Category Archives: Event

Easter Fools Day

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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me annually, it’s a holiday. This year, Easter and April Fools Day coincide making things like Easter Snipe Hunts something to be on the lookout for. I always post on Sunday and, although the reasons are somewhat different, Easter always happens on Sunday. That means there have been several Easter anchored posts in the past. Despite them all being pretty shallow, I’ll post links at the end of this article.

April Fools Day is a different matter. This is only the second time in the life of this blog that April Fools Day has fallen on Sunday. The first time, in 2012, I attempted a joke, Product Review – Dial2Text, but it received virtually no attention. So, no joke this year. Instead, I looked into the history of the prankish holiday.

Like so many of our holidays, including the currently coinciding Easter, April Fools Day has several possible origins. My personal favorite involves the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar that started back in 1582. The change didn’t happen instantly. After Italy, France, and several other countries made the switch, 344 years passed before Turkey fell in line in 1926. Others switched at various points in between with England and her colonies, including those in North America, adopting the no-longer-very-new calendar in 1752. Depending on when the switch was made, 10 to 13 days had to be eliminated to get into sync. A more detailed description of the process is available here.

The Gregorian calendar places the start of the year at January 1. Prior to the switch, most Europeans considered a new year to begin at the Catholic Feast of the Annunciation on March 25. For some, this was a week long celebration which meant the party didn’t wrap up until April 1. The theory goes that, like folks who get to work an hour late when Daylight Savings Time kicks in, some people failed to adjust to the new calendar and continued to think of the first of April as the start of a year. They were laughed at and called April Fools by those more in tune with the times. I also suspect there were those who celebrated both dates and thought everyone else fools for missing out on half of the partying.

Of course, not everyone buys into this theory and some point to what may or may not be references to April 1 foolishness made well before 1582. Read some other theories and other details about the day here and here.

If the calendar story is true (and I really hope it is), then modern day April Fools differ greatly from the originals. People who celebrated a new year at the wrong time did it on their own and those who laughed at them were just enjoying the goof. Today it’s all about intentionally making others look foolish. The transition happened a long time ago. The image at the top of this article shows a “ticket” to see the non-existent “Annual Ceremony of Washing the Lions” at the Tower of London. It’s dated 1856 and there are records of the prank being played — probably without tickets — as early as 1698. Once everybody got on board with the January New Year thing, waiting for something like another calendar change to watch large groups of people do something dumb just wasn’t acceptable. Pranks, both big and small, quickly became the order of the day.

I’ll be on my guard, of course. There’s no way I’ll go looking for a left handed monkey wrench or polka dot paint… again. My only concern is whether or not I’ll be able to distinguish the snipe eggs from the bunny eggs.

Easter posts:
2012 East, Easter, Eastest
2013 Happy Eostre
2014 Must Be the Season of the Fish
2015 A Special Day
2016 Happy Easter Island
2017 Happy Easter Island (redux)

Double Play (Red Velvet & Othello)

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Like last week’s post, multiple events are involved. Unlike last week’s post, the events involved are similar and connected. They are not only connected to each other but to one of last week’s as well. On Wednesday, I attended an Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati performance of Red Velvet. I’d seen nothing but positive reviews and comments and I’ve now verified them. The entire cast is excellent but Ken Early stands out in the lead role of Ira Aldridge. I’d seen Early before as Phileas Fogg in ETC’s production of Around the World in 80 Days. He was good as Fogg but is truly impressive in the more challenging Red Velvet.

The play is fact based. In 1833 Ira Aldridge became the first black actor to play Othello in London’s Covent Garden. He was not well received. Even though he had been praised for his portrayal of that and other Shakespearean roles in other parts of England, Londoners expected their Othello to be a proper Englishman in blackface.

Lolita Chakrabart wrote Red Velvet in 2012. I got three things out of watching it. One was learning something of a man who, while rather famous 200 years ago, had pretty much disappeared from history and was totally unknown to me. Another was being led to focus on the fact that the racism of the nineteenth century may have been tamed a bit but it certainly has not been eliminated. The third thing I saw in the play was the absolute passion that actors can develop for their craft. I don’t know that Shakespeare productions involve more passion than others but it seems more visible there.

