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Fun Fact

Chloe Hausfeld joins Newport-baseed Baynum Industries, world renowned for their work in amusement park Industry for four decades.

Chloe Hausfeld, a 12-year veteran of the entertainment and attractions industry, has been appointed a director at Baynum Amusement Solutions, responsible for developing new business and managing projects.

Baynum Solutions is has been an industry leader for four decades. Working in amusement parks, water parks, and construction, Baynum provides painting, ride relocation and installation, Life Floor and iSlide certified installations, and fiberglass restoration and gelcoating.

Hausfeld will be responsible for cultivating key client and vendor relationships while helping direct growth efforts for Baynum Amusement Solutions, the industry’s top service provider.

Hausfeld, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, joins Baynum after nearly 12 years with Jack Rouse Associates (JRA), part of RWS Entertainment Group, as Vice President. In her role there, Hausfeld traveled extensively to industry symposia, coordinated logistics for JRA’s activations, and provided client service and vendor relations at the events. As account executive, she also was active in client creative sessions and provided support on projects and management oversight.

“We are excited to have Chloe Hausfeld join our Baynum Amusement Solutions team,” said Walter Bowser, president, Baynum Amusement Solutions. “Her industry experience, connections and business development skills will provide an immediate impact to our continued growth. Most importantly, her positive and fun-loving attitude will be a perfect fit for our organization and clients.”

Her current professional leadership roles include membership on the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Board of Directors, member of the Space Allocation Committee, the Global Manufacturers and Suppliers Committee and  the Give Kids the World Subcommittee. Hausfeld was also named the “Young Professional of the Year” in 2017.

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Stand and Deliver

Meals on Wheels continues to provide meals and more to local older adults, with a boost from Molina Healthcare and iHeartI Media.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and rapid inflation have created a crisis for seniors experiencing loneliness and hunger across the nation,” said Jennifer Steele, CEO of Meals on Wheels Southwest OH & Northern KY, and a member of the national board of Meals on Wheels America.

To help address these issues for older adults in the community, volunteers from Molina Healthcare of Ohio, in partnership with iHeartIMPACT and Meals on Wheels America, delivered meals to homebound seniors throughout Cincinnati and neighboring communities. This volunteer event was part of “March for Meals” on March 20 to commemorate the historic day in 1972 when a national nutrition program for seniors was added to the Older Americans Act.

This month also marks the first time since 2020 that SNAP benefits are reverting to their pre-pandemic formulas, making meal delivery and public/private partnerships more important than ever.

“We are so grateful for the support and partnership of Molina Healthcare of Ohio, iHeartIMPACT and iHeartMedia at a local, state and national level,” said Steele. “Together, we can deliver on the promise of providing so much more than just a meal.” 

The event also served as a celebration of a $50,000 grant to support three Meals on Wheels programs throughout southern Ohio, provided by iHeartIMPACT, a division of iHeartMedia, on behalf of Molina.

The Meals on Wheels network continues to struggle with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty and unstable conditions. Funding from Molina and iHeartIMPACT has been imperative in addressing current challenges and building capacity for those programs, helping to drive long-term sustainability beyond immediate funding.

“Molina is committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves, and addressing hunger among our seniors is part of that commitment.” said Ami Cole, plan president for Molina Healthcare of Ohio. “We are pleased to partner with iHeartIMPACT in supporting the mission of Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.” 

This grant will provide 5,000 meals and friendly visits to program members while also providing funding to upgrade kitchen equipment and support pet and social service initiatives.

“LiHeartMedia is proud to stand with Molina Healthcare and Meals on Wheels America to improve the health and quality of life of the seniors they serve so that no one is left hungry or isolated,” said DJ Hodge, Metro President, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh for iHeartMedia. “iHeartIMPACT’s mission is to improve communities one media campaign at a time, and we’re thankful for Molina Healthcare in their commitment to joining us in this goal.”  

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Shamrock 'n' Roll

Last Saturday's St. Patrick's Parade was an excellent prelude to this tomorrow's hoopla. Find a little inspiration for the wearing o' the green as you celebrate March 17.

Last Saturday, The Banks celebrated with the St. Patrick’s Parade. But the Irish party continues this weekend with Beers & Bets and a bar crawl, and goes into the summer when the Red Leprechaun is set to open.

