Crawl of the Dead

A friend of mine just told me about this GREAT event going on in Covington on Halloween. There are a lot of cool costume parties around town tonight and tomorrow, but this one gets mad points for creativity. Info below from WCPO.com and the following link takes you to the official site http://www.crawlofthedead.com/crawls/info/covington_zombie_crawl:


Zombie Crawl Unleashes The Undead

COVINGTON, Ky. – City will be taken over with the living dead.Imagine one part performance art, one part party and two parts B-movie Bash and there who have yourself the Zombie Crawl on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The City of Covington is heading up the event and it begins at Molly Malone's, making it's way through various bars in Covington and then ends up at Leapin Lizard around 9 p.m. Beginning at Molly Malone's 112 E. Fourth St., meet at 6 p.m., enjoy Malone's until 7 p.m. then roll out for an entire evening of “Undead” entertainment in Covington's most Zombie-friendly venues. 2nd venue - Down under Bar, 126 Park Place - Zombie Haiku Reading. They supply the Haiku (or write your own), you supply the reading. 3rd stop - Sidebar, 322 Greenup St. - Zombie Band (details to come) and a Zombie Drink special.4th up - The Avenue, 411 Madison Ave. - Take part in a “Thriller” Dance and take in Billy Tackett's phenomenal artwork.Grand finale - the longest haul of the evening … a push up through the center of Mainstrasse. We'll be headed to Leaping Lizard to party through the night at their Zombie Party and B-Movie Bash.

Costumes are encouraged but not required, however, the event is free for those in costumes. There will be costume contests and zombie attacks throughout the night. Admission is $5 for those without costumes. The event will include a DJ and dancing all night long, zombie drink specials and spooky cocktails. Party goes until 1 a.m. with two floors and two full bars.


IF YOU GO:When: Oct. 31, at 6 p.m.What: B-Movie Bash Halloween Party/Zombie CrawlStart: Molly Malone's at 112 E. Fourth St.Finale: Leapin Lizard at 726 Main St.

hold on to your pumpkins after 10/31!

4th Annual Pumpkin Chuck Saturday, Nov. 7th
Stanbery Park 12-5pm Rain or Shine The Stanbery Park Advisory Council proudly presents its annual pumpkin hurling event. Bring your own pumpkin to chuck on their famous Trebuchet (cost: $2 per chuck) or buy a doomed pumpkin from their patch (cost: $5 per chuck). Please note - the SPAC reserves the right to limit the weight and size of the pumpkins to chuck. Come watch the orange orbs fly, kerplunk, and splat, and chat with the gorgeous Pumpkin Queen. Enjoy home-baked goodies, gourmet cakes, pies and other luscious culinary delights; hot and cold drinks; live music; face painting and more. For additional information, contact Margaret M. Stigler at (513) 236-5467.

Gear up for Halloween!

While i'm not totally sure about when the hours of trick or treating will be (I'm guessing Saturday 5-8pm?), i am stocked up on candy and ready for the weekend to hit! Below are some cool events that would be fun to check out:

SEGWAY POLO ON THE SQUARE - OCT 29
Who needs horses when you can ride a Segway? For the first time ever, Fountain Square will host a Segway Polo Match this Thursday, October 29 at noon. The match will be shown on the giant video board and play-by-play announcers will provide live commentary. So grab lunch and head to the Square, you'll even have the opportunity to take a Segway ride yourself. For more information on the Segway Polo Match, call Shawn Jenkins at (513) 225-1583. For more information on Segway Cincinnati and Segway tours click here.

THE FAMOUS NEON'S LEASE SIGNING PARTY - OCT 29 Neon's is back! Come celebrate the official rebirth of Neon's at their lease signing party on Thursday, October 29 starting at 5:00 p.m. and help them kick off the process of restoring both the building and the name. For the first time in over two years, the garden at Neon's will be open with brews, bocce and good times to be enjoyed. This will be an outdoor, cash only event. So come down, have fun and get a preview of what is to come for next spring. Neon's is located at 208 East Twelfth Street. Call (513) 479-1030 for more information.

