Annual Events in Cincinnati: A Month-by-Month Calendar

At a glance

• Where: Across Cincinnati, Ohio: Over-the-Rhine, Downtown, the riverfront, Eden Park, Northside, Mt. Lookout and Avondale
• When: March through early January; Final Friday runs monthly
• Cost: Varies: Bockfest's parade and hall entertainment and the Northside Rock 'N Roll Carnival are free; others sell tickets or race entries
• Dates: Usual months only; check each official site for this year's dates

The annual events in Cincinnati that come back every year run from Bockfest in early March to the PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, which lasts from mid-November into early January. In between are the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade, the Flying Pig Marathon, Taste of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Music Festival and Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. This calendar gives the usual month for each event, not a fixed date, so check the linked official site before you make plans.

We couldn't confirm anything on an official site for January, February, August or October, so we left those months out instead of padding them. For what's on right now, see the Cincinnati events calendar and this weekend's events.

What happens in Cincinnati in March?

Cincinnati's outdoor season opens in March with bock beer in Over-the-Rhine, and Opening Day follows close behind.

Bockfest

Bockfest takes over the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District in Cincinnati on a weekend in early March. According to the official site, the parade, the bock beer and the music and entertainment in the halls are free. The halls have included Moerlein Lager House, Northern Row, Rhinegeist, Rosedale OTR and Arnold's Bar and Grill, which has been the parade's home base for more than 30 years. Wear layers: a parade in early March can mean anything from sun to sleet. See bockfest.com and the Over-the-Rhine area page.

When is the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade?

The Findlay Market Opening Day Parade steps off from Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., in Over-the-Rhine ahead of the Cincinnati Reds' home opener, which falls at the start of the baseball season in late March or early April. The parade starts at noon and heads into Downtown Cincinnati, and it has now run more than 100 times. The official parade site puts the crowd at about 120,000. One detail first-timers miss: presenting a basket to the Reds manager has been part of Opening Day since the 1920s. Pick your spot on the route early, because the curbs fill up fast. Lineups and route maps go up at findlaymarketparade.com.

April: Cincinnati Asian Food Fest

The Cincinnati Asian Food Fest fills Court Street Plaza in Downtown Cincinnati over a weekend in late April. The official site lists more than 60 restaurants and food trucks, so bring a friend, split plates and cover more stalls. Details are at asianfoodfest.org, and the neighborhood is covered on the Downtown area page.

Late April or May: Flying Pig Marathon and Taste of Cincinnati

These two events book-end May: one has you running through Cincinnati, the other has you eating your way down Fifth Street.

When is the Flying Pig Marathon?

The Flying Pig Marathon is held in Cincinnati over a weekend at the end of April or the start of May. The weekend is much more than a marathon. The official lineup includes a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K, a four-person relay, the 50 West Mile and the Flying Piglet for kids. If you aren't racing, you can still cheer from the course, which winds through several Cincinnati neighborhoods. Registration and course maps are at flyingpigmarathon.com.

When is Taste of Cincinnati?

Taste of Cincinnati is a food festival held on Fifth Street in Downtown Cincinnati over Memorial Day weekend. It dates back to 1979, and the official site calls it the nation's longest-running culinary festival. Our tip: walk the whole street once before you buy anything, then go back for what caught your eye. See tasteofcincinnati.com.

June: art, cars and Juneteenth

June is Cincinnati's most crowded month for annual events, and most of them happen outdoors.

• Summerfair Cincinnati: a three-day fine arts fair held every year at Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave., just east of the Cincinnati city limits. It usually falls in early June. Typical hours are noon to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. summerfair.org
• Ault Park Concours d'Elegance: a one-day classic and collector car show in Ault Park, Mt. Lookout, held on a Sunday in June and going back nearly 50 years. See ohioconcours.com and the Mt. Lookout area page.
• Juneteenth in Eden Park: a Juneteenth celebration in Eden Park, Cincinnati, produced by Juneteenth Cincinnati, Inc. since 1988 and held in June. Check juneteenthcincinnati.org for this year's program.
• Cincinnati Fringe Festival: a performing arts festival presented by Know Theatre in Over-the-Rhine, with shows over roughly two weeks in June. It has run for more than 20 years. cincyfringe.com

July: block parties and soul

July in Cincinnati starts with a neighborhood carnival and ends with one of the city's longest-running music festivals.

