CityBeat | December 11, 2024

NEWS

CPD Captain Under Investigation for Alleged Off-Duty Strangulation at Washington Park

Capt. Brian Norris, commander of CPD’s Special Services section, is still working while the investigation is underway, CPD confirms.

BY MADELINE FENING

Acaptain within the Cincinnati Police Department is under investigation for allegedly strangling a woman in Washington Park while off-duty.

Records obtained by CityBeat list the officer as Captain Brian Norris, commander of CPD’s Special Services section, which oversees the department’s traffic, K-9 and motorcycles units, as well as the department’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center.

According to heavily-redacted records from CPD, Norris is listed as the suspect in an assault investigation from Oct. 24, with the offense listed as “strangulation.” Records show officers were dispatched to the corner of Washington Park across from Teak Sushi on Race St. around 10 p.m. for a report of a man choking a woman.

“We just watched a man, like, chokehold his wife or a woman, and she’s screaming, saying I’m not ok,” 911 call records show.

CityBeat sits down with a witness

One of the witnesses at the scene spoke with CityBeat about the incident. This witness, who we will call Kate, has asked to keep her identity anonymous for the sake of privacy.

“I was walking my dog, and my partner was actually coming to pick me up from the walk because I was cold, and I was walking east on 12th Street towards Race,” Kate said. “There was a man behind me, of course, I had no idea who he was at the time, and he was dragging a woman in a headlock. [...] He’s just, like, pulling her in a headlock. She’s kind of struggling to keep up, and she’s kind of frantic and freaking out, obviously.”

Once Norris and the woman reached the corner of 12th Street and Race Street, Kate realized she was not the only concerned witness.

“I looked back at the witnesses behind me, and was like, ‘Are we seeing the same thing right now?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, I think we are,’” Kate said. “So I said, ma’am, would you like us to call

‘Do what you gotta do, call the cops.’ I was like, we literally did! I don’t know why you keep saying that. He did just keep saying that in this, like, really smug, like, kind of creepy kind of way.”

After being confronted by Kate and other witnesses, Norris can be seen in the video getting off the woman and walking away. The woman remains on the ground, crying as Kate crouches down next to her; this is where the video ends.

“We were waiting on dispatch at this point,” Kate told CityBeat. “She was definitely incredibly hysterical. She was noticeably super frightened and just distraught.”

After about 15 minutes of sitting with the woman, Kate said Norris came back, but they were still waiting for the police to arrive. Kate said she stood between the woman on the ground and Norris, asking him questions.

“I asked him all these questions, and he said, ‘All I’m going to tell you is she knows what she did.’ And I said, ‘That’s not what I asked you,’” Katie told CityBeat. “And he’s like, ‘Well, that’s all I’m going to tell you. Is she knows what she did.’ And I kind of got frustrated with him, and I kind of gave up.”

Kate then flagged down a patrol car she said was not there to respond to their call.

“They parked their car, and then they ran to the scene to help,” she said. “And then by that, the cops that dispatch had sent had showed up.”

Kate said police officers handcuffed Norris right away, placing him in the back of a squad car.

dispatch? Would you like us to call somebody? And she said, yes, please call somebody. She said she needed help.”

At this point, Kate told CityBeat she saw Norris throw the woman on the ground. She said another witness called 911. Kate’s partner arrived to pick up their dog, and that’s when she said she confronted Norris in Washington Park.

“When I started walking back across the street, he had started dragging her again in another headlock and took her, like, around behind the landscaping,” Kate said. “That’s where the video starts.”

Kate shared a 44-second video with CityBeat that depicts a man who appears to be Norris crouched on top of a woman, his arms planted forward, while the woman cries and says “get off of me.”

“Get off of her!” one witness in the video can be heard saying to Norris.

“She knows what she did,” Norris replies to the witness.

“It doesn’t matter what she did! Get off of her!” Kate replies in the video.

