The 7 Weirdest And Wackiest Festivals In All Of Cincinnati You Can’t Miss This Year
By Andrea Limke|Published March 01, 2019
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
Cincinnati is definitely a city with its own character and traditions, some new and some old. In a city with so much history and with a diverse population, we are lucky to have so many unique gatherings that keep things fun and interesting all year long. The Queen City loves a good festival, and there is no shortage of them throughout the year. As you’re planning out 2019, make sure you pencil in these seven weird and wacky festivals in Cincinnati that you simply can’t miss, and one of them begins today!
Bockfest returns for its 27th year and has become one of the most festive - and wacky - traditions in Cincinnati. Bockfest is actually a wonderful community event that kicks off with a parade (happening tonight, March 1st!) and celebrates our city's rich beer heritage. But if you happen to see it taking place, or even glance at a photo, chances are you may think it's weird - and we like it that way.
Find out more about this fun-filled festival happening this weekend here.
2. Cincinnati Fringe Festival (May 31 - June 15, 2019)
The Cincy Fringe Festival is coming up this spring, and with a logo of "Kinda weird. Like you!" it had to be included. This unique gathering takes place over more than two weeks and includes theatre, art, music, film, dance, and everything between. Fringe Festival celebrates the arts in an inclusive and imaginative way, and Cincinnati is the perfect backdrop to do so.
Learn more about this gathering on its website here.
This lively music festival takes place at Sawyer Point downtown and this year is scheduled for May 31st - June 2nd. Like many large concert events, there are plenty of wacky happenings at this gathering, and you never know what you'll see. But, you can be guaranteed some good music, a laid back atmosphere, and perhaps even a pizza delivered to you in the middle of a crowd.
There's nothing weird about a food festival, but when you gather thousands of people together to celebrate a mystery meat, heads may turn. But eating goetta is a way of life in Cincinnati, which is why Glier's Goettafest is so popular. It takes place every August in Newport and you can chow down on all of the goetta you want, while taking in beautiful views of the Queen City.
Oktoberfest doesn't seem odd to those of us who've grown up going to the country's largest version of this German celebration. However, outsiders may think we are a little wacky as we wear chicken hats, dress in Lederhosen, and do the Chicken Dance with thousands of our closest friends. They may say weird and wacky, but we say "Prost!"
Find out all about this massive festival in our previous article here.
Humans aren't the only weird and wacky ones in Cincinnati, as we like to involve our pets whenever possible. The Mt. Adam's Reindog Parade is a fun-filled and adorable event that takes place each December, as our furry friends are dressed up and paraded around to benefit the SPCA.
Christkindlmarkt is hosted each Christmas season by the Germania Society of Cincinnati. While it mostly seems calm and festive, there are some German traditions that are a bit, weird. Don't be surprised if you find Krampus wandering through the crowd, eager to find those who have been naughty, rather than nice.
Learn more about this German tradition in Cincinnati here.
There’s no excuse to be bored in our city with so many weird, wacky, and uniquely Cincinnati things to do throughout the year. Do you know and love all of these events? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments!
And if you need more proof that Cincinnati is as weird as it is lovable, check out our previous article here.
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