On Friday, March 17, catch all of the action of this year’s basketball tournament at The Banks and place your bets for the winners. DJs will be broadcasting LIVE all day with

6–10 a.m. – 96ROCK's Bridget & Nick

12–2 p.m. – Cat Country 94.1’s Tater

2–7 p.m. – Cat Country 94.1’s Patrick Scott and The FOX's Sean Kelly

On Saturday, you can join the Official St. Patrick's Bar Crawl, with check-in at the AC Upper Deck from 2 to 4 p.m. for wristband pick-up. Participating bars include Fishbowl at The Banks, Jefferson Social, and Tin Roof.

But the St. Patrick’s spirits rolls into the summer when the Red Leprechaun Irish Pub is scheduled to open at 20 West Freedom Way, between Taste of Belgium and E + O.

The new project is led by the team from Fishbowl at The Banks that has operated a block away since 2019. Owner Daniel Scott is partnering with Chef Brian Duffy to create the Irish-themed food menu. Duffy is known from his popular Spike TV series, “Bar Rescue” and appearances on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” and “The Today Show.”

The focal point of Red Leprechaun will be an imported bar from Malahide, Ireland (north of Dublin), that was built in 1957 and stood for 62 years until 2019. Scott purchased the full bar and stained glass, and shipped it from Ireland for a 57-day journey to Cincinnati. Scott is currently having the bar restored for the grand opening.

“Red Leprechaun will be a traditional Irish pub with modern flair from our menu to the live entertainment with bands and acoustic music,” said Scott. “We will be another great location for sports fans and visitors to The Banks.”

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All In

What are the odds Ohio went all in on sports betting at Hard Rock?

The sportsbook at  Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is definitely a good bet.

Hard Rock’s sportsbook generated $4.4 million in on-site bets, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s numbers. That’s the most of any of the 14 brick-and-mortar sports betting sites in the state. Hard Rock received $25.1 million in sports bets, known as handle, during the month, including through its app.

In all, Greater Cincinnati sports betting volume hit $526 million in the first month of legal gambling on games. That’s nearly half of the $1.1 billion that gamblers bet in Ohio on sports during January, according to newly released numbers from the commission that give the first look at legal betting totals at the state’s on-site sportsbooks and through mobile apps.

Hard Rock Cincinnati Sportsbook is located inside the Hard Rock Cafe and features a lounge area to enhance game days year-round for local sport fans. In addition to the sportsbook lounge area, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati has more than 150 TVs, 33 betting kiosks, and six betting windows. The Hard Rock Sportsbook experience is also available anytime, anywhere throughout Ohio, via a mobile app and desktop sportsbook.

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Strike a Pose

Artists enjoy opening for Summerfair's Emerging Artists exhibition at Clifton Cultural Arts Center.

The next generation of artists takes center stage at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center during Summerfair’s Emerging Artists exhibition.

At the opening last Friday, awards were presented to the best in show by Jayne Utter, Summerfair's managing director along with juror Mary Donaldson.

The first place winner was Helena Kaelin from Northern Kentucky University for the piece, The Prodigal Daughter. Second place went to Mary Visco, Miami University. with Expanse. Alyssa McRoberts from Mount St. Joseph University, took third place for Tracing Time. Honorable mentions were given to Kendra Yurt, from Thomas More University, for Midnight Pondering and Madison Mackinnon of Miami University, for Phoenix Ember Emerging.

The Jerry Bollen Award was presented to Nick Felaris of Miami University for the work, KETTLEPEOPLE.

The exhibition continues through Feb. 24

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Bring in the New

The Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce recently elected new officers and shares their 2023 goals at their annual meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce recently elected new officers and shares their 2023 goals at their annual meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The new officers of the AACC are

Shannon D. Lawson, Esq., chair and an attorney with KMK Law, serving in the firm’s Business Representation & Transactions Group

As an attorney in the firm’s Business Representation & Transactions Group, Lawson assists clients with all aspects of their commercial financing and equipment leasing needs. Shannon has successfully negotiated and structured numerous transactions—and has become the go-to source for clients when it comes to solving their complex legal issues within finance and leasing.

Apryl Pope, secretary and a financial planner with Pope Financial Planning, LLC.

Pope and her team work one-on-one with families and business owners to design and implement a personalized plan to pursue their financial goals. As a former high school teacher, she values education and is committed to teaching others about the importance of financial planning and wealth building.