“He was super smug,” Katie told CityBeat about Norris at the scene. “He said,

Investigative notes from CPD’s records show Norris did not talk to police at the scene, and that the alleged victim told officers “she could not talk about the situation due to her job and the job of the suspect,” adding that she “could not talk about the situation in public or with BWC’s (body-worn cameras) on.”

When an officer told the alleged victim he could not turn off his body-worn camera, records show she responded by saying “he is CPD.”

Kate didn’t know at the time that Norris was a member of CPD, let alone a high-ranking captain. In hindsight, she thinks she saw a moment when the responding officers realized the suspect was CPD.

“We were talking to the cops and giving them our information, gave them our licenses, you know, everything that you’re supposed to do in that situation,” Kate said. “One of the cops that was handling Norris in the squad car had walked up to the cop that we were talking to and was like, ‘We have a problem. Can you come check this out?’ And so we kind of were like, that was strange.”

While names are redacted from most of the incident records, one section appears to describe testimony from the alleged victim where she says the

This screen grab from a video taken by a witness appears to show Capt. Brian Norris on top of the alleged victim.

PHOTO: SCREEN GRAB OF WITNESS VIDEO

incident could have been “misconstrued” and that Norris was “attempting to help her” after she fell to the ground while she was upset over a personal family matter.

Records show officers did not consider the incident to be a matter of domestic violence. They also say Norris was not suspected of using drugs or alcohol.

Police leaders respond

CPD has launched an internal investigation into the Oct. 24 incident, conducted by the Cincinnati Police Department’s Internal Investigation Section. In addition, CPD Chief Teresa Theetge and the City of Cincinnati Law Department have requested a bilateral investigation into the alleged assault by an outside prosecutor’s office, which CPD said is currently underway.

CPD’s public information officer Lieutenant Jonathan Cunningham confirmed to CityBeat that Norris has not been charged with any crime and still has police powers at this time.

Ken Kober, president of the Fraternal Order of Police at CPD, the department’s labor union, told CityBeat Norris is not on administrative leave because the incident happened outside of work.

“This is all because it’s an off-duty incident, there’s been no criminal charges, there’s really no need to put him on leave,” Kober said. “Right now it’s basically just a waiting game to see how this plays out.”

Norris’ role as a captain does not regularly include him interacting with the public, according to Kober.

“He does all the administrative stuff,” he said. “Our captains, they’re not doing the hands-on investigating cases.”

The investigation into the incident on Oct. 24 is still underway. Kober said Norris has a right to a fair investigation, but acknowledged that the allegations are concerning.

“Even though he’s a police captain, he has the right to due process, like any other citizen does,” Kober said. “While these allegations are concerning, especially him being a police officer, a high-ranking police officer, I hope everybody, citizens and the media, waits to pass judgement until the investigation is complete, the findings are out, then we can hopefully move forward with whatever happens.”

CityBeat reached out to the Sentinel Police Association, an organization that represents the interests of minority members of the force and community, but did not hear back by press time. Stewart Isaacs, the Sentinel’s president, told WLWT that Norris “is a valuable member of the police department and a valuable member of the Sentinel Police Association. We don’t want the public to rush to judgement and want to let all the facts come out.”

Middletown Marching Band, Cheerleaders to Attend Trump-Vance Inauguration

BY MADELINE FENING

JD Vance, the Middletown native and next Republican Vice President of the United States, has asked students from his alma mater to join him and President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. for Inauguration Day.

According to a Dec. 5 news release from the Middletown City School District, the Middie Marching Band and cheer squad have been invited to perform in the 2025 Presidential Inaugural Parade on Jan. 20.

“This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes thanks to a special invitation from Vice President-Elect JD Vance, a 2003 graduate of Middletown High School,” the release reads.

Middletown High School Principal Carmela Cotter said the district is “honored” to celebrate Vance in D.C.

“We are honored and excited to be included in this historic moment and represent our district, city, county, and state in celebration of Middletown High School alumnus, Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance,” Cotter said in the release.

David Leisten, director of bands at Middletown High School, echoed the same pride.

“We are honored to represent Middletown High School in the 2025 Inaugural Parade and understand this is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity for our students,” Leisten said.