FRIDAY NIGHT BLOWS TO BENEFIT ARTWORKS - OCT 30
The Art Academy of Cincinnati's River City Works in collaboration with ArtWorks presents Friday Night Blows, a free public glassblowing demonstration this Friday, October 30. Get there early for the best parking spots and hot food. Don't forget your sunglasses! Friday Night Blows is at River City Works, 532 East Twelfth Street, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. To purchase tickets or to view the Online Art Preview click here.

BITE ME BALL AT CAC - OCT 30
It's that time of the year again, when everyone dons their spookiest disguise and descends upon the town for a night like no other. The Contemporary Arts Center is throwing a party that's sure to satisfy your frightful fancy. Come in your most creative costume and cruise the galleries, shop the CAC store and enjoy music by Projectmill. DJ and cash bar from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Members are free; Nonmembers pay CAC admission. Click here for more information.

DEVIL'S BASH, NIGHTMARE ON 7TH AND IMMORTAL'S BALL AT BLACKFINN
Blackfinn Saloon, at 19 East Seventh Street, is hosting three events this Halloween weekend! Start on Thursday, October 29 at the Devil's Bash and enjoy the Witches Brew Special all night long. The Nightmare on 7th Street Bar Crawl is Friday, October 30. Enjoy a cash prize costume contest and for one $5 cover get into 3 bars: Blackfinn, Suite and Lodge Bar. Halloween night Saturday, October 31 is Blackfinn's Immortal's Ball where you can win $1,000 in prizes/cash for the best costume. For advance tickets/VIP call (513) 721-3466.

HALLOWEEN ON THE SQUARE - OCT 30 Halloween on the Square kicks off this Friday, October 30 at noon for the Fountain Square Costume Contest. Come dressed in your most creative, funniest, or scariest costume and win some great prizes! Also on Friday drop off your PRE-carved pumpkins between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. The pumpkins will be judged at 8:00 p.m. and one lucky person will win a $500 grand prize. Finally, make sure to come down Saturday, October 31 from 8:00 p.m. to midnight for the Monster Mash Bash and enjoy Halloween-themed live music, ghoulish lighting effects, refreshments and other "scary" surprises. All of the Halloween events are free and open to the public. Fountain Square is located at Fifth and Vine streets in downtown Cincinnati. For more information click here.

ARTNET: A NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY FOR VISUAL ARTISTS - OCT 30 ArtNet, a project of the Cincinnati Arts Association's Building Diverse Audiences Advisory Committee, will offer local visual artists an opportunity to meet peers, develop collaborative projects and discover resources within the community. The evening of networking is scheduled for Friday, October 30 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Aronoff Center's Weston Art Gallery. Admission is free, however advance registration is requested. For further information or to make a reservation, contact CAA Director of Education and Community Relations, Steve Finn, at (513) 977-4163 or click here.

CINCINNATI TOURS: GHOSTS OF THE QUEEN CITY Take a haunted tour downtown this Halloween season. Cincinnati Tours offers the most unique look at the city through one-of-a-kind historical, sightseeing, seasonal and ghost tours. Their specialty tour is "Ghosts of the Queen City", which is a combination of history and ghost investigations. Click here to find out more.

NO TRICKS, JUST GOURMET TREATS AT PENDLETON STUDIO 313 - OCT 30 This week's Final Friday at Studio 313 is an exciting pre-Halloween evening hosted by Fusion Catering, the hot new caterer even the ghouls are whispering about. Paintings, photography, jewelry and ceramics are all 10% - 50% off. Also, the opening reception for Andrea Millette's exhibition "Women and Shoes" will also be held Friday, October 30 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Judi Parks fine art studio 313 AT THE PENDLETON, 1310 Pendleton Street, in Over-The-Rhine. Also open Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For further details, call (513) 843-2710 or click here.