Shortly after purchasing my ticket to Red Velvet, I received an email offering a discount to another play at another theater. The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is overlapping ETC’s run of Red Velvet with a production of one of that play’s subjects, Othello. Cooperation between the theaters included discounts to one for attendees of the other. The eagerness with which I jumped on the offer was partly due to something I’d heard last week. During the Q & A session at last Wednesday’s Words and Music event at the Mercantile Library, Steve Earle was asked about his favorite authors. He cited a few (including J. K. Rowling) before naming William Shakespeare as the English language writer he most admired. He added that, if you personally didn’t care for Shakespeare, it might be because you’ve only read the words and didn’t experience them in a performance. That made sense to me and, realizing that I probably hadn’t seen a performance of any Shakespeare play as an adult, resolved to correct that. The opportunity came much quicker than I expected.

One night after seeing Red Velvet, with its Othello excerpts, I saw the real thing in its entirety. Overall, it supported Earle’s observation that seeing the Bard’s creations beats reading them. The CSC production uses a modern setting which could be either a plus or minus but which I thought rather neutral. The presence of cell phones, computer tablets, and TV news broadcasts did not intrude on the scripted words in any way although I suppose it could make the early seventeenth century language seem extra archaic. On the other hand it could serve to underscore the timelessness of the themes of jealousy and betrayal. I didn’t know enough to be affected one way or the other.

All of the principles displayed plenty of passion in their “big scenes” but otherwise often seemed to be in a hurry to deliver their lines before they forgot them. The exception was Nicholas Rose as Iago who struck me as being attentive to the pace of every phrase and the timing of every pause.

Overall it was a very good week in which I learned to appreciate William Shakespeare a little bit more and also learned a little about how much Cincinnati appreciates its live theater. I’ve attended a few ETC shows in the past and, while the basic layout remains the same, improvements in the theater itself and the greatly enlarged lobby indicate a solid future. This was my first CSC show which means I never saw the previous home on Race Street. I cannot, therefore, appreciate how big an improvement the brand new Otto M. Budig Theater is, but I can still be impressed with the really cool venue.

Both shows I attended were sold out or nearly so and these are not the only professional and semi-professional theater companies doing well in Cincinnati. Playhouse in the Park (where I attended Marie and Rosetta a couple of weeks ago) just announced that a new theater will be built at the end of this season. Landmark Productions opened its all new Incline Theater (where I’ll be seeing Spamalot on Thursday) in 2015. Although there’s no new theater on the horizon, Know Theater is now in its twentieth season and the Aronoff Center continues to present “Broadway” touring companies and such. Anyone wanting to see a play in Cincinnati definitely has choices.

CSC’s last performance of Othello was March 24. Red Velvet runs through March 31 at ETC.

The spring equinox occurred at a quarter past noon on Tuesday making Wednesday the first full day of spring. That’s when I took this picture in Washington Park as I walked past on the way to the Ensemble Theater.

Library, Gardens, Uke, and Eggs

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No single big thing happened this week but it sure wasn’t empty. If it had been, I’d be posting a Trip Peek or some other pre-canned asynchronous bit. Instead, I’m making this post from four things that happened during my non-empty week. The picture at right was taken Wednesday at something I’ve been anticipating for quite some time. It’s Steve Earle appearing at The Mercantile Library as part of the Words and Music Series.

The library was certainly full but everyone had at least a little breathing room. Steve’s song introductions were insightful although they probably weren’t any longer than normal. He often provides a good background for what is about to be  heard. About the only song he didn’t provide much introduction to was the surprise opener, F the CC. Anyone wanting to hear that in a library missed a rare opportunity. Steve played several songs, read a complete story from Doghouse Roses along with excerpts from his novel I’ll Never Get Out of Here Alive, then stayed on stage to take questions. It was exactly what I’d hoped for.

Cincinnati Gardens opened in 1949 and closed in 2016. On Monday, Ronnie Salerno posted some pictures of the recently begun demolition. That article can be read here and it should be. In addition to pictures from a very recent visit, it contains links to other pictures and other memories. It prompted me to take a few of my own pictures when I was next in the neighborhood which turned out to be Friday. Of course I have my own memories of The Gardens.

My first visit was in 1966 to see Cavalcade of Customs; My last in 2012 to watch the Cincinnati Roller Girls. In between were numerous concerts, sporting events, and shows. I did not see the concert that is almost always cited when someone talks about the place. The Beatles played here in 1964. However, I do remember seeing the Jefferson Airplane (with opener Cincinnati’s Lemon Pipers) in 1967 and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (opening for The James Gang) in 1971. The venue was never known for its acoustics and I’ve told everyone who would listen that ELP was the only group that actually sounded good in there.

