Reasons to Leave The House in Cincinnati in October 2026

Each month, rather than give you a HUGE list of everything going on in Cincinnati, I pick the events that I am most excited about.

Eat & Drink Well

Cincy Whiskey Fest

When: Sunday, October 11, 1–4pm

Where: Northern Row Brewery & Distillery, 111 W. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine

Cost: $50 general admission; $100 VIP

Cheers!

Ten distilleries are pouring 20 whiskeys. Your ticket gets you a tasting passport to try each one and vote for the festival favorite. VIP adds a distillery tour, a guided tasting, rare whiskey samples, and your choice of a featured cocktail or a full pour.

Host: Northern Row Brewery & Distillery — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cincy-whiskey-fest-tickets-1998486041548

Panda Fest

When: Friday, October 16 (opens 4pm) through Sunday, October 18 (closes 8pm)

Where: Smale Riverfront Park, 166 W. Mehring Way

Cost: GA and VIP tickets; kids under 6 are free

DUMPLINGS! Are my weakness.

An outdoor Asian food festival with 90+ food vendors, 200+ street food options, and 30+ merchandise vendors, plus cultural performances. GA tickets come with a Cincinnati panda pin and headband. There’s a bounce house, face painting, and DIY painting for kids, and it’s pet-friendly.

Host: Panda Fest — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/panda-fest-cincinnati-2026-tickets-1992378764518

HallowEve Brew Bash

When: Friday, October 23, 6–10pm

Where: Ault Park Pavilion, 5090 Observatory Circle

Cost: Tickets through the Ault Park Advisory Council

Adults want and excuse to wear a costume too!  And beer instead of candy sounds good to me.

A fall beer and costume party in Ault Park. You get ten 5-ounce craft beer tastings from Cincinnati breweries while Gee Your Band Smells Terrific plays ’70s hits and Halloween songs. A food truck will be on site, costumes are encouraged, and proceeds benefit the Ault Park Advisory Council.

Host: Ault Park Advisory Council — https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cincyparks/visit-a-park/parks-events-calendar/halloweve-brew-bash/

Cincinnati Taco Week

When: Monday, October 12 through Sunday, October 18

Where: 25 participating restaurants across the Cincinnati area

Cost: $3 tacos

It’s Taco Tuesday for a WHOLE WEEK.

Each participating restaurant serves its own $3 taco all week. Download the Cincinnati Taco Week app and check in as you go: hit five different restaurants and you’re entered in a drawing for $300 in gift cards. The person with the most points (and at least five check-ins) is crowned Biggest Taco Lover in Cincinnati.

Host: Cincinnati Magazine — https://www.cincytacoweek.com/

Be Entertained

Ferdinand the Bull with the Cincinnati Pops

When: Saturday, October 10, 10:30am and 2pm

Where: Music Hall, Springer Auditorium

Cost: $15 for Adults, $10 for Kids

Take your favorite kiddo to see this children’s classic come to life.

A Lollipops Family Concert where the Cincinnati Pops bring the story of Ferdinand to life with narration and orchestra, with interactive moments that show off the instruments. The 2pm show is sensory-friendly.

Host: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra — https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/ferdinand-the-bull

IF Cincy: Improv Festival of Cincinnati

When: Thursday, October 15 through Saturday, October 17; shows at 7 and 9pm

Where: Know Theatre, The Underground and The Upstairs

Cost: Single-show tickets for $25 or a festival pass for all six shows for $125

Three nights of unscripted comedy, two shows a night, with troupes like Super Scaries, Local Strays, Psychopomp, and Holy Cannoli. Doors open 30 minutes before each show.

Host: OTRimprov — https://www.otrimprov.com/if-cincy-tickets

Cincinnati Roller Derby Halloween Bout

When: Saturday, October 17, 7–9:30pm (doors at 6)

Where: Flock Sports, 6630 Hamilton Ave.