Several Middie parents told CityBeat they are excited for their students to attend the historic event.

“Band mother here!!!! We are ecstatic for these kids!!!” one parent wrote on Facebook.

“We’re very excited that she gets to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity,” another parent wrote to CityBeat “Yes, we do support Trump/Vance.”

But one mother, who CityBeat is not identifying for the sake of privacy, said

her daughter is choosing not to attend the inauguration out of protest.

“She decided not to go because it is celebrating Vance and Trump,” the Middie mother said. “None of their views align with the values that we teach our children at home. Especially with my daughter being a young Black woman that identifies as part of the LGBT community, she told me that it made her uncomfortable doing anything to celebrate them while they are actively trying to remove her rights in multiple aspects.”

Ohio Senator George Lang (R-West Chester Township) confirmed to Fox19 that he was the one to extend the invitation to the Middie Marching Band after speaking to a member of Vance’s team.

During a July campaign rally for Vance at Middletown High School, Lang said a “civil war” may be necessary if the Trump-Vance ticket were to lose in November.

“I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s gonna take a civil war to save the country, and it will be saved,” Lang said while warming up the crowd in Middletown High School’s auditorium. “It’s the greatest experiment in the history of mankind. If we come down to a civil war I’m glad we got people like us.”

Lang later walked back his statements, blaming “excitement of the moment.”

The recently re-elected state senator has reportedly pledged $1,000 to help cover the cost of sending the Middie Marching Band to D.C., and Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones has also pledged $10,000.

“When I went to school, I didn’t have any money and definitely couldn’t afford a trip to Washington D.C.,” Jones said in a Dec. 5 Facebook post. “So, I’m making sure these kids can participate in an experience of a lifetime.”

Jones also asked local businesses to

“reach into their pockets and lend a hand” to help send the Middies to D.C. Middletown City Schools said the district will be footing the bill so parents and students won’t have to pay anything, but added that donations can be made to the Middie Marching Band to help support the trip.

A district spokesperson told CityBeat they’re “not sure” if Vance has offered to cover any costs associated with the trip, adding that the only known donations so far are from Lang and Jones.

CityBeat asked Vance’s team if the millionaire Hillbilly Elegy author planned to donate to the fund, but his team did not respond. Vance has a net worth of around $10 million, according to Forbes, and the book he wrote about Middletown is no small part of this fortune.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis reportedly sold more than three million copies, catapulting him to rapid relevance in 2016. The book went on to get a Netflix adaptation in 2020, starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams. The best-selling book tells the story of Vance’s upbringing in Middletown, chronicling his mother’s opioid addiction, being raised by his “Mamaw’s” Appalachian values and how abuse and poverty shaped his view of white, poor, working class Middletonians and Americans. Critical reception for Vance’s memoir was mixed, even in Middletown; some thought the story was inspiring, others exploitative.

CityBeat asked Middies themselves what they thought of Vance’s portrayal of Middletown during his 2022 Senate run, with most respondents taking issue with Vance’s generalizations, if they knew who he was at all.

Still, in 2024, 62% of Middletown voters cast ballots for Trump-Vance.

The Middie Marching Band at Middletown High School PHOTO: PROVIDED BY MIDDLETOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Demand for Birth Control Following Trump-Vance Win Skyrockets, Crashing Planned Parenthood Website

BY MADELINE FENING

Appointments for birth control consultations have shot up in Southwest Ohio in recent weeks.

“Definitely it’s related to the election,” said Maya McKenzie, communications manager for Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio.

After Donald Trump and JD Vance won the Presidential Election on Nov. 5, Planned Parenthood saw a surge of people seeing appointments, with most looking for long-acting birth control.

“As we started to see the results come in, we started to notice the change,” McKenzie said. “The first thing that alerted us to the increase in appointment requests was for long-acting birth control; I think it was a 31% increase. By Thursday, our appointment number in general booked out was doubled for the entire month.”

That same day, only two days after the election, the volume of patients seeking birth control overwhelmed Planned Parenthood’s online booking system.