I played The Gardens twice myself. From 1957 to 1972, the NBA Royals called Cincinnati home. The University of Cincinnati supplied the pep band for their games at The Gardens. I joined the UC marching band my freshman year carrying a lot of equipment while taking part in a single parade and no halftime shows. When an upperclassman couldn’t make the first two games of the NBA season, I was picked to bang a drum in a crowded corner of the floor while watching Oscar Robertson and friends do their thing.

The letters whose outlines can be seen in the third picture have been given to the American Sign Museum where they are expected to eventually be mounted on the building as “CINCINNATI Sign GARDEN”.

On Friday night I took in some music at Cincinnati’s oldest bar, Arnold’s. A normal Friday night for me is playing trivia but, with the NCAA tournament getting revved up, that was canceled due to lack of interest and space. I looked online to see who might be playing and the fact that John Redell would be at Arnold’s caught my eye. Learning the Erin Coburn would be with him made it even more attractive and I’d already pretty much made up my mind to go when I found out the Dixon Creasy would also be there. Too cool. John is the ultimate mentor and, when not performing solo, spends a lot of his time making other people look good. That was the case when I last saw John and Erin together but not — at least not entirely — tonight. Erin can now readily hold her own and John permits himself to shine a bit more. A most enjoyable evening that included hearing a ukulele through a wah-wah live for the first time. That’s something everybody needs.

The fourth and final event to contribute to this post is my Saint Patrick’s Day breakfast. With its name inspired by the original owner’s pet chimpanzee, the Monkey Bar and Grill, on the Little Miami River, is undergoing what newspapers have referred to as a renovation. Transformation might be more accurate. One of the renovations not yet completed is the kitchen and the bar has been relying on food trucks for weekends and special occasions. Crappy weather threw a wrench (What kind of wrench was it?) into some outdoor plans but it didn’t keep Big Al’s BBQ from offering breakfast inside. Not the fanciest Saint Paddy’s breakfast I’ve ever had but it did the job and eating at the penny bar (20,000+ they say) was pretty cool.

Bock’s Back

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Anytime you spot a Trojan goat being led down the street by a self propelled bathtub, the odds are considerable that you’re at Cincinnati’s annual Bockfest parade. It happened Friday for the twenty-sixth time. My attendance has been frequent but imperfect. While I have no statistics to prove that Friday’s parade was the biggest yet, it felt like it might be. Sunshine and relatively warm temperatures (high 40s) helped.

The bathtub belongs to Arnold’s Bar and Grill. It’s Cincinnati’s oldest tavern and the parade’s starting point. The traveling tub is a reference to the legend that the bar’s bathtub was used to make gin during prohibition. As I recall, the goat was created by the defunct downtown Barrel House Brewery but is now in the care of the Moerlien Brewing Company.

Goats are traditionally associated with bock beer and they appear at Bockfest in many forms. However, no matter how many legs a particular goat might have, it still has only two ends.

If you’ve read any of my parade related posts over the last few years, you know that the Red Hot Dancing Queens became instant favorites of mine from the first time I saw them. Nobody has more fun than these gals.

Two friends attended this year’s parade with me. It was Dave’s first time and he accompanied me along the route dodging goats, dancers, and Segways. As it turned out, he also dodged my camera. Clyde, who attended his first Bockfest parade with me two years ago, has since joined Die Innenstadt, a support group for FC Cincinnati, the local USL team. Although it initially took a little urging to get him to participate, once committed, he not only marched with the group, but did an outstanding job waving one of their big flags.

Dave and I made it to the parade route end and reunited with Clyde for one Schoenling Bock inside the super-crowded Bockfest Hall. I admit that I sometimes lead my friends to the beer taps, but I don’t make them drink. That’s all their doing.

Bibliophilia at the Mercantile

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Despite natural first impressions, the title is one of of my most accurate and straightforward. Bibliophilia is the name of a Cincinnati Museum Center CurioCity program that was held at the Mercantile Library of Cincinnati on Thursday. The Museum Center (a.k.a., Union Terminal) is currently undergoing a major renovation and numerous events that would normally be held there are being spread around the city. The Mercantile Library is one of the city’s oldest institutions and it is with considerable chagrin that I admit to this being my first visit.