Northside Rock 'N Roll Carnival

The Northside Rock 'N Roll Carnival is a free, all-ages party at Jacob Hoffner Park, 4109 Hamilton Ave., in Northside over the Fourth of July weekend. It has run for two decades. On the Fourth, the party picks back up in the park after the Northside Fourth of July Parade, so you can watch the parade and stay for the bands. See northsiderocks.com.

When is the Cincinnati Music Festival?

The Cincinnati Music Festival is an R&B, soul and jazz festival at Paycor Stadium on the Cincinnati riverfront next to The Banks, held over a weekend in late July. According to the Cincinnati Bengals, who play at Paycor Stadium, the festival began in 1962 as the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival, which makes it one of Cincinnati's oldest annual events. Tickets and lineups are at cincymusicfestival.com.

When is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati?

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is held in mid-September at Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove on the Cincinnati riverfront, so it is a September festival, not an October one. It was first held in 1976. The official site bills it as America's largest Oktoberfest and cites a record crowd of 808,300. Go on Thursday evening or early on a weekend day if you want shorter lines for food and beer. See oktoberfestzinzinnati.com.

November to January: lights and trains

The holiday season in Cincinnati brings two long-running traditions that start in mid-November and stay open into early January.

When does the PNC Festival of Lights start?

The PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., in Avondale, opens in mid-November and runs into early January. It has run for more than 40 seasons, and the display includes 65 Animal Lanterns. The zoo has closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so check the calendar at cincinnatizoo.org/festival-of-lights before you buy tickets.

Holiday Junction and the Duke Energy Holiday Trains

Holiday Junction at Cincinnati Museum Center, Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave., features the Duke Energy Holiday Trains and typically runs from mid-November to early January. The trains first went on display downtown in 1946. Today the layout runs more than 300 rail cars and 50 locomotives. Details are at cincymuseum.org.

Is there an event every month?

Yes: Final Friday at Pendleton Art Center, 1310 Pendleton St., in Pendleton, opens artists' studios on the last Friday of every month. Public hours are typically 5 to 9 p.m. It's the one event on this calendar that doesn't depend on the season, and a good way to meet the artists before you buy. See pendletonartcenter.com.

Save this: Cincinnati's year at a glance

• Early March: Bockfest
• Late March or early April: Findlay Market Opening Day Parade
• Late April: Cincinnati Asian Food Fest
• Late April or early May: Flying Pig Marathon
• Memorial Day weekend: Taste of Cincinnati
• June: Summerfair, Ault Park Concours d'Elegance, Juneteenth in Eden Park, Cincinnati Fringe Festival
• Fourth of July weekend: Northside Rock 'N Roll Carnival
• Late July: Cincinnati Music Festival
• Mid-September: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
• Mid-November to early January: PNC Festival of Lights and the Duke Energy Holiday Trains
• Last Friday of every month: Final Friday at Pendleton Art Center

How we chose

Every event here had to show up on its own official site as a recurring annual event in or right next to Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Music Festival's history comes from the Cincinnati Bengals' Paycor Stadium page. We give the usual month, not a fixed date, because organizers move their dates each year. We left out events that we couldn't confirm on an official page, including the WEBN fireworks, whose official page gives no date. Dates, hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest annual events in Cincinnati?

The best-known annual events in Cincinnati are the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade, the Flying Pig Marathon, Taste of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Music Festival, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati and the PNC Festival of Lights. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati cites a record crowd of 808,300 on its official site.

When is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati?

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is usually held in mid-September at Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove on the Cincinnati riverfront. Check the official site for this year's dates.

When is Taste of Cincinnati?

Taste of Cincinnati is held over Memorial Day weekend on Fifth Street in Downtown Cincinnati. The festival dates back to 1979.

When does the PNC Festival of Lights start?

The PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden usually opens in mid-November and runs into early January. The zoo has closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so check its calendar.

Are there free annual events in Cincinnati?

Yes. Bockfest in Over-the-Rhine lists free admission to its parade and hall entertainment, and the Northside Rock 'N Roll Carnival is free and all ages. Check each official site for current details.