“When we really started to realize a big change was happening was when we heard from other folks that the platform they used to book appointments was crashing because it couldn’t accommodate the amount of folks that were coming through,” McKenzie said. “By Thursday, we had it all ironed out and back running correctly, but, yeah, definitely was such high volume that it caused our service to crash momentarily.”

Nationally, the search is on for birth control options. In the days after the Trump-Vance win, Google search trends reveal a huge spike in IUD-related terms, or intrauterine device, a long-term birth control option. National online search

trends show more Americans were Googling “Copper IUD” after the TrumpVance win than when Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.

McKenzie told CityBeat there’s a particular interest in the copper IUD known as Paragard, which lasts up to 10 years — longer than most other IUDs on the market.

“Bottom line: People are looking for what will last them the longest because they’re just feeling really uncertain about what the future looks like,” McKenzie said. What did Trump say about birth control on the campaign trail?

During the 2024 campaign, Trump’s statements about birth control access varied. During a May interview with a Pittsburgh TV station, Trump said his team is “looking at” policy as it relates to the right to birth control access, including the morning-after pill.

“Well, we’re looking at that and we’re going to have a policy on that very shortly,” Trump said. “Things really do have a lot to do with the states — and some states are going to have different policy than others.”

Trump later attempted to clarify his position on Truth Social, saying he was not advocating for restrictions on contraceptives.

“I DO NOT SUPPORT A BAN ON BIRTH CONTROL, AND NEITHER WILL THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

It’s not just about access to birth control, but how contraception is paid for by the patient’s insurer.

During Trump’s first term in office, the Health and Human Services Department allowed some insurers to opt out of the

Affordable Care Act requirement of free birth control, citing religious freedom.

Once Trump returns to the White House, he will have the power to roll back other birth control protections issued by President Joe Biden’s administration, including Biden’s recent plan that would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter contraceptives.

Then there’s the future of abortion medications in the United States. Trump has claimed he does not support a federal abortion ban, citing the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade as a victory for the states, one that he put in motion, but the president-elect has hinted at revoking access to the abortion medication mifepristone.

During an August news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort, an NBC News reporter asked whether he would direct the Food and Drug Administration to revoke access to mifepristone.

“There are many things on a humane basis that you can do outside of that,” Trump said in response.

While Planned Parenthood is experiencing a higher-than-usual flow of patients following the election, McKenzie said they are welcoming new patients, and you might even get in same-day.

“If there is, for whatever reason, more of a pressing need, talk to us about that. We can see what we can work out. There’s never anything off the table necessarily when it comes to a need for access,” she said. “I would also say just do your research because sometimes it’ll say ‘Booked’ online, but if you call, maybe someone wasn’t able to come in, and we can get you in that day.”

Demonstrators hold signs during Planned Parenthood's 'Bans Off Our Bodies' abortion rights rally

PHOTO: MARY LEBUS

Reggie Harris Talks New Chief of Staff Role for Rep. Greg Landsman

BY MADELINE FENING, ZURIE POPE

Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman has tapped Reggie Harris to lead his congressional office.

Harris, a former Cincinnati City Council Member and recent new hire with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was just hired as Landsman’s chief of staff, according to an announcement released Dec. 2 from Landsman’s office.

“Reggie is a uniquely talented and decent person who knows how to lead, bring people together, and get things done,” Landsman wrote in the announcement. “At a time when politics seems broken, Reggie offers an optimistic approach to public service and will be a great addition to our team. We are determined to be a new kind of national leader - fully accountable, transparent, reliable, and bipartisan - and Reggie will help us make this happen.”

Harris called Landsman a “muchneeded pragmatic, level-headed, thoughtful and consensus-building leader” in the announcement. Speaking with CityBeat, Harris said he’s excited to bring his background as a social worker to Landsman’s constituent-minded office.

“He is very present in the district,” Harris said. “You see him, he is back in the district every week, and he does town halls and he meets with constituents. He shows up, and that is the bedrock of the work, casework, constituent services. That is a priority, that is a value, and particularly with my social

work background, I’m happy to step in and support that and even expand.”

