Mecklenburg Gardens is hosting their 1st Annual Harvest Dinner! Come join the festivities on November 9th. Ticket includes admittance to the event along with a full pig roast featuring fall and german sides.They will also be featuring 3 local breweries with their seasonal biers on tap. Enjoy live music from the Polka Warriors all night! Your ticket will automatically enter you in for door prizes as well.

Ticket prices are $24 for adults, $12 for kids (10 and under). The event takes place Friday Nov. 9,  from 7 to 10:00 p.m.  See you there!  

 

Art Beyond Boundaries, invites you to attend the opening reception of our 13th annual inclusive show, ‘Changing Perceptions: Harmony’ on Friday, November 30, 2018 from 6 to 9 pm. The Changing Perceptions series, which features the work of artists with and without disabilities, has continually grown in popularity as one of the regions’ most vibrant fine art exhibits. The exhibition will run until Friday, January 11, 2019.

Art Beyond Boundaries will have a variety of paintings, sculptures, photography, and other media. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Join us to experience the original art and meet the featured artists.  Admission is free.

Art Beyond Boundaries provides a professional, mainstream fine arts exhibition venue for artists with disabilities, located at 1410 Main Street in the historic Over-the-Rhine arts district. With your support, we can continue providing a gallery, workshops, programs, and services for our artists and people with disabilities. For more information, “friend” or “follow” the gallery on FaceBook , Twitter, Instagram, and/or contact the gallery.

 

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Banks in Cincinnati, SkyStar, a 150-foot-high mobile observation wheel is open through December 2. SkyStar will operate on Freedom Way at The Banks, across from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

“SkyStar is America’s largest portable observation wheel and it lights up the sky with over 1 million colored LED lights,” said Todd Schneider of SkyStar. “This experience provides unique views of downtown Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, the Suspension Bridge and the Ohio River.” 

Each of the 36 gondolas is enclosed, climate controlled and can hold up to six passengers. Skystar offers a private experience and riders won’t be paired with strangers. The SkyStar experience consists of four revolutions and lasts approximately 12 minutes.

“SkyStar will inject even more excitement into our Ale to the Queen City Thanksgiving weekend craft beer festival, Bud Light Tailgate Zone pre-game Bengals parties and more,” added Cynthia Oxley, director of Corporate and Community Events for the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.”

“Our restaurants and retailers are excited to welcome new visitors and bring a new view to those who have loved The Banks for years,” said Tracy Schwegmann of Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, developer of The Banks. “We’re thrilled to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Banks in a sky-high way.”

Hours

Monday through Thursday – 4 to 10 p.m. 

Friday – noon to midnight

Saturday – 10 a.m. to midnight

Sunday – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tickets are $12.50 each and available now at www.skystarwheel.com.

I just love my weekend getaways…..and this trip was Louisville!  What a great time, filled with great food, bourbon, and shopping!

We headed on down on a Friday afternoon, checked in to the Seelbach Hotel (our Louisville resting spot of choice!), then headed over before the impending storms to 8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen, an incredible indoor-outdoor all glass drinking and eating experience.  We were wowed!  Grabbed an awesome table outside to admire the skyline and have a cocktail and bites to eat.  Chef James Moran, the Executive Chef, greeted us with his innovative and scrumptious plates for the BEST happy hour. The drinks were wonderful, and his food……plate after plate of yumminess!  From the grilled octopus, the beef tartare, to the pizza, and the desserts.  AMAZING.  GO.  

After lounging at the hotel for a bit (splurge for the “Concierge Level” at the Seelbach….totally worth it!), we headed over to Le Moo, a famous Louisville spot known for the incredible cuts and varieties of beef.  We were seated in the Louis Vuitton booth, luxuriously surrounded by everything Louis, from the bench, to the wall, table…everything!  Way cool.  Dinner and desserts were delicious, and they do a great thing for birthdays!  Trust me on this, the older you are…the better!  

