Cincinnati Family Magazine

Your # 1 Hometown Family Resource

October 9, 2024

Off the Beaten Path

Greater Cincinnati has lots of places and activities for fun — many you may be overlooking! We have cool ideas.

BIG EVENTS

GUINNESS CINCINNATI CELTIC FESTIVAL
East Freedom Way, Cincinnati; cincycelticfest.com
July 14 from 5 – 11 p.m.; July 15 from 12 – 11p.m.; July 16 from 12 – 7 p.m. Celebrate Cincinnati’s Celtic heritage with food and drink, games, tastings, the Highland Dance Competition, live entertainment and more.

FESTIVAL OF SYCAMORE
Bechtold Park, 4312 Sycamore Road, Sycamore Township; sycamoretownship.org
July 14 & 15; Festival of Sycamore is a two-day, family-friendly music festival with food and drink vendors, games, live music and rides.

THE OHIO CHALLENGE
2301 Wedekind Drive, Middletown; ohiochallenge.com
July 21 and 22 from 5 – 10:30 p.m; A festival that features carnival rides, a car show, a fireworks show, hot air balloons, a plane show and rides. Admission is $5.

FAMILY OUTINGS

LOVELAND CASTLE
12075 Shore Drive, Loveland; lovelandcastle.com
A real castle and museum with English, French, and German architecture. Take self-guided tours and see artifacts including period swords and weaponry. Admission is $5 for ages 5 and older. Picnic on the grounds.

MAINSTRASSE VILLAGE
Covington, KY; facebook.com/MainStrasseVillage
A historic German village with international eaeries. Eat Japanese food at Nagomi; Italian pizza at Goodfellas Pizza; Mexican dishes at Frida 602; English fare at Cock & Bull and more.

SCREAMING EAGLE AT THE ARK ENCOUNTER
1 Ark Encounter Drive, Williamstown; arkencounterzip.com
Aerial challenges starting at $39; free fall start-
ing at $17.95; and zip line starting at $59.

SCREAMING RAPTOR ZIP LINES
2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg; screamingraptorziplines.com
Located at the Creation Museum, take aerial challenges starting at $29 for kids and 49 for adults; free fall starting
at $17.95 and zip line courses starting at $49.

WHERE TO COOL OFF

AQUA ADVENTURES WATERPARK
8762 Thomas Road, Middletown; landofillusion.com/aqua
The park has an inflatable floating obstacle course that features 65 pieces (launch pads, cliffhangers halfpipes and action towers). Tickets cost $14.99 from Monday through Thursday and $19.99 from Friday through Sunday for kids ages 3 – 7 and seniors ages 62 and older. Tickets cost $18.99 Monday through Thursday, and $23.99 Friday through Sunday for ages 8 to 61.

CONEY ISLAND PARK
6201 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati; coneyislandpark.com
Sunlite Water Adventure, Sunlite Pool, a Floating Obstacle Course, water slides, Typhoon Tower and more. Monday through Thursday tickets cost $15 for ages 2 – 7, $18 for ages 62 and older, and $23 for ages 8 to 61. Friday through Sunday tickets cost $17 for ages 2 – 7, $20 for ages 62 and older, and $24.50 for ages 8 – 61.

GREAT WOLF LODGE WATER PARK
2501 Great Wolf Drive, Mason; greatwolf.com/mason
A hotel and indoor water park which features swimming pools, water slides, an interactive four-story water fort, a lazy river and more. Half-day passes to the water park start at $40; day passes start at $50. Room rates vary, but generally start at $299.99 per night and include water park admission.

KINGS ISLAND SOAK CITY
6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason; visitkingsisland.com/soak-city
Soak City Water Park offers more than 50 water activities, including 36 water slides. Admission to Soak City is included with a Kings Island ticket or pass. Daily tickets start at $49.99.

WAKE NATION WATER PARK
201 Joe Nuxhall Way, Fairfield; wakenation.com
Wake Nation has a giant, floating, inflatable water park. It has a mild section for kids ages 6 and older, and two larger, more thrilling sections. Ticket prices start at $29.

WATER RAFTING

LITTLE MIAMI CANOE RENTAL
225 Corwin Road, Oregonia; littlemiamicanoe.com
Rafts, canoes, kayaks and tubes. Advanced reservations are mandatory. Rafting prices start at $30 per person for a six-mile trip. There is a five-paddler minimum.

MORGAN’S CANOE & OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
5701 OH-350, Oregonia; morganscanoe.com
Morgan’s Canoe rents rafts plus canoes and kayaks from three different locations. The Brookville, Indiana location offers tubing. They offer eight-person, non–capsizable rafts. They require reservations – three days in advance for individuals and one week in advance for group sizes of six or more rafters.

More Options for Summer Fun, CLICK HERE! Our award-winning event calendar has it all!

About the Author

Charles Infosino

Charles Infosino is a freelance writer from Fort Thomas and the author of "The Unofficial Guidebook to Paramount’s Kings Island"; "Pina Panda: Adventures in Pandacornlandia"; and "Ultra Bunny: To the Rescue".