Autumn is festival season in Cincinnati and a great time to visit the Queen City

Cincinnati is a true four-season city, serving up a full calendar of fun-filled experiences throughout the year. With mild temperatures either side of the sticky summer, late spring and fall see the majority of the big, organized events, including marathons and music festivals. But even hot and humid summer is a great time to swing by, with baseball games, outdoor dining, and river excursions galore. And while the city’s winter festivities are accompanied by occasional flurries of snow, this just adds to the ambiance.

So what’s the best time to visit Cincinnati? It depends on what you’re looking for. Some folks will time a visit to coincide with the best weather, while others keep their eyes glued to the sporting and festival calendar. Scroll below for a guide to the best times to visit Cincinnati, whatever floats your boat.

High season: May to June, September to October

Best time for events and festivals

With the region’s notorious heat and humidity at bay, late spring events like the Flying Pig Marathon and fall’s iconic Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, the second-largest Oktoberfest in the world, draw visitors from across the globe. Cincinnati is buzzing during this blissfully mild season, especially when the National Football League’s Cincinnati Bengals hit the field with the onset of fall. Like many Midwestern cities, better weather doesn’t mean increased prices; year-round rates are astonishingly affordable compared to bigger city hubs and places along the coast.

Shoulder season: March to April, July to August

Best time for sports fans and outdoor adventurers

Opening day for the Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds is a thing of legend in the Queen City. Revelers parade around town daubed (often liberally) in the team colors to celebrate the season’s kick-off in early April. The festivities consume the entirety of the city’s Riverfront and OTR neighborhoods. Join the fun on the riverfront at The Banks, the district adjacent to the Reds’ stadium. It’s one of the newest areas of town to allow open alcohol containers in public from 11am to 1am daily.

While July and August come with a side serving of sticky humidity, this is the time to get into the great outdoors. There’s nothing like paddling in, or on, the area's lakes and rivers to cool down, particularly during the annual Ohio River PaddleFest in July or August. Then there's beach volleyball at the local brewery and adventure hub, Fifty West Brewing, a craft-beer station that doubles as the city's favorite sand court.

Low season: November to February

Best time for museums and holiday attractions

Temperatures may plummet, but the Cincinnati fun continues through the winter. The main attraction? The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, a National Historic Landmark, is decked out with four million LED lights as part of the much-anticipated PNC Festival of Lights—complete with a light-up Polar Express train and music-synced light show. Winter is also a perfect time to enjoy the city’s indoor attractions, from the Cincinnati Art Museum to the jam-packed Cincinnati Museum Center, a former art deco train station turned education hub, with three museums in one massive complex.

January

With the holidays over, January brings quiet, calm, and occasionally snow to the streets of Cincinnati. Some holiday festivities like ice skating and winter festivals continue throughout the month.

Key events: German Winterfest

February

Chilly temperatures and occasional snow flurries linger throughout February. Stay cozy by bar-hopping (bring a warm coat for walks between bars) or scope out the city’s many indoor science, history and art museums.

Key events: Cincinnati Home & Garden Show

March

March remains relatively cold in the Queen City, but that doesn’t stop Cincinnatians from getting into the spirit of spring; celebrations range from the annual Bockfest beer festival to downtown’s St Patrick’s Day Parade.

Key events: Bockfest, Cincinnati International Wine Festival, St Patrick’s Day Parade

April

April blooms are a symbol of rising spirits in Cincinnati. Gardens glow with color, trees regain their cover of leaves, and one of the city’s most famous events—opening day of the baseball season for the Cincinnati Reds—brings fun and festivity to the city’s reawakened streets.

Key events: Cincinnati Reds Opening Day and Findlay Market Parade

May

Festivals and events fill the calendar in May, and with good reason: it’s hard to beat the warm, sunny spring weather. Running, paddling and food festivals draw crowds at weekends, with the long-awaited Flying Pig Marathon luring racers and spectators to 26.2 of Cincinnati’s most scenic—and hilly—miles.

Key events: Cincinnati May Festival, Cincy-Cinco, Flying Pig Marathon, Taste of Cincinnati

June

Warm temperatures and sunshine make June perhaps the best time to visit Cincinnati. In June, the city shows its love for the LGBTQIA+ community, with the Cincinnati Pride Festival and month-long events and parties as Cincinnatians show their support.

Key events: Cincy Fringe Festival, Cincinnati Pride Festival

July

Come July, a syrupy wave of humidity hits Cincinnati, but it’s hardly worth staying inside for. Some of the city’s most iconic events take place this month, including the three-day waterfront Bunbury Music Festival. Grab your tickets early; Bunbury usually sells out within days.

Key events: Bunbury Music Festival, Cincinnati Music Festival, Cincy Beerfest

August

The scorchers continue well into August, making the month perfect for paddling adventures on the water. Dip a paddle on the Ohio River, the Little Miami River, and a host of local lakes and county parks that offer kayak and canoe access and hire.

Key events: Ohio River Paddlefest (can also happen in July), The Western & Southern Open

September

By September, Cincinnatians are itching for the arrival of the cooler months of fall. Changing leaves paint the trees and locals quench their thirst at the city’s best-known festival: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, an ode to the city’s German heritage. This event is now the second-largest Oktoberfest event in the world, meaning lots of demand for accommodation and transport.

Key events: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, Riverfest, Cincy Brew-Ha-Ha, Krohn Conservatory Butterfly Show

October

In the world of professional sports, it’s hard to beat October. In Cincinnati, that means the Reds ending the baseball season just as the Bengals begin the football season, and the city’s AA hockey team, the Cyclones, getting ready to kick into gear. October in Cincinnati is also synonymous with the BLINK art festival, an immersive light-installation experience that illuminates many of Cincinnati’s neighborhoods.

Key events: BLINK

November

November marks the unofficial start of the holidays, with the opening of several popular winter attractions, including the dazzling PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens and ice skating at the city’s downtown gathering spot, Fountain Square.

Key events: Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens’ PNC Festival of Lights, Fountain Square Holiday Tree Lighting, Cincinnati Holiday Market

December

By December, the holiday magic is in full swing, starting with downtown’s Winter Wonder Lights, a light show that dances across Fountain Square. The Newport Aquarium gets in on the fun, with a scuba-diving Santa who floats through a festive underwater wonderland.

Key events: Scuba Santa at Newport Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s PNC Festival of Lights, Winter Wonder Lights at Fountain Square, RedsFest

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