Royce Sutton, treasurer and an executive vice president with Fifth Third Bank

Sutton is an experienced Community Reinvestment Act compliance manager, with more than 20 years of regulatory and community development business success. His work includes everything from creating business development strategies and opportunities with community partners to administering the foundation grants program and maintaining outreach with key community, government, business and non-profit leaders.

Erica White-Johnson, Esq., vice chair and an attorney with altafiber.

She has a degree in accounting from Hampton University and is a graduate of William & Mary Law School.

She also serves on the City of Cincinnati Primary Care Board of Governors, which has the responsibility for establishing policies, including determining the scope and availability of services, location and hours of services, and assuring the organization is operating in compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Board’s oversight of the public entity is governed by its by-laws and a co-applicant agreement with the Board of Health.

The Chamber will also welcomed two new board members.

Darrick Dansby, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty. Williams received his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina and his law degree from The Ohio State University.

Dansby has been a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty since 2014 and began his Real Estate career working with the 3CDC (Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation) and later served as the Director of Development for Price Hill Will. 

Max Williams, an associate attorney with Frost Brown Todd,

During his time in law school, Williams was the chief managing editor for the Ohio State Business Law Journal. He also served as an executive justice for judge recruitment on the Moot Court Governing Board.

Williams previously worked as a clerk for a Personal Injury attorney in Columbus, Ohio, and as a summer associate of the firm in 2019.

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More Than Movies

Film Cincinnati makes an impressive showing at the Sundance Film Festival, which was back in full swing after two years of on-line screening only.

The Big ‘Dance

If you plan to go out to Sundance next year, consider becoming a member at www.sundance.org (different levels are available, depending on how much you want to do and see).

Membership gives you early access to tickets, whether you want single-movie tickets or packages. It also gives you a discount on Sundance merch, always a hot commodity. For cinephiles, it’ an exhilarating immersion into independent cinema and a first look at some of the films we’ll be talking about in the months to come.

The Sundance Film Festival, an offshoot of the Sundance Institute founded by Robert Redford in 1981, was back in full swing in person (and virtually) in 2023 after two years of on-line screening only. It’s certainly the place to see and be seen in the industry, where fans can walk the streets with some of the biggest names in film, and party with entertainment and cinema glitterati.

While movies are shown in locations throughout the area, the hub of the action is the ski resort town of Park City, Utah, a vacation paradise not just in summer, but year round.

Normally a pleasant little resort city of 7,500 tucked in the Wasatch Mountains, the town explodes during Sundance with film buffs, film makers and film movers and shakers (in fact, most of the natives get out of town for the week and rent their homes to visitors for a pretty penny). Car service is a must, especially if you’re staying at nearby resorts. Ride sharing is available, but often your driver is from out of town and doesn’t know the back streets, a must during festival week. (Two feet of snow doesn’t help, either, especially when said back streets are still snow covered)

While this year’s festival ran from January 19 through January 29, the real action happens during that first weekend—in fact, many of the major sponsors pull their activations out of town after Monday. It’s a time for aspiring moviemakers to make connections, film industry veterans to reconnect after two years on line, and, oh yes, see some of the finest independent movies being made today.

Some of the hot movies being screened at Sundance this year were a series of documentaries, including “Little Richard: I am Everything” and “Still: A Michael J Fox Movie,” psychological thriller “Cat Person” and the mocumentary “Theater Camp.” Making headlines for all the wrong reasons was the drama “Magazine Dreams,” when the Sundance jury, including Marlee Matlin, walked out on the premiere because the caption technology wasn’t working.

The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky film industry was well represented at this year’s Sundance, thanks to Film Cincinnati and its executive director Kristen Schlotman, starting with an open-to-the-industry Bengals-Bills watch party at the famed No Name Saloon on Main Street in Park City. Filmmakers, performers and Cincinnati ex-pats vacationing or living in the area stopped by to cheer on the Bengals to the divisional victory.

Film Cincinnati also partnered with Kentucky Film for a Monday afternoon reception to boost the film industry in the Bluegrass. More than 400 RSVP’d for the event at The Cabin, which featured Kentucky bourbon and live music.

– Betsy Ross

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Buffalo Stance

Bengals shuffle into the AFC Championship with a win against Buffalo, and we were there!