Harris expects a slight Capitol Hill learning curve, but said his Cincinnati roots will be a strength in D.C.

“Capitol Hill is its own beast,” he said. “But one of the advantages is that a lot of folks in Congress don’t necessarily have chiefs of staff who are from, live, have worked, served and supported people in the district, right? A lot of folks are career D.C., Capitol Hill people, which brings a level of expertise that’s great, right? But I think with our team, you know, Greg and I both having served on city council, I live in the district, I’m a homeowner in the district, I know the folks there. I’m excited to be able to bring that perspective.”

Harris will begin his role in Landsman’s D.C. office starting Jan. 27. Come January, Republicans will control the House majority in the new Congress.

President-elect Donald Trump will have a party trifecta after Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate in November. The GOP’s powerful leverage comes as lawmakers stare down key spending battles in 2025.

“The obvious political barriers will be hard to navigate, right? The partisan politics. But, at the end of the day, America still has to run. We have infrastructure to build and to maintain,” he said. “We’re really going to continue to figure out every way we can partner and advance the work that we need to advance to get things done while also being, you know, sort of a center of moral clarity.”

Harris’ legacy

Elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2023, Harris spent nearly three years on the Cincinnati City Council. During that time, he has served as chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, vice chair of the Equitable Growth and Housing Committee and led numerous housing initiatives, making the subject a priority during his tenure.

Harris co-sponsored the Connected Communities Zoning Overhaul, which proposed increasing housing around bus routes and business districts, and championed the Affordable Housing Leveraged Fund. Outside of direct alterations to Cincinnati’s housing policies, Harris also advocated for the creation of a housing data dashboard to track and measure Cincinnati housing investments.

A former ballet dancer, social worker and director of community life for The Community Builders, a nonprofit affordable real estate developer, Harris also served as board chair for Equality Ohio, a LGBTQ+ rights organization.

The first openly gay Black man elected to city council, Harris has also prioritized LGBTQ+ issues throughout his time in City Hall.

Harris authored a resolution making Cincinnati a sanctuary city for gender-affirming care, and spearheaded efforts to expand the City of Cincinnati’s nondiscrimination policies.

Rep. Greg Landsman (left) and former Cincinnati City Council Member Reggie Harris PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/CITYOFCINCY

ADVICE COLUMN

Bad Advice

In his new column, Bad Advice, writer Collin Preciado will be giving you the worst advice you’ve ever heard.

BY COLLIN PRECIADO

Dear Collin,

My best friend told me he loves me and has been in love with me since we were kids - we met at 14 and are now 28. The problem is his life is a mess and I have a bad habit of trying to fix other people’s messes. I didn’t tell him the night he confessed his feelings, but I feel the same way towards him. He’s since told me it’s too painful to stay friends, and the person I used to talk to for hours on the phone has now shut me out for months. The entire time, he has no idea that I am down BAD for him, but he works retail making $14 an hour, and he’s not making much effort to change. Please stop me from driving over to his house and telling him I want to take him up on his offer of getting hitched and having three babies we can’t afford. Sincerely,

Down Bad

Dear Down Bad,

While money may be able to buy you food, shelter, clothes, concert tickets, medicine, gas, electricity, insurance, Netflix, internet, peace of mind, booze, hotels, airfare, shoes, jewelry, makeup, movie tickets, books, furniture, college degrees, passports, iPhones, toys, computers, cars, gifts, water, pets, diapers, coffee, iPads, Amazon Prime, TVs, music, glasses, therapy, prophylactics, haircuts, kitchen utensils, child care, decor, pedicures, drugs, vacations, security, doctors, purses, tools, toiletries, Ubers and overall general happiness, what money can’t buy you is love. So if you don’t have a really great job yourself and you’re okay sacrificing a lot of the things that make life tolerable, you should definitely follow your heart. If it starts looking like your soulmate is permanently set on a lifetime of selling Rachel Ray dish sets on a wage that is one cent shy from being illegal, maybe he’ll get some great employee discounts on baby formula or strollers or one of the many other outrageously

expensive things babies need. But even if he doesn’t get those discounts, don’t worry; your kids will totally understand the sacrifices that were made on their behalf so mom and dad could fulfill a lifelong fantasy they came up with in the eighth grade.

