27 Hidden-Gem Summer Adventures in Greater Cincinnati

Put on Your Dancing Shoes for Salsa on the Square

520 Vine St., Downtown
Bust out your best moves or learn how to salsa every Thursday night at Fountain Square during the summer. Salsa on the Square is free and features live local and regional Latin bands that specialize in salsa, merengue, cumbia and Latin jazz. There are also large, instructor-led dance classes to help you get the moves down, and Mazunte is there to serve up tacos, tostadas and guacamole. For a refreshing drink after all the dancing, grab a margarita at Fountain Square’s full-service bar.

Have a Wholesome Carnival Day at Stricker’s Grove’s Open-to-the-Public Days

11490 Hamilton Cleves Road, Ross
Just outside Hamilton County in Ross lies a tiny amusement park that looks like it popped up from the past. Stricker’s Grove is a family-owned theme park that’s available for rent, but is also open to the public four days of the year: Fourth of July, Family Day (second Sunday in August), Labor Day and Customer Appreciation Day (sometime in October). The amusement park features a variety of vintage-looking rides, including the wooden roller coaster Tornado, a merry-go-round, Tilt A Whirl and a Ferris Wheel. You can also play 18 holes of mini golf, video games in the arcade, skeeball, horseshoes or at the shooting gallery.

Bike, Hike or Kayak at Miami Whitewater Forest

9001 Mt Hope Road, Crosby Township
On the western edge of Hamilton County is a park that is basically a summer camp for all ages. If you love being active and outdoors, Miami Whitewater Forest offers endless opportunities for adventurers. Hit the boathouse to rent a kayak, stand-up paddle board or other watercraft to take out onto the lake. You can also rent a bike there to conquer the nearly 8-mile-long Shaker Trace Outer Loop trail, which takes you through scenic prairies and wetlands and offers great opportunities for wildlife viewing. Or, lace up your boots and meander through forests and across streams on the Badlands, Oakleaf, Tallgrass Prairie or Timberlakes trails. They also sell concessions during the summer, making it a perfect picnic location.

Enjoy a Free Summer Concert

We all want to see the show of the summer at the big players like Riverbend, Andrew J Brady and Heritage Bank Arena, but when you crave some tunes in a relaxed atmosphere that you can enjoy from a camp chair, many Cincinnati-area parks and other gathering spaces offer free summer concert series featuring local and regional musicians and bands. Catch a show at Rockin’ the Roebling at The Banks, Wildcard Wednesdays at Factory 52, Music on Mills in Norwood, Concerts in the Park in Delhi or the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra’s series at Devou and Tower parks, just to name a few. Bring a blanket or chair, some snacks and beverages and enjoy the laid-back vibe.

Take a Journey on the Water in a Kayak or Canoe

The Queen City boasts many canoeing and kayaking rentals, including Loveland Canoe & Kayak, Morgan’s Outdoor Adventures, Green Acres and Scenic River Canoe Excursions, plus some road trip-worthy locations within a few hour's drive – all perfect for floating a weekend away. Check with each business about reservations, specific rental fees and what you can and can’t bring with you. (We’re looking at you, ca-brewers). If you’re searching for a little more of an aquatic adventure, the 23rd annual Paddlefest on the Ohio River is happening Saturday, Aug. 3. Paddlefest is open to kayaks, canoes and standup paddleboards, as well as participants of all paddling experience levels. Motorized boat traffic will be prohibited on the river during this time, making for smooth paddling, and you can choose between the full 9-mile route or a 4.5-mile route.

Visit the Midway at a Church Festival or County Fair

As fish frys are synonymous with the Lenten season in Cincinnati, so too are church and parish festivals with summer. The Catholic Telegraph has a full list of Cincinnati-area fairs, full of carnival rides, games, live music, funnel cake, beer and even light gambling. One of the premier events of the summer though is Holy Trinity - St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church’s annual Panegyri — an event that’s a whirlwind of Greek food, Greek music and dancing and shopping for artisan goods — like My Big Fat Greek Wedding brought to life. For a similar vibe, the Hamilton County Fair is back June 27-30 with a midway full of rides and games, livestock displays, demolition derbies, arts and crafts exhibits, tons of fried food, giant tomatoes and all the rest of the wholesome county antics you’d expect.