Bibliophilia exhibits included Sarah Pearce’s artistic creations and a letter press from the Museum Center. Pearce made that dress out of pages from a book of patterns following one of those patterns. The letter press was fully operational and even I managed to produce something legible with it. There was also a station with manual typewriters that attendees could use to write Tweet sized (140 character) stories and a place where they could bind their stories into pamphlets. A rather major activity was a scavenger hunt that had people prowling all through the library to answer a set of questions.

I didn’t take part in the scavenger hunt but prowled nonetheless. The Young Men’s Mercantile Library Association was founded in 1835. It lost a couple of homes to fire and moved around a bit during its first seven decades but has occupied the purpose built upper floors of 414 Walnut Street since 1904. It’s here under a $10,000 10,000 year lease that guarantees space even if the building is replaced.

The place looks exactly as a library should. In fact, it looks a lot like what it did in 1904 and some of the furnishings and many of the books predate that considerably. But there have been changes over the years. You can now be neither young nor male and still join and, even though “mercantile” is still part of the name, a connection with commerce is no longer required.

The library was recently the subject of a great Cincinnati Refined article accompanied by some marvelous photos. Check it out here.

A surprise bonus was running into a couple of travelers I hadn’t seen in quite awhile. We’ve sometimes joked online about probably meeting each other beside a narrow road in some semi-distant state. Although the Rowlands (Chris & Katherine) and I both live near Cincinnati, a crossing of paths on two-lane roads seemed more likely than the meeting in a library in the heart of downtown that happened Thursday. I tried to get a candid shot of the two of them but my attempts turned out to be the blurriest of the blurry so I asked to use a picture that Katherine took of Chris & I. Catch up on their travels and learn a lot about Reubens here.

Three Fortnights to Go

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On Friday, I made my second excursion to see Buckeye Chuck with no more planning than the first and with worse timing. In 2016 I arrived long enough before sunrise to look around a little and down a free SPAM sandwich before the big event. I cut it a little closer this year and, while I did have a few minutes to wait, the SPAM (i.e., ground hog) sandwiches provided by local sponsors were all gone. To be honest, they weren’t entirely gone but the last few had been distributed moments before I arrived and all I could do was watch them disappear into the mouths of nearby spectators.

My arrival preceded sunrise by only about ten minutes and co-hosts Scott Shawver and Paul James filled the time with banter and guests including Marion Mayor Scott Schertzer. I’m guessing that Schertzer appears every year (he did in 2016) but this year he has a little extra claim to fame. Just two weeks ago, Cincinnatian Connie Pillich picked him as her running mate in her campaign for governor. Pillich is an occasional patron of the place where I eat pizza, drink beer, and play trivia. When James and Shawver polled the crowd to see who came the farthest, my shouted “Cincinnati” was the apparent winner but, because there was no one from out of state, not much was made of it. Actually nothing was made of it at all.

James and Shawver claim to alternate duties but, having only been here in two even numbered years, Shawver is the only one I’ve personally seen deal with Chuck. He bravely — it was 12 degrees Fahrenheit — stripped down to shirtsleeves and briefly studied the situation before announcing the obvious. In the bright sunlight. Buckeye Chuck couldn’t help but see his shadow and predict six more weeks of winter.

Before leaving town, I again satisfied my need for ground hog with sausage and eggs at Baires Restaurant then stopped by President Harding’s memorial. Look at those clouds and consider how much different Chuck’s prediction would have been if delivered just a short while later.

Seventy-Six Years After

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Thursday was the seventy-sixth anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. On the day following the attack, President Franklin Roosevelt called December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy” and it does, even though public events marking the day are decreasing. That’s to be expected as the number of people with personal memories of the day gets a little smaller each year and other horrible events occupy the memories of following generations.

The town of New Richmond, Ohio, holds a Pearl Harbor Remembrance event each year on the Sunday preceding December 7. When it began, about thirty years ago, approximately twenty-five Pearl Harbor survivors attended from the surrounding area. For my first time there, in 2011, just three remained and only one, Joe Whitt, was healthy enough to be there. The others have since passed on while Joe, at 94, continues to attend the event and share his memories.

This year I also attended an event on the actual anniversary of the bombing. The VFW Post 7696 event at West Chester Township’s Brookside Cemetery was the only one that turned up in an online search. Things began with a recounting of key events surrounding the attack.