Did you see that? Despite the snow (and the cold), the Bengals got the win against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday at Highmark Stadium. Undaunted by the weather at home and on the road, the Bengals faithful made the trip, bringing the ultimate tailgate experience to Buffalo and rounds of WHO DEY inside the stadium.

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Ruffling Some Feathers

WHODEY! Check out some of our favorite Bengals fans from the AFC Wild Card game.

Bengals fans took tailgating to new heights before the Wild Card game on Sunday, Jan 15 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Photos by Shae Combs

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Just One Look at You

Friends remember Jean-Robert with video tribute.

As family, friends, and Cincinnati’s culinary community gather to celebrate the life of Chef Jean Robert de Cavel, we wanted to share this video remembrance.

A memorial mass for Chef Jean Robert de Cavel will be held on Jan. 16, 9:30 a.m., at Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, 325 W. Eighth St. in downtown Cincinnati. Rev. Barry Windholtz and the Rev. Jan Schmidt will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the de Cavel Family SIDS Foundation.

Online condolences can be made at Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Homes.

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A Safe Bet

Place your bets, sports fans! See the action at Hard Rock Casino.

In a truly only-in-Cincinnati moment, when sports better started in Ohio, Pete Rose placed the first best at Hard Rock Casino, wagering $100 that the Reds would win the 2023 World Series.

Rose was joined by other Cincinnati sports luminaries Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Bronson Arroyo, broadcast legend Marty Brennaman, Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Wineberg, and Cincinnati Bengals legends Anthony Muñoz, Ickey Woods, Jim Breech and David Fulcher to celebrate New Year’s Eve and the launch of sports betting at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati.

Hard Rock Sportsbook officially opened at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati at approximately 12:01 a.m. on January 1, the landmark day that sports betting became legal in Ohio. Located inside the Hard Rock Cafe, Hard Rock Cincinnati Sportsbook features a new lounge area to enhance game days year-round for local sport fans. In addition to a new sportsbook lounge area, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati has added more than 150 TVs, 33 betting kiosks, and six betting windows.

The Hard Rock Sportsbook experience is also available anytime, anywhere throughout Ohio, via a mobile app and desktop sportsbook. New Ohio players on the Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app can earn up to five spins of the Mystery Wheel (depending on amount bet), each with a chance to win up to $5,000 in bonus bets. 

Hard Rock Sportsbook’s mobile app has a 4.8-star rating and offers a frictionless, easy-to-use experience with live streaming, innovative promotions, fast deposits and withdrawals, and hundreds of games and props to bet each day along with same game parlays and prop parlays. The Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app is available for download through the App Store (iOS users) or the Google PlayStore (Android users) and can be utilized by fans physically located within Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia with plans to expand to additional states soon. Hard Rock Sportsbook also serves fans online in New Jersey and Iowa through the Hard Rock Sports & Casino NJ and the Hard Rock Sportsbook Iowa apps, respectively.

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In Top Form

The Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce has named their annual business award honorees.

The Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) held its annual Gala on Saturday, Dec. 3, inducting a number of local business leaders into its Hall of Fame.

The Cincy Nights Gala was an homage to the creative, collaborative spirt of the Harlem Renaissance. The event in the Music Hall Ballromm featured a live jazz band, poetry, fashion show, and tap dance performances from members of the communities served by the AACC.

Hall of Fame honorees

Emerging Leader winners

Chairman’s Award honorees

AACC Volunteer Award winner

Sam Ross of Ionic Communications

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Home Cooking

Jeff Ruby makes a special delivery to first responders in Anderson.

Since 2015, Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment has provided more than 4,700 turkeys to first responders and their families. That tradition continued this week, with deliveries to the Anderson Township Fire & Rescue and Police Department.

“We have the honor and privilege to offer a very small gesture of appreciation for first responders here in Anderson Township. Every day they – and every first responder in Cincinnati put the needs of our community ahead of their own in order to protect and serve all of us. We’re thankful for them and for the opportunity we have to share a bit of joy with them and their wonderful families during this holiday season,” said restaurateur Jeff Ruby, founder of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment. “From more than 800 members of the extended Jeff Ruby family, we offer heartfelt gratitude and thanks for all they do in keeping us safe.”

Approximately 100 turkeys were donated by the Jeff Ruby family, owners and operators of Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, The Precinct, and Carlo & Johnny.

Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment also gave turkeys to first responders in Columbus, Nashville, and Louisville.