THE SHAOLIN WARRIORS PERFORM AT MUSIC HALL - NOV 1 The acclaimed Shaolin Warriors - the Kung Fu Masters of China - bring their remarkable skill, stunning movement and spectacular imagery to Cincinnati's Music Hall for one night only on Sunday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here or by calling the Aronoff Center Ticket Office at (513) 621-2787.

Events happening this weekend

I'm out of town this weekend, and although i'm eager to go home and see family and friends, i'm kind of bummed that i'm missing out on so much! Check out a compliation of things happening around downtown below - there's a really fun mixed bag of things going on!

THE 7th ANNUAL BENGAL'S BASH - OCT 23Help the Bengals get ready to banish the Bears this Friday, October 23 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Backstage Alley by Nicholson's for the final Bengal's Bash! Meet Bengal's players, Ben-Gal cheerleaders, and 700 WLW personalities. Enjoy live music, $1 beers, and a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Bengals game, dinner at Do Downtown Restaurants, and other great prizes. Click here for more information.

BIKE/PAC PEDAL TO THE PARKS - OCT 24Cincy Bike-Abouts is a series of rides designed to get people comfortable with riding bikes on public streets. Sponsored by Bike/PAC and Hamilton County Planning, all rides leave from Fountain Square at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays and feature lots of fun stops, a little geocaching on route, and a food social to finish up. Click here for more information.

FIRE MUSEUM HOSTS FIRE BALL - OCT 24
The Fire Museum of Greater Cincinnati, 315 W. Court Street, hosts its Fire Ball this Saturday, October 24 starting at 7:00 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear red, black and white clothing to show their Fire Ball Spirit as they explore the Fire Museum, sample gourmet hors d'oeuvres and enjoy light spirits. The Barnacles and DJ Don Wegman will perform and a special auction is planned to raise funds for the Museum. Tickets for the Fire Ball are just $50 per person and can be purchased by calling (513) 621-5553.

THE CINCINNATI BALLET PRESENTS SWAN LAKE - OCT 23 to 25The Cincinnati Ballet is proud to present Swan Lake, a tale of enchanted love, this Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25. All performances will be held at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut Street. Single tickets start at just $25. Bring your little princess on October 24 for the Swan Lake Princess Tea Party. Also, be sure to ask about the great family package deals available, including three different Cincinnati Ballet performances all starting at just $72. Click here for more information.

On The Dogwalk Baby - Oct 25Don't hide your precious pooch in those little tiny purses any longer, prance him or her up and down the 6th Street Promenade for the MainStrasse Village 8th Annual Dog Costume Pawrade this Sunday. After the Pawrade concludes, register your K-9 to participate in the costume contest where the $5 registration fee benefits the Kenton County Animal Shelter and gets your pooch a free doggie goodie bag. Three Top Prizes will be awarded-Best Original Costume, Best Store Bought Costume & Best Theme Costume. Festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Don't miss an afternoon of fun with friends, family and of course, man's best friend.

WWII VET TO SPEAK ABOUT "LARGEST SEA BATTLE" AT MAIN LIBRARY - OCT 26
In honor of Veterans day coming up, World War II Navy veteran Ted Gardner will discuss his experiences in the Battle of Leyte Gulf at the Main Library, 800 Vine Street, on Monday, October 26 at 7:00 p.m. The talk will coincide with the 65th anniversary of the battle and will look at the strategy, tactics and personal experiences of the U.S. Navy. The program will be held in the Reading Garden Lounge of the Main Library. For more information call (513) 369-6900.

Another great restaurant option opening!

The buddakhan place has stood empty and padlocked for at least 5 months - I'm so glad someone is taking up residency, and someone who can make the place work! I never understood how people thought the food at Buddakhan was any good, i personally kind of found it greasy, and was totally confused by the atmosphere in there - rock music, tv screens and an eastern decor? Didn't get it - hopefully this will work well for Jean Robert, and he can use the money he'll make to buy the old Gajah Wong West building in Northside (seriously, that building is a GEM, even if the location is kind of off the beaten path....)