Dear Collin,

Like half the country, I was devastated by the election of Donald Trump to a second term. I believed that after a decade of the vitriol and blatant sexism that the country would be ready to move on from him and his ilk.

To make matters worse, I think my husband voted for him. He said that he voted for Kamala Harris, but there have been signs these past years that he supports the other side. When we first met he used to read the New Yorker. He used to donate to NPR. He even had a Bernie bumper sticker on his car for a while, but now he drives a Jeep Wrangler and listens to the Joe Rogan podcast. Do I have the right to be mad at my partner for doing a U-turn with his politics, especially with someone as despicable as Donald Trump?

Sincerely, Blue Christmas

Dear Blue Christmas, Your husband definitely voted for Donald Trump. As anyone with a favorite podcast knows, you’re legally obligated to think and behave exactly how that podcast tells you to. That’s why we listen to podcasts, so we don’t have to think for ourselves. So if he regularly listens to the Joe Rogan Experience, he was told to think that Trump was the best choice, and also that maybe the moon landing was fake.

But it’s actually a really great thing that he’s lying to you about who he voted for. He’s probably hiding his betrayal from you because he cares about your feelings and doesn’t want to upset you. Or he’s scared of you. Either way, he respects you, and that’s very important for the health of a marriage.

If the real problem is that you don’t want your husband to be a Trump supporter, you have one clear solution: You need to make your own episode of the Joe Rogan Experience

It’s easier than it sounds. You’ll just need to find one of those AI programs that can mimic anybody’s voice and make it say whatever you want Joe

Rogan to say. You can have him say things like, “Hey, guys, I’ve decided Trump is not good now,” and also maybe something like, “Hey, maybe vaccines are a good idea after all.” The hard part will be coming up with at least three hours’ worth of material in which to brainwash your husband with. If you make the episode any shorter, he might suspect something’s off.

If you need a good way to play the episode without arousing suspicion, make plans to go on a long road trip and turn it on while he’s driving. Just make sure that when the podcast is ending, you have AI Joe tell his audience to never listen to the show again, or else the next time your husband tunes in, he’ll go right back to thinking lizard aliens run the government, or any of the other very responsible and thoroughly researched topics Joe and his guests are enlightening the listener with.

Send me your unsolvable problem at badadvice@citybeat.com. What’s the worst thing that could happen? I’ll be sure to let you know.

Donald Trump

PHOTO: ALI SHAKER/VOA VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Winter’s here, Cincinnati — cue the frosty air and early sunsets. But don’t let the chill stop you from diving into all the seasonal fun waiting to be had. Whether you’re bundling up for outdoor adventures, relaxing with a good book and a purring cat or warming your spirits with laughter and seasonal cocktails, Greater Cincinnati has countless ways to brighten up the winter months. Keep reading to discover how to make the most of the season — snow, sweaters and all.

Go Ice Skating or Do Curling at Fifty West

7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township Fifty West Brewing Company transformed its burger bar campus into a winter wonderland for the season, complete with ice skating, curling, bonfires and more. The popular, family-friendly 40’x80’ ice skating rink this year features upgraded ice and skates. Admission is $10 per person — children under the age of 4 can skate for free — and admission includes skate rental and an hour of ice time. The rink has a timed reservation system that allows up to 70 people to skate at a time. Patrons can also rent lanes for curling (a sport where players slide stones on ice toward a target) for $40 an hour. Curling lane rentals are available every weekend from 9-10 p.m. Fountain Square also has its ice rink out through Feb. 17.

Hit the Slopes at Perfect North

19074 Perfect Lane, Lawrenceburg

Embrace the cold and get out in the fresh air for a variety of winter sports and fun at Perfect North Slopes. Perfect North offers plenty of freshly powdered hills for both skiing and snowboarding, as well as lessons for those wanting to learn how to pizza and french fry their way downhill. Visitors can also glide downhill in snow tubes, and when it’s time to warm up, visit the Lodge for a snack and hot beverage.