Saturday was the “Bourbon tasting” day.   We started at Rabbit Hole Distillery, a brand new, beautifully appointed facility right in Downtown Louisville.  Our hostess was informative and enjoyable, giving tons of info without overwhelming.  At the end of the tour it was tasting time.  Interactive and a definite favorite of all the Bourbon lovers at our table.

After a quick bite at Lilly’s Bistro (what a gem!  All farm-to-table…one dish better than the next!), we then headed over to Old Forester Distillery.  We had never been to a distillery that made their own barrels.  If you’ve never seen this, it’s super impressive!  Of course, the tour was finished with a tasting…great variety in Bourbons…don’t miss this tour!

Shopping.  There’s always time for it.  ALWAYS.  Our favorite gallery is CRAFT(s) Gallery & Mercantile at the corner of 4th and Chestnut…just down the street from The Seelbach.  The best collection of art and whimsical pieces!  There was an art opening the night before where we spied an awesome llama painting… came back on Saturday and purchased.  I’m in love.  He’s my new favorite animal and can’t wait to see him in all his glory hanging on the wall!

Food, food, food.  More food.  Off to Proof on Main, tucked away in the 21c hotel, surrounded by the incredible art of the hotel lobby and spaces around it.  Another incredible dining experience!  Course after course of great bites.

We got up Sunday morning and knew it was almost time to head back.  Brunch was a must, so we went to Harvest.  A repeat from years ago, and well worth it!  The restaurant is decorated with large portraits of all the farmers they buy product from.  All local and wonderful.  We all ordered something different so we could sample it all.  So much food.  Sooo good.

Another food and fun-filled weekend getaway.  Go to Louisville.  Be sure to save all my recommendations for your visit….you’ll be very pleased, I promise.

—Patty Youkilis, Publisher

 

The Skirball Museum on the historic Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion invites you to visit Jewish Cincinnati: A Photographic History by J. Miles Wolf, opening on October 11, 2018 at 5:30 pm. With this exhibition, Cincinnati native J. Miles Wolf brings his creative energy and discerning eye to illustrating the history of the Jews of Cincinnati. Focusing on current, former, and now extinct places of worship used by Cincinnati’s Jewish community, Wolf has culled synagogue and community archives, libraries, and personal local collections for historic photographs to combined with his stunning new photography. The resulting images illustrate the early days of Jewish Cincinnati in a style that has never been attempted before, bringing “back to life” some of the forgotten places of worship used by our ancestors. From its earliest days in the 1830s through the migration of the Jewish population from downtown to the West End and to Roselawn, Amberley Village, and beyond, the story is told by showing the chronological history of places of worship and by highlighting some of the community’s congregants and early leaders. This exhibition is part of FotoFocus 2018, a biennial celebration of len-based art that spans 70 museums and galleries across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton, and Columbus, Ohio.

 

Brooke Dorger was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the age of 13. Like Brooke, most people with T1D look perfectly normal and healthy, but have to work constantly to delicately manage insulin administration to stay alive since their pancreas produces little to no insulin. T1D is an autoimmune disease that can strike any one at any age at any time, and while many with the disease were diagnosed as children, as in Brooke’s case, approximately half of new diagnoses are in adults.

Despite the challenges of T1D, Brooke hasn’t let it stop her. In addition to a thriving career, Brooke has made time to give back to JDRF as part of its young professionals group, the Emerging Leaders Council (ELC). JDRF is a nonprofit organization with the mission to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes, and on October 20 will host its wildly popular Bourbon & BowTie Bash, an event where the ELC plays a big role. As a “BowTie Baronness”, Brooke has helped with fundraising for the event. “People love this event because there’s so much to enjoy, whether it be the bourbon tastings, bites from local eateries, the auction and fashion show, photo booths, or the crazy dance floor – there is something for everyone. Most of all the best part is seeing how many people come out to help create a world without type 1 diabetes.”

Brooke will share her story in front of 2,000 guests at the event, which will be held at the Duke Energy Center. While the Bourbon & BowTie Bash has already sold out of admission tickets again this year, a limited number of sponsorships are available. For more information, visit www.jdrfbourbon.org. To learn more about JDRF, visit swojdrf.org.