Jean-Robert de Cavel to open restaurant
New eatery will take over former Buddakhan location by Dec. 1
By Polly Campbell • pcampbell@enquirer.com • October 13, 2009

Jean-Robert de Cavel says he will soon be back in the restaurant business. And back Downtown.
He plans to open Jean-Robert’s Table at 713 Vine St. by Dec. 1.

This time, the French-born chef said, he will be the sole investor in the restaurant, and he will not be re-creating the brand of fine French cuisine that he was known for as executive chef at Maisonette and more recently at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. Both those Downtown restaurants have closed, although Pigall’s reopened last month as Local 127. De Cavel is not involved with Local 127.

He said he wants Jean-Robert’s Table to be more down-to-earth than his previous places.
“This will be a place where people will feel comfortable. You will be able to dine casually at a moderate price. But it’s Jean-Robert style.”The restaurant will take over the former location of the bar Buddakhan. De Cavel said he likes the space because it’s close to good parking, attracts a lot of foot traffic and is near the Garfield Suites hotel at 2 Garfield Place, which caters to businesses. He said he looked at locations in other parts of the city and the region, but his preference remained downtown Cincinnati. He said he had offers to go to other cities in the U.S. and France, but Cincinnati pulled him to stay.“I love Cincinnati,” he said. “The support we have from friends here means so much. That’s why I stay. I want a little restaurant, where I can feel it is mine, where people know me, and I can be a part of the community. I’m an urbanite. I want to give the city the restaurant that it deserves.”He said the restaurant will seat 80, with room for 20 at the bar. He does not plan to invest heavily in a redesign.“I’m recycling a restaurant,” he said. “It already has a nice feeling, and I want to focus on the food and service.”

His menu will be French, but casual and flexible. He said it will include some French bistro classics but won’t be bound by tradition. He plans to make the menu seasonal, inspired by French regional cooking. The average check might be $30, but he said that if he wants to put foie gras on the menu as a special for $25 or offer sweetbreads, he’ll do it. Lunch will be less expensive than dinner, he said.

Since Jean-Robert at Pigall’s closed in February, de Cavel has worked as an adviser at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State, has done catering and is currently preparing Friday night dinners before Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concerts at Music Hall.He said he will stay involved at Midwest Culinary, and the symphony dinners will continue.“But I need a home base,” he said. “A place that’s good fun, where the service is attentive.”

Mayberry - a new joint to eat downtown.

I need to do some digging to find out whether Tom's Pies is still around, but in the meantime I'm glad to see a storefront get filled with another great dining option! I hope they will be open during weekends or at night - there's nothing worse than being left out of the culinary loop in downtown, which happens all too often. The thing that i love is that the food is very gourmet-y, but super reasonable. I haven't gotten to have one of the great sammies and sides they make at World Food Bar yet, but everytime i walk by their counter, I'm salivating!

World Food Bar Restaurant Group opening Mayberry downtown this November
Soapbox, 10/13/2009

This November, the team of chef Josh Campbell and Corey Weitmarschen will open Mayberry at 915 Vine Street in Downtown Cincinnati. The restaurant is the second establishment for the team which opened World Food Bar earlier this year.

Once open, Mayberry will have a grass-roots American eatery menu style including their specialty known simply as "The Burger" - a certified Angus Burger topped with Scott Farm Pepper Bacon, sweet onion marmalade and fried egg on a brioche bun.The World Food Bar Restaurant Group says that the breakfast and lunch eatery will serve "casual no-fuss food" and offer all lunch entrees for $7.

The 1,060 square-foot restaurant space offers seating for approximately 30 people, with an additional 8 spots outside along Vine Street. Campbell and Weitmarschen also say that the atmosphere will be "clean family fun" that will feature a modern twist in the decor. "Mayberry is going to focus on the who, what and where of Cincinnati with the efforts of paintings by artist Tomas Englert," said Campbell about the new restaurant space. The new restaurant will employ six people and be the group's first sit down restaurant. "World Food Bar was an opportunity to be noticed in the community, but we're looking forward to this new venture," said Campbell. "It is the perfect location in the central business district."