Cost: $20 for Adults, $10 for 17 & Under

Cincinnati Roller Derby takes on Southern Indiana Roller Derby. There’s a costume contest at halftime, so come dressed up, with Dance Flash Fusion performing and DJ Boywife on the decks. Parking is free! Bring a pack of clean, new socks for the SOCKTOBER drive benefiting Bethany House Services.

Host: Cincinnati Roller Derby — https://www.simpletix.com/e/halloween-bout-cincinnati-roller-derby-vs-tickets-264450

OctKNOWber Nights

When: Wednesday, October 21 through Friday, October 30

Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine

Cost: Check the host site for tickets

Love scary movies? Why not see a scary story LIVE?

Seven spooky original shows from local artists: AMERICAN’T, Adventures in Afterlife, Trick or Treat, Sally Salem!, Thief, Show Us Your Weird: SPOOKY EDITION, I’m Not Your Costume, and Wicked and Whimsy. Doors and the bar open an hour before each show.

Host: Know Theatre — https://www.knowtheatre.com/octknowber/

Creative Coven: Halloween Singers & Spirits

When: Thursday, October 22, 7pm

Where: Juniper’s Gin Bar, 409 W. 6th St., Covington

Cost: $35, includes one drink ticket

I’ve been to a few shows at Juniper’s.  The bar makes for a perfect setting to experience performances up close in a way you don’t get to normally.  

Cincinnati Opera Young Professionals brings together artists from Cincy Shakes, Pones, Summermusik, and Cincinnati Opera for a night of Halloween music, theater, and dance. Costumes are optional. There are no physical tickets; your name goes on the guest list.

Host: Cincinnati Opera Young Professionals — https://my.cincinnatiopera.org/singersandspirits26/10222026

 

Explore Cincy

Cincinnati Art Week

When: Saturday, October 3 through Saturday, October 10

Where: Over-the-Rhine

Cost: Free

The first Cincinnati Art Week fills Over-the-Rhine with pop-up galleries and open artist studios, plus artist talks, workshops, and gatherings with the city’s creative community. It runs right into BLINK.

Host: Cincy Nice in partnership with No Standing — https://cincinnatiartweek.com

BLINK

When: Thursday, October 8 through Sunday, October 11, 7–11pm nightly

Where: 30 city blocks across Cincinnati

Cost: Free to walk, certain events during the week are ticketed

The nation’s largest public art festival turns the city into an outdoor gallery of street art, projection mapping, and light installations. It opens October 8 with the Ready. Set. BLINK! ceremony. Maps, guides, and Metro options are on the BLINK site.

Host: BLINK | ArtsWave — https://www.blinkcincinnati.com/

Cincy Sports

UC Homecoming Events

From an Alumni meet up on Thursday toHomecoming Parade, and the game itself there are so many ways to enjoy Homecoming.

Bearcats in the City Alumni Meet Up

When: Thursday, October 22  5-7PM

Where: Vintage on Race;

Cost: Free, just pay for your own drinks

 

Homecoming Parade

When: Saturday, October 24   Four Hours before Kickoff

Where: along Clifton Avenue and Calhoun Stree

And the game itself: the Bearcats take on Texas Tech at Nippert Stadium (kickoff TBA).

Host: University of Cincinnati Alumni Association — https://www.alumni.uc.edu/campaigns/homecoming.html

Cincinnati Cyclones

When: Saturday, October 24 and Wednesday, October 28, 7:05pm

Where: Heritage Bank Center

Cost: Tickets through Ticketmaster

Hockey season opens with First Face-Off against the Bloomington Bison on October 24, with $2 hot dogs, sodas, and beers.

On October 28 the Cyclones host the Indy Fuel for $2 Beer + Pucks N Pups, where your dog can come along.

Host: Cincinnati Cyclones — https://cycloneshockey.com/

And of course, it’s Bengals and FC Cincinnati season.   If you need tips for football and soccer, please know I am the “here for a cute themed outfit & a beer” kind of girl, probably not the right source 😊

 

Looking for Halloween Specific Events?   There were so many I wrote a WHOLE seperate blog.