A Soldier’s Cross ceremony followed. A bayoneted rifle is thrust into the ground then “dog tags” are hung from it. Boots are then placed in front of the rifle and the cross completed with a helmet placed atop the rifle. The event concluded with a rifle volley and the playing of Taps.

This year’s Pearl Harbor Remem-brance Day was  a little bit different for me by virtue of having visited Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial for the first time in the spring. The opening photo of the Arizona’s anchor is from that visit as are the three on the right. My journal for the visit is here..

The singing of a familiar medley of service songs was part of Sunday’s activities in New Richmond. As the songs associated with each of the five US military branches was performed, veterans of the branch stood. It seemed to me that close to half of the crowd stood at some point. Later, one of the speakers asked all WW II veterans to raise their hands. I counted three including Joe Whitt.

A Post-Refurb Peek at Music Hall

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Cincinnati’s Music Hall reopened on October 6 after an 18 month $135 million renovation. I didn’t make it to that grand re-opening. Last Sunday’s third and final performance of “American Originals, Vol 2” was my first time inside the building since I attended the MusicNOW Festival in March of 2016. That was not the final event preceding the shut-down but it was among the last and it prompted my A Pre-Refurb Peek at Music Hall post. I selected the photo at right to open this post as the closest thing I’ve got to the photo that began that article. There’s a more inclusive exterior shot here.

Although these photos do not attempt to duplicate any of those in the earlier post, they do make it obvious that the chandelier that once hung over the lobby, and which I sort of featured in 2016, is gone. Apparently it was decided before renovations started that this chandelier, as well as some others, would not be coming back.

I also took a look at the balcony and gallery before I headed to my seat. Note the panels above the orchestra pit area. They’re to improve the acoustics of a place I didn’t even know needed improving.

That chandelier that hung above the main lobby is one of the three now hanging in Corbett Tower. A drop ceiling was removed and the nineteenth century stenciled design recreated. Previously blocked windows have been cleared to let in more light and provide views of Washington Park.

With all the gawking I did at the new and freshly uncovered beauty of the wonderful old building, I was at risk of forgetting why I was there, but I didn’t. Last year the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra put together an “American Originals” project featuring the music of Stephen Foster and several world class performers. This year it was the music of the World War I era and another batch of world class performers. Specifically those performers were the Steep Canyon Rangers, Pokey LaFarge, and Rhiannon Giddens plus tap dancer Robyn Watson.

With the orchestra always adding that something extra, the artists performed alone and in various combinations. The finale was a rousing version of “I Ain’t Got Nobody” with all hands on deck. In fact, it was more than just all hands, the audience was encouraged — quite strongly — to sing a couple of lines. That’s Pops Conductor John Morris Russell doing the encouraging. The entire performance was recorded and a CD will be available. I assure you it’s safe to buy; I did not try to sing.

I ended the 2016 pre-refurb post with a shot of Springer Auditorium’s 2,000 pound chandelier from floor level. The closest I’ve got to that this time is a shot taken from the balcony. The chandelier is a relatively new addition to the 139 year old building. It was added during a 1969 renovation. That meant there was talk of removing it but public outcry kept it from going very far.

I’ve called this a peek and it isn’t a particularly good one. Among the much better photographs out there are those in an online gallery at Cincinnati Refined. I’ve provided even less of a peek at the concert. CityBeat published an excellent review of Friday’s performance which was essentially the same as what I saw Sunday. That review is here.

Five Fives

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I’ve walked in a DAV 5K every year it has existed. It all started with a single event in Cincinnati in 2013. Six cities hosted events in 2017. Veterans Day fell on Saturday this year, and three of those cities, including Cincinnati, held their 5Ks on that day. The other three took place a week prior.

I cheated a bit when I signed up this time. The online registration form included a drop-down list for indicating how many previous Cincinnati DAV 5Ks you had participated in. The “Cincinnati” part is what made it tricky. Last year I was traveling and took part in the inaugural DAV 5K in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Apparently believing that someone misinterpreted an abbreviation was easier than believing someone had entered the event from 650 miles away. When I picked up my registration in Tulsa, someone had crossed out Ohio and written in Oklahoma. Somehow that eased my conscience when I clicked “4” on that list. The count was right; It was just off a few hundred miles.

The first official activity of the event is the motorcycle roll-by. I was more or less in position near the back of the pack when I heard them rumbling behind me and turned to snap a picture. Thanks to the magic of auto-focus, I have a rather crisp rendition of the sign post. Somewhat less crisp is the photo’s actual subject matter. I did a little better as they passed by where I stood.

