Cincinnati

Cincinnati is host to many outdoor events on an annual basis. As you start the planning process, it is important to recognize that your event plays a unique part in the relationship with the community. A quality event can make a difference to the City of Cincinnati. EventPermits works with the City of Cincinnati and its partners, in planning safe and successful events that comply with city law.

Cincinnati Event Locations:

Cincinnati is home to numerous festivals and events throughout the year, including:

• The Cincinnati Flower Show, organized by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society in late April. This floral event, endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, is staged at Lake Como at Coney Island and claims to be the biggest outdoor flower show in the United States.
• Oktoberfest, celebrating Cincinnati’s German heritage, is the largest Octoberfest in the US and the second largest in the world.
• Thanksgiving Day Race, the sixth-oldest race in the country.
• The Taste of Cincinnati and the Jazz Festival, held during the summer months.
• The Tall Stacks Festival, held every three or four years to celebrate Cincinnati’s riverboat history.
• The Festival of Lights, hosted by the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden during the year-end holiday season.
• The Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Riverfest fireworks display on Labor Day weekend, attracting annual crowds of over 400,000. The city plays host to numerous musical and theater operations, operates a park system currently ranked 4th in the country boasting that any city resident is within a mile of a park, and has a diverse dining culture. Cincinnati’s Fountain Square serves as one of the cultural cornerstones of the region.

Cincinnati is identified with several unique foods. “Cincinnati chili” is commonly served by several independent chains, including Skyline Chili, Gold Star Chili, Empress Chili, Camp Washington Chili, and Dixie Chili and Deli. Goetta is a meat product popular in Cincinnati, usually eaten as a breakfast food. Cincinnati also has many gourmet restaurants. Until 2005, when the restaurant closed, The Maisonette carried the distinction of being Mobil Travel Guide’s longest running five-star restaurant in the country. Jean-Robert de Cavel has opened four new restaurants in the area since 2001, including Jean-Robert’s at Pigall’s which closed in March 2008. Cincinnati’s German heritage is evidenced by the many restaurants that specialize in schnitzels and Bavarian cooking. Another element of German culture remains audible in the local vernacular; some residents use the word please when asking a speaker to repeat a statement. This usage is taken from the German word for please, bitte, which is used in this sense.

Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market and one of Cincinnati’s most famous institutions. The market is the last remaining market among the many that once served Cincinnati.

In August, 2008 Forbes magazine ranked Cincinnati as tenth in a list of “America’s Hard-Drinking Cities”.

Cincinnati has seven major sports venues, two major league teams, six minor league teams, and five college institutions with their own sports teams. It is home to baseball’s Reds, who were named for America’s first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings; the Bengals of the National Football League; and the historic international men’s and women’s tennis tournament, The A.T.P. Masters Series Cincinnati Masters. It is also home to three professional soccer teams, two outdoor teams, the Cincinnati Kings (men’s) and Cincinnati LadyHawks (women’s), and one indoor team, the Cincinnati Excite (men’s).

Fans often refer to the city and its teams as “Cincy” for short. Even the Reds’ official website uses that name frequently.

Will I need a Permit?

If you are asking this question, the answer most likely is, yes!

If you are in doubt about whether or not your proposed activity is an Outdoor Special Event, and are unsure of what is required, ask yourself the following questions:

• Even though my event is on private property, will some aspects of it spill onto the public space? (i.e. sidewalks, roads, city property or property owned by someone other than you)
• Is there a remote chance that the safety of the participants and/or the residents of the City of Cincinnati may be affected if certain aspects of your event are not properly constructed, installed, or handled (i.e. food, electrical wiring, tents, stages, generators)
• Does your event require any City of Cincinnati services? ( i.e. trash pick up, closing of streets, etc.)
• Will I be erecting a stage, tent (10 x 10 or larger), bleachers, or booths?
• Will I be vending? (food, beverages, merchandise)
• Will I be selling/serving Alcohol? Will my event include advertising and/or product sampling?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you will need an event permit in the City of Cincinnati and EventPermits will facilitate all of your needs on your behalf.