Go Ice Skating at Fountain Square

520 Vine St., Downtown

Nothing says winter or the holiday season

in Cincinnati quite like ice skating at Fountain Square. Lace up your skates for a spin on the ice. The skating rink is open to everyone of all ages, but children 4 and under must be accompanied by an adult on the ice. You can also warm up at the WGU Ohio Warming Tent or at the concession stand, where you can stop by for a quick snack or warm drink. The stand also has beer, wine and select spirits for sale. Rink open daily until Feb. 17.

Get Sticky at Cincinnati Nature Center’s Maple Fest

4949 Tealtown Road, Milford Winter is maple season at Cincinnati Nature Center. Sweet Maple Syrup Days

runs through February with a variety of maple sap-themed activities and events. You can go on a guided sap-collecting hike, get a behind-the-scenes look at the tools used to turn sap into syrup, learn how to collect sap and make syrup in your own backyard and even enjoy a date night featuring food, stories and, as Buddy the Elf would say, SYRUP. And the last two weekends in February, you can celebrate all things sweet and sticky with Maple Fest, where you can sample maple beer, collect sap in the sugarbush and enjoy games and activities.

Look at Trains at the Holiday Junction at the Cincinnati Museum Center

1301 Western Ave., West End

All aboard! At almost 80 years old, Holiday Junction is a beloved tradition that’s been handed down from generation to generation, with Greater Cincinnati families gathering to watch the toy-sized candycolored circus trains, sleek sleeper cars and coal-laden hopper cars (for those on the naughty list) zip around scenery of snowbanks and crowded streets. Highlights of Holiday Junction include a 1904 electric toy train from the Cincinnati-based Carlisle & Finch Company, who made the first such electric toy train in 1896, along with a pre-World War II Lionel layout and a ‘60s Lionel Super O layout that show the evolution of toy trains and prefabricated landscapes. You’ll also be able to spot Thomas the Tank Engine as he and his friends chug

Ice skating at Fifty West Brewing Company PHOTO: PROVIDED BY FIFTY WEST BREWING

around the mountains of Sodor. Holiday Junction runs Thursday-Monday through Jan. 6.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side at Krohn Conservatory

1501 Eden Park Drive, Walnut Hills

Located in historic Eden Park, the Krohn Conservatory is an aluminum-and-glass Art Deco destination (in the shape of an upside-down heart) filled with more than 3,500 plant species from around the world. Permanent displays include a rare orchid house, a steamy tropical room, a succulent-filled desert space and a fun walk-through rainforest rock waterfall.

Visit the Shillito’s Elves at the Foundry

505 Vine St., Downtown

The famous Shillito’s Elves will be on display at the Foundry near Fountain Square again this year. The decades-old elves moved to that location for the first time in 2022, a callback to their first appearance in the storefront window of Cincinnati department store Shillito’s in the ‘50s. The mechanized figures depict various Christmas scenes, like the elves building toys in Santa’s workshop and sorting Santa’s mail. The same six elves will be on display: The Mail Sorter; Little Woodshop; Pete the

Painter; Lazzie Bear and Gift Wrap; and Elves at home, including Ralph the Piano Player, Ned the Newspaper Reader and the four-stack of Bunkbed Elves dreaming of their toy deadline.

You can catch the elves’ animated antics Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday through Sundays from Nov. 22-Jan. 5.

Feel One With Nature on a Greater Cincinnati

Hiking Trail

Don’t let the cold keep you inside all winter! Lace up your hiking boots, bundle up and get some fresh air by hitting one of Cincinnati’s many trails. You also don’t need to go it alone; Great Parks of Hamilton County is hosting its annual Winter Hike Series every Saturday Jan. 11 through Feb. 8. Each week features a hike at a different Hamilton County park AND you get soup at the end.

Take in the Sights at the WinterFest at Kings Island

6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason Kings Island’s WinterFest