The scene in this picture should be familiar to anyone who has followed my DAV 5K career. I’ve posted a photo of the crowd leading me under the start banner every year except the very first, and that year I included a shot of the banner from the other side as the cyclists were about to take off.

The temperature at the start was in the 20s and I believe that’s the coldest it has ever been for the event. I’m thinking that may explain the dearth of entertainment or maybe it’s just become old hat. Other than the faithful Saint Xavier Marching Band providing some pep from their usual spot. there was just one musician on the route. He jumped into Lynyrd Skynyrd’s  “GimmeThree Steps” as I approached and that was what I was still hearing as I moved out of range.

I don’t know whether the motorcycles follow the entire route or take a short cut but a long line of them are parked near the finish each year. The riders stand on the median offering hand slaps and encouragement to all the participants. Not everyone takes advantage of the hand slaps but there aren’t many who couldn’t use a little encouragement at this point.

Here is another familiar scene but, unlike the scene at the start banner, the crowd has gotten rather thin. Despite what you’re probably thinking, it’s not because I’ve left them in my dust. There are a few (141) behind me but much more than a few (2147) ahead of me. In an alarming difference from past finishes, my time did not improve over the previous year. This year’s 1:03:55 was a full 19 seconds higher than last year’s time. Although it’s possible that the Tulsa course is itself faster (I did beat my previous Cincinnati time.) I fear that my pace has peaked and the glory days are over.

Here are links to the previous DAV 5K blog entries: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.

BLINK Cincinnati

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It’s big. Twenty blocks big, they say. The southernmost installations are in the Banks area south of 2nd Street; The northernmost is a little north of Findlay Street. That’s where the twenty block measurement comes from. In between, displays can be found in an area three or four blocks wide. The simplest description of BLINK is that it’s a light show. Colorful images, such as the one at right, are projected on buildings throughout that twenty block area of downtown Cincinnati. Thursday was the first night; Sunday is the last.

I made it Thursday night, but not as early as I should have. I had thoughts of parking in the Washington Park and catching the nearby opening night parade. I was way too late for that, however, and could see that streets around the park were blocked off. I turned onto Walnut Street and headed toward Fountain Square. As I drove, I grabbed the picture at the top of the article from the car. Vehicle traffic was heavy but nowhere near what I’ve frequently seen in the past. It was foot traffic that was unusual. It didn’t approach gridlock levels either but it was certainly heavy throughout a large area. At this point, I wasn’t really surprised to see the Walnut Street entrance to the Fountain Square Garage closed. I was, however, feeling a little discouraged and the blocked entrance added to that. I decided to swing around to the other side and if it was also closed, as I expected, I would simply head home and try again on another night.

I did not have to cut and run. The Vine Street entrance was open and there were plenty of spots open in the garage. After a brief look at the area around Fountain Square I headed toward the river. These two photos are of the eastern side of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The lighted tops of the PNC and Carew Towers can be seen in the first one. All projected images are either constantly changing or in motion.

South of the Freedom Center, seesaws with illuminated beams occupy an area between it and the Roebling Bridge. I walked beyond the seesaws and looked back north for the second picture. Images are projected on all three sections of the Freedom Center. On the left are the PNC and Carew Towers with the Scripps Tower on the right.

The Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds, is a participant with a large display of the event’s name and and a series of baseball themed images.

Food and beverages are available in a number of Hospitality Areas and there are several locations with live music. The first picture is of The Mambo Combo who were performing on the Freedom Center Stage. The second is of the Queen City Kings performing in the Saint Xavier Backlot. The King City projection, with rotating tape reels, is on the rear of Saint Xavier Church. I kind of wanted to talk with the young lady in the picture about what she was reading but I didn’t.

There was another snag besides my late arrival. As stated in the online FAQ, “BLINK is designed around the Cincinnati Bell Connector Streetcar route.” Around 9:00, when I decided to take the streetcar to the north end of the event, it was not moving. It wasn’t the streetcar’s fault. A section of 5th Street was blocked for what I assume was an accident. Yellow police tape crossed the streetcar track. When any part of a loop is blocked, the whole thing, in effect, is blocked. I chose not to walk the fifteen or so blocks so I missed a considerable portion of the exhibits. Just more bad timing on my part.