Board the Cincinnati Dinner Train for a Culinary Adventure

All aboard this vintage train featuring restored ‘50s-era dining cars. The Cincinnati Dinner Train leaves the station every Saturday March-December from the rear parking lot of the Green Sales Company in Roselawn and traverses south to the downtown Cincinnati riverfront before reversing course back north. On board, you’ll receive a four-course dinner with an entree (a choice of prime rib, salmon or chicken in a white wine sauce), along with an appetizer, salad, vegetable, baked potato and dessert. The train has a strict business casual dress code, but travelers are also highly encouraged to dress in their 1940s best.

Pick Your Own Berries at Blooms & Berries Farm

9669 OH-48, Loveland
Berries taste best when fresh from the garden, and Blooms & Berries Farm offers you the chance to do that without the frustration of growing your own if you lack a green thumb. Throughout the summer, the farm offers U-Pick days where you can purchase a $3 field pass and collect buckets of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, depending on the part of the season and how the crop has responded that year. While the strawberry crop is mostly finished for the year, according to the farm, pickers can still prepare for blueberry and blackberry season, as well as the U-Dig potato season in July.

Stargaze at the Cincinnati Observatory

3489 Observatory Place, Hyde Park
Founded in 1842, the Cincinnati Observatory houses the oldest fully operational telescope in the nation. If you want to gaze at the summer skies, the observatory hosts a variety of Astronomy Nights where you can tour the historic building and get a glimpse through the telescope, including a weekly public tour, date nights under the stars and a family-friendly night that features and interactive craft or activity.

Amble Among Art at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum

1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton
Art appreciation and fresh air aren’t mutually exclusive, at least at Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. Since 1997, the 300-acre nonprofit outdoor art park has featured more than 80 gargantuan sculptures displayed among rolling hills, lakes and hiking trails. If the weather’s not to your taste, head indoors to explore the ancient sculpture museum, which houses Greek, Roman, Syrian and Egyptian art, as well as rotating exhibitions of more modern work. The park rents out special Art Carts (a.k.a. golf carts) on a first-come-first-served basis.

Travel Ohio’s Ice Cream Trail

For a sweet adventure this summer, Ohio offers an official “Ice Cream Trail,” featuring dozens of dairy whips, shops, parlors and creameries across the state, including Cincinnati’s own Graeter’s and Aglamesis Bro’s. Whether you’re looking for a classic soft-serve chocolate-vanilla twist in a cone, frozen custard or ice cream flavors that sound like they danced out of your childhood imagination, you’ll find a shop on the Ice Cream Trail that will fit the bill. Ohio.org even has a handy map to help you on your quest to that sweet, sweet sugar high.

Soar to New Heights at the Swing House

1373 Avon Place, Camp Washington
The Swing House is a whole-building art project — a freestanding 1880s three-story brick home in Camp Washington where owner and artist Mark de Jong has removed the interior walls and upper floors and built a swing right in the middle of the opened-up interior. Made from pine he salvaged from third-floor joists, the swing is attached by 30 feet of natural fiber rope to a metal beam on the ceiling. Visit during the monthly open house event every second Saturday of the month from noon-4 p.m.

Cruise the River in the Cincinnati Cycleboat

4601 Kellogg Ave., East End
You’ve heard of a pedal wagon, but how about a pedal boat? Cincinnati Cycleboat is a bar, bike and boat all in one (no actual cycling required if you don’t want to). Holding up to 14 people per boat, Cincinnati Cycleboat allows you to explore the Ohio River and the city of Cincinnati with your closest friends and family. Not only is it a bar on a boat, but your party gets to bring their own drinks, and you pick the music, so make sure you create a killer playlist to capture that summer mood.