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Home of the Brave

Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati honors local vet with Veterans Day ceremony.

Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati honored local vets today with a special ceremony. Hamilton County Color Guard presented the colors and and Robert Lomax, from the Hamilton County Sherriff’s office, sang the National Anthem.

At the ceremony George Goldhoff, president of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, presented a $10,000 donation to Disabled American Veterans to Jeremy Yost, a Marine veteran and DAV’s assistant national employment director.

Hard Rock Cafe and Brick’d Pizza offered free meals to vets. In the cafe Nancy James and a big band performed nostalgic tunes to celebrate veterans and our armed forces.

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Screen Test

Ready for your close-up? See shots from Film Cincinnati's Backlot gala.

Glamour and fun ruled the red carpet at Film Cincinnati’s Backlot fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Guests did not disappoint, picking up the pre-Halloween vibes and going all in on the “Hollywood Glam” theme for the event, held at Waypoint Aviation.

Along with food from Funky’s Catering, music from Fixx Band, and green screen and 360-camera stations, the evening also honored film producer Sarah Green, who received Film Cincinnati’s Founder's Award.

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Brewing up history

Hands down, this tour in OTR where we learned about Cincinnati’s brewing history was easily at the top of our “Coolest things we’ve done in Cincy this year” list.

Dark side of brewing

Is the name of the tour we took! You’ll walk a little over a mile through OTR, past historic breweries.

Brewing Heritage Trail staff are incredibly knowledgeable as they take you through Cincinnati’s brewing history, sharing stories of those who left their mark here through beer.

The last two stops on your tour are some of the coolest!

tOUR AN ABANDONED THEATER

We won’t give it all away but this was one of our favorite parts of the tour.

Next, you’ll walk underneath the historic Jackson Brewery, into its former brewing tunnels.

Check out the gallery below and our Cincinnati People show for all the fun we fun we had.

For more info, click here: https://brewingheritagetrail.org/

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What's Cooking

Dillon Ruby on the new era in dining for Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse.

Cincinnati steak-lovers, we’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news.

The bad news is Jeff Ruby’s eponymous downtown steakhouse closed on Sunday.

The good news is a new, bigger, and somehow even more glamorous, steakhouse opens across from Fountain Square on Saturday.

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Sleeping Beauty

The glamorous art deco bedroom closes soon at the Cincinnati Art Museum!

Like the Roaring Twenties, the days to see Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom by Joseph Urban at the Cincinnati Art Museum are fleeting.

The lavish bedroom designed by Austrian-born architect Joseph Urban for 17-year-old Elaine Wormser closes Sunday, Oct. 2.

About the Architect

Joseph Urban (1872–1933) was a prolific illustrator, scenic designer, and architect who trained in fin-de-siècle Vienna. During this period, many Viennese artists, including Urban, rejected historical precedents and embraced a new modern art. In 1911, he relocated to the United States to become the art director of the Boston Opera. He quickly became one of the most revered set designers of the early twentieth century and worked tirelessly across a range of media, from film to architecture, to create and promote a fresh style that reflected the times.

Some of Urban’s most notable projects include set designs for the Metropolitan Opera, the Ziegfeld Follies, and Hollywood films; the first American gallery to showcase work by artists of the famed Wiener Werkstatte (Vienna Workshop); the building and interiors for The New School in New York; the color direction for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair; interiors for Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago; and the roof garden of Cincinnati’s Hotel Gibson (demolished in 1977).

More about the exhibition.

More than 90 years after its completion, the Wormser Bedroom’s furnishings have been fully conserved and displayed to reflect their state as originally installed in Chicago’s Drake Tower and photographed in 1930.

“It is thrilling to present this bedroom for the first time in our galleries, with new scholarship and display approaches,” notes Amy Miller Dehan, the exhibition’s curator and Cincinnati Art Museum’s curator of decorative arts and design.

When Elaine Wormser Reis moved to Cincinnati in 1936, she brought nearly all of her bedroom with her—including the custom wall-to-wall carpet. The room’s elements, donated to the Cincinnati Art Museum by Elaine Wormser Reis in 1973, form the largest collection of Urban-designed furnishings held by a public institution. 

One of Urban’s final commissions, the Wormser Bedroom features a daring combination of colors and patterns, black glass walls and a reflective silvered ceiling. The interior embodies the distinct modern design vocabulary that Urban developed and employed throughout his career, highlighting his talent as a colorist, his flair for the dramatic, and his skillful blend of Viennese artistic influences with the prevailing modern style now known as Art Deco.