Mayberry will be open Monday through Friday from 7am to 3pm in the former Tom's Pot Pies location (map) near the Court Street Marketplace.

Awesome weekend in Cincy

There is so much great stuff going on this weekend, the city is busting at the seams! Although i missed MPMF last weekend (again), i fully intend to make it up with all the cool stuff going on around downtown!

First off, stuff going on Friday night:
Exploring Cincinnati Betts House, 416 Clark St., West End5-8pm, Fri 2 Oct FREE Exploring Cincinnati is an exhibit of the photography of local artists Sherman Cahal, Craig Moyer and Ronny Salerno. The exhibit runs at the Betts House until 19 Nov.

Sip Shop Socialize (A Progressive Wine walk) in OTR's Gateway Qtr. Friday 5pm - 7 pm then over to Below Zero Lounge for the "Be Social Cabaret"

PopopolisFountain Square, downtown 7-11pm, Fri 2 Oct and Sat 3 Oct
FREE Two stages of non-stop live music will keep the Square poppin' on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday's kick-off begins with a reunion of bands who played in the Southgate House Popopolis days back in 1998 to 2002. Saturday, local and regional Pop bands take the stage. Schedule of bands is here

Hyper Gallery Hop 6-10pm
Location: Downtown Covington, multiple venues
Description: The Hyper Gallery Hop will be the kick off event of Full Spectrum, a month long series of weekend art events in the City of Covington. Stop in at the Artisan Enterprise Center located at Seventh and Washington to choose one of three distinct gallery hop tours featuring art and art related excitement! Shuttles provided by Gold Key Transportation Pick up points are in front of the Artisans Enterprise Center and will take you to Mainstrasse and the East end of Covington to enjoy each of the tours on offer. Website here

Cool stuff on Saturday -

1st Annual Westwood Art Show
Westwood Town Hall Grounds, 3017 Harrison Ave., Westwood12-5pm, Sat 3 Oct
This event features 30 local artists, music by Barddas, a wine tasting from Henke Winery, and tasty treats from Larosa's and Sweet Miss Confections.

PopopolisFountain Square, downtown 7-11pm, Fri 2 Oct and Sat 3 Oct
FREE Two stages of non-stop live music will keep the Square poppin' on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday's kick-off begins with a reunion of bands who played in the Southgate House Popopolis days back in 1998 to 2002. Saturday, local and regional Pop bands take the stage. Band schedule is here.

Spring Grove Weekend Walkabout: Trees - Vivid & VibrantSpring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati10am, Sat 3 Oct$5 suggested donation. How many times have you strolled through 'The Grove' and wondered, 'What kind of tree is that?' Join a docent on this fun tour of the many trees that make Spring Grove an officially sanctioned arboretum. Tours depart from the tent near the main entrance. Website here

Fantasy Fest
Date of Event:Saturday, October 3rd12 – 6:30pm Parade and Festival
7:30pm Razzmatazz Gala at Leapin Lizard Gallery, 726 Main Street
Description:Fantasy Fest, a family friendly event for both young and young at heart takes place in MainStrasse Village and includes an afternoon of crafters and street performers. Fantasy Fest invites visitors to tour Mainstrasse, where over 70 tiny doors can be found as portals from the fairy realm! At 5:30 everyone is invited to participate in the foot parade around the Islands and down Main Street. The Razzamatazz Gala to be held at the Leapin Lizzard Gallery beginning at 7:30 pm will feature the music of Sylvester and the River City String Band, Barbara Baxter and Mr. Elf and includes a Fairy Window Auction.The Auction is a Fund Raiser For a Scholarship program For Baker Hunt Children's Art Classes. This is an opportunity to participate and wear your FANTASY FINERY! Website here

And don't forget the Nina and the Pinta (or was it the Santa Maria) are still docked @ Newport! Have a great weekend!!