Soak Up Culture at Shakespeare in the Park

This summer, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is bringing its popular free Shakespeare in the Park series to public spots across the Tri-State. This summer’s production is Hamlet, the tale of Hamlet, a Danish prince, grappling with his father’s murder and his mother subsequently marrying the murderer — (spoiler alert) Hamlet’s uncle. “This summer, become immersed in the intrigue of Shakespeare's Hamlet — a riveting blend of passion, ghosts, and royal drama that promises to heat up your summer nights with gripping intensity,” says CSC. The season runs from July 12 to Sept. 1.

Visit the Bison at Big Bone Lick

3380 Beaver Road, Union
If you're up for a short drive, Big Bone Lick State Park in Union has a collection of easy and moderate trails that pass through the historic site's woodlands, grasslands, savanna and salt-sulfur springs. Named after the Ice Age megafauna that once occupied the area and its saltwater streams, the park is still home to a collection of giant mammals: bison. The 10 to 15 on view are a link to the Ice Age and an attempt to reestablish a herd of the endangered animals at the park.

Drink in Cincinnati’s Beer History Along the Brewing Heritage Trail

1801 Race St. or 73 E. McMillan Ave., Over-the-Rhine
Once one of the largest brewing boomtowns in 19th-century America, the Queen City was home to major pre-Prohibition beer kingpins and, in recent years, has bolstered an ever-expanding craft brewing scene. Over-the-Rhine’s Brewing Heritage Trail explores, preserves and celebrates the city’s storied past as a beer-producing capital with a series of guided tours and a free walking trail. “Hop on” the trail at either terminus — which stretches about three-fourths of a mile between Findlay Market (1801 Race St.) and Grant Park (73 E. McMillan Ave.) in Over-the-Rhine — and follow embedded medallions in the sidewalk to discover historic buildings, brewing sites, public art and more. A number of guided tours are also available to complement the self-guided trail.

Make Waves at Wake Nation

201 Joe Nuxhall Way, Fairfield
You surf bro? At Wake Nation Cincinnati, you don’t have to. They offer a cable park, where wakeboarders are pulled by an overhead cable system (no boat required), and an Aqua Park, a.k.a. a floating playground complete with trampolines, which includes the Launch Slide, which is as rad as it sounds.

See Antique and Vintage Cars Up Close at Collection21

21 Kenton Lands Road, #4, Erlanger
Collection21 is a personal collection of American-made automobiles from the 1900s through the 1980s that’s open for tours on Fridays and Saturdays. The collection is made up of over 200 cars and tours are complimentary, but Collection21 does ask for a $15 donation per person; 100% of those proceeds go to Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky, a nonprofit that provides homeownership opportunities for lower-income residents through their lease-to-own program.

Dig Up the Past at Trammel Fossil Park

11935 Tramway Drive, Sharonville
Uncover the past at this unique park with literally millions of fossils dating to the Ordovician Period (over 440 million years ago). Trammel Fossil Park is free to enter and you can keep whatever you find – typically a lot of fossilized coral, brachiopods, crinoids and trilobites. There are 10 acres to explore, with the park sectioned off in different formations. There’s not much shade here, as you’re basically digging on the side of an uncovered hill, so make sure you bring plenty of water and sunscreen and a hat for those hot summer days of refining your archaeology skills.

Cut Your Own Flowers at Marmalade Lily

9850 Schlottman Road, Loveland
Nothing brightens up your home in the summer like a vase full of fresh-cut flowers. During the season, event venue Marmalade Lily allows guests to cut their own flowers straight from the garden on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings for just $5 for admission, plus the flowers you cut. You’re given clippers, baskets and water, and a floral specialist can show you which flowers are currently blooming. Individual flowers range in price from $1-$4, and the event is BYOV (bring your own vase).