar are on display including an ancient nyatiti, a lute, a banjo, a Gibson J-200 Country and Western acoustic guitar, a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, the world’s largest guitar and even an air guitar (it’s invisible...). Play the guitar, watch video performances, learn about the science of sound and more. Through Jan. 6, 2019. $14 adults; $12 seniors; $10 child; $7 member adult; free member child. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, cincymuseum.org.

SATURDAY 03

ONSTAGE: Cincinnati King at the Playhouse in the Park
If you’re a longtime Cincinnati Pop music fan, you’ve surely heard of King Records, the legendary Evanston record label that cranked out early Rock & Roll hits by James Brown and others in the 1940s and ’60s. Syd Nathan, the studio’s quirky founder, is a story unto himself — and it’s about to be told in a new world premiere musical at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Previews for Cincinnati King begin Nov. 3 at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The production opens Nov. 8 and continues through Dec. 23. Tickets and more info: cincyplay.com.

SATURDAY 03

LIT: Niehoff Lecture XXXI
The Mercantile Library’s 31st-annual Niehoff Lecture takes place Nov. 3 for a sold-out crowd at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, featuring famed author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) in conversation with native Cincinnatian and fellow author Curtis Sittenfeld. 7-10 p.m. Sunday (Nov. 3). More info: mercantilelibrary.com.

SATURDAY 03

MUSIC: Chief Keef
At just 23 years old, Chicago MC Chief Keef serves as an unlikely elder statesman of Hip Hop’s new wave, paving the way for a generation of upstart rappers with a knack for mumbled non-sequiturs and anthemic hooks. The dark, ambient sound of Rap’s current mainstream can largely be attributed to Keef’s legendary run of DIY mixtape releases in the early 2010s, which spliced bass-stuffed pugnacity with autotuned melodies that could often resemble a cyborg’s ambitious attempt at opera. His most recent record, The Cozart, even includes a few Eurobeat-inspired cuts that wouldn’t feel out of place in the background of an intense Dance Dance Revolution session, an artistic decision that’s somewhat questionable, but also strangely alluring. Who are we to stand in the way of innovation? 8 p.m. Saturday. $27.50. Bogart's, Corryville, bogarts.com.

SATURDAY 03

ONSTAGE: T2: Transit Theatre
Take the streetcar and get a dose of theatrics. The experimental Transit Theatre project brings the theater directly to the public via the venue of the Cincinnati streetcar. And hey, you can ride for free during three different four-hour theater sessions. Stay for the full four-hour, 10-scene revue or hop on and off. Backed by local philanthropic lab People’s Liberty, join Matthew David Gellin — the founder of American Legacy Theatre — and view these sketches that explore social issues. This round’s theme? Gentrification. 4-8 p.m. Saturday and 4-8 p.m. Nov. 9 and 10. Free. Cincinnati Streetcar, Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, americanlegacytheatre.org.

SATURDAY 03

EVENT: Northside Record Fair
Northside is home to a lot of weirdos and, generally, weirdos have great taste in music. That’s why vendors and buyers from all over the region file into the neighborhood’s North Church every year for the Northside Record Fair. Inside, you can play “count the Unknown Pleasures T-shirts” while you navigate the bevy of collectors to get to the next vendor table. Fans of all genres will likely find something new or unexpected on vinyl, cassette, CD or wax cylinder (if you’re old school). As the fair’s website reads, “This ain’t no Beatles and Elvis fair. These vendors will be bringing out the good stuff, the rare stuff, the stuff you only dream of finding.” The whole neighborhood opens its doors during the record fair, so eat, shop and drink local. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. $5; $10 10 a.m. early-bird admission. North Church, 4222 Hamilton Ave., Northside, northsiderecordfair.com.