“For decades, our understanding of the room was based on black-and-white photographs which fail to present Urban’s virtuosic combinations of color, pattern, and finish,” says Dehan. “The process of reconstructing the room has been a revelation. This exhibition reveals Urban’s boundless talent and contributions to the development of American Modernism as well as the bold messaging that women like Elaine Wormser projected when choosing the avant-garde style over backward-looking historical fashions.”

In addition to the bedroom, the exhibition features drawings, paintings, costumes, and related furnishings drawn from many American collections. A full-color illustrated book and an interactive website provide further context, including reflections on the experiences of the caretakers and unnamed craftspeople who are an integral part of the Wormser Bedroom story. Behind-the-scenes investigations and processes necessary to reintroduce the room to the public are also highlighted.

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young, scrappy, and hungry

Catch the cast of HAMILTON performing at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati.

They were not throwing away their shot!

At last weekend’s Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, the cast of HAMILTON did a very different kind of dance.

Check out this BTS video from the Rich Walburg World's Largest Chicken Dance!

The cast members were thrilled to participate in this Zinzinnati tradition, in front of 70,000 strong on Saturday night

HAMILTON continues through Oct. 2 as part of Broadway in Cincinnati at the Aronoff Center.

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Top of the Park(s)

We all know King's Island is tops, but now everyone else does, recently winning Park of the Year.

For movies, it’s the Academy Awards.  For music, it’s the Grammy’s.  For amusement parks? It’s the Golden Ticket Awards that took place recently in San Antonio, Texas. 

And Cincinnati’s own Kings Island took home one of 2022’s top honors – Park of the Year for its 50th Anniversary Celebration season, according to Kings Island’s Director of Communications, Chad Showalter.

Recently, the amusement park’s rides were recognized as some of the best, including The Beast, Mystic Timbers, Orion and Diamondback.

Here’s a look at the park’s honors for this year:

Top Honor: 2022 Park of the Year

Amusement Today, the organizers of the Golden Ticket Awards” said that Kings Island received the ‘Park of the Year’ award “Because of (the park’s) important history and its perfect celebration of it.”

World Class

In addition to offering more than 100 world-class rides, shows and attractions, Kings Island offers a series of special outdoor events each and every year.

More Kings Island Recognition:

In addition to Park of the Year, Kings Island in the following categories:

Ice Dreams

You know you’ve made this face while enjoying the seasonal fav, Blue Ice Cream. YUM!

#2 Best New Show – “Fun, Fireworks, and Fifty Nighttime Spectacular”

#2 Best Kids Area in the World – Planet Snoopy provides families with top kids rides and attractions during their visit to Kings Island.

#4 Best New Show – “Phantom Theater Encore”

#4 Best Guest Experience (up from #5 last year)

Racing for the Win

The Red and Blue racers are a classic, guest favorite.

#5 Best Wooden Rollercoaster – The Beast (One of only two roller coasters that have been on every top 10 list Amusement Today has published)

#6 Best Wooden Rollercoaster – Mystic Timbers (The coaster debuted at #11 in 2017)

Golden Anniversary

“It's moments like these that make me so proud of my park.”

– Chad Showalter, director of communications

#17 Best Steel Coaster – Diamondback Earlier this year, Grace Timmons from Seymour, Indiana became Diamondbacks 20 millionth rider. 

#20 Best Steel Coaster – Orion USA TODAY’s Best New Amusement Park Attraction in 2020 

“It's moments like these that make me so proud of my park, Showalter adds. “This weekend, at the annual international Golden Ticket Awards ceremony in San Antonio, Texas, Amusement Today awarded the Golden Ticket Award for Park of the Year to Kings Island.”

50 years of fun

The park celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, with special events, honoring memories, fun and traditions.

The park is in the midst of getting ready for Halloween Haunt, opening on Friday, Sept. 23.

Keep an eye out as we take you inside the park and share the spooky and scary happenings!

For more info, click here!

Amusement Today’s annual Golden Ticket Awards are the amusement industry’s top recognition with amusement park owners and managers, ride manufacturers and other industry officials. One a year they gather to salute the industry’s top parks. Winners are selected by hundreds of well-traveled amusement park enthusiasts, who vote from all corners of the world. 

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