Cincinnati is steeped in rich German Heritage – just ask one of the many German Societies in town who work hard at bringing that culture to the forefront. That’s why there’s no better place for an Oktoberfest than Cincinnati!

Starting in 1976on one city block, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is now a 16-city block extravaganza that is second only to the original Oktoberfest in Munich. Attended by over 600,000 people, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is a wonderful opportunity to be immersed in German culture and heritage that makes Cincinnati, while enjoying fine food, beer and events that are fun for all ages.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, presented by Samuel Adams, opens on Friday, September 18 at 5pm. The official opening ceremonies are at 11:30 am on Saturday, September 19 with the traditional tapping of the keg by Samuel Adams founder (and Cincinnati native) Jim Koch, followed by a procession through the city streets by members of the many German societies in town, dressed in traditional garb and carrying the flags of their particular German background.

But don’t think the festivities don’t kick off until Friday evening – be on Fountain Square at noon that day for the 9th Annual Running of the Wieners! 100 Dachshunds in hot dog costumes will be running races in heats of 10, and the winners of those will run one last race to crown the official King or Queen of the Wiener Dogs! This is a race not to be missed – the sight of all those wiener dogs in wiener suits is entertainment for the entire family. Fritz, the official Wiener Dog Mascot will be walking around for photo-ops and good times.

After the dogs have their day, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati continues with the Gemuetlichkeit (Goodwill) Games at 1:00pm, which features beer barrel rolls and beer stein races. And if that’s not your mug of beer, you can enjoy so many other activities, including the World’s Largest Chicken Dance. While the Grand Marshall has yet to be announced, past honorees have included Weird Al Yankovic, Nick and Drew Lachey, Joe Morgan and the Prince of Bavaria. Not up to getting your chicken on? Try this year’s new Mike’s Hard Tug of War, sponsored by Mike’s Hard Lemonade, on Sunday at 11am right in the street. You can also have fun at the Beer Stein Hoisting contest: a liter Stein is filled to the brim and you have to hold it up without so much as a waver of the arm. Not as easy as it looks! Oktoberfest Zinzinnati’s most unique event is the World Brat Eating Contest, with Joey “The Jaw” Chestnut coming in to defend his brat-eating crown. Show up to watch – if you’ve got the stomach for it!

There will be close to 40 food tents, where in the past they’ve sold 90,000 brats, 80,000 metts, 54,000 sauerkraut balls, 25,000 potato pancakes and tons of strudel and pretzels. New this year is Brewer’s Alley, where thirsty folk can enjoy micro brews from across the country as well as from right here in the Tri-State area. “It’s crowded, fork to fork and stein to stein, but everyone’s in a good mood and enjoying Oktoberfest,” says Pat Sheeran, VP of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.

Another highlight of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is their Glockenspiel. Not your grandmother’s clock, this is an LED screen Glockenspiel that for 55 minutes of the hour looks like a regular clock, but at the top of the hour for 5 minutes lights up with graphics to accompany the dancers who come out to entertain the crowd.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is more than just a street festival, it’s a mega-event that’s a don’t-miss when you’re in Cincinnati. Sheeran asserts, “whether you’re German, or just German at heart, you’ll have a great time.” Raise a stein, savor a brat and let the good times roll!

In Cincinnati, we don’t worry about the dog days of August. Why? Because we have the TENNIS days of August, and around here, the Western & Southern Open is what makes the summer.

Held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, OH, the 2015 Western & Southern Open will be in play from August 15th-23rd. The Open features the best men and women tennis players in the world – all top forty players who are at the top of their game. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray are this year’s top 3 in the Men’s ATP; Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep are the top three in the Women’s WTA. Maria Sharapova fans don’t despair-she’s number 4 and will be playing as well.

As great as it is to come out and watch the tennis matches, not everyone is a die-hard tennis nut, and at the Western & Southern Open, that’s just fine by them. There are a ton of things to do if you aren’t interested in watching tennis! Food, shopping, music, themed bars…there’s so much to choose from you won’t have time to catch a match anyway.

The food arena features 14 great restaurants. Cincinnati favorites like LaRosa’s, Skyline Chili and Montgomery Inn will be there, as well as Tony’s, Taste of Belgium, Fusian Sushi and new this year, Palomino. For dessert, Graeter’s is on hand, of course. Once you’re filled up, you can enjoy fabulous music on the main stage, featuring 30 regional bands playing everything from classic hits to bluegrass. As something different, evenings will feature a DJ in the food arena that will play a special blend of music to truly enhance your experience at the Open.

The 20,000 square-foot retail plaza will have a wide variety of boutiques, and the keystone of the area is the Midwest Sports air-conditioned tent. This tent will hold the largest tennis in the world with equipment, apparel and accessories – and if you are looking to dress like the pros do, be sure to stop by, because the exact outfits the Open players are wearing will be available for purchase!

All that eating, shopping and toe-tapping is sure to make you thirsty, so be sure to stop by the many themed beverage areas the Open hosts. You can enjoy non alcoholic selections like soda, hand-squeezed lemonade or smoothies or hit one of the “destination bars” that are all around the Open.   The Michelob Ultra Legends Bar is your best seat in the house for listening to music while enjoying a cold brew. The el Arco Tequila Margarita Bar is a new addition to the Open, and will be the perfect place to grab an Arco Ace Margarita. More of a wine drinker? The Robert Mondavi Private Selection Wine Garden will offer the very best from the vineyards of Robert Mondavi surrounded by award-winning landscaping by LaMond Design. Each night at 5:30 a celebrity chef will be giving a demonstration in the Wine Garden.

Grab some shade and relax in the Emirates Lounge; you can try a little Belvadere Vodka and cool off while chatting with friends or watching the matches. And for a little style, stop by the Moet Champagne Bar: toast the players while treating yourself to the luxurious taste of Moet, the official Champagne of the Western & Southern Open.

New at the Open this year is area-wide FREE high speed Wi-Fi, covering all 20 acres. There is also an App available to follow the event: WSOpen Now. Get it now at the App store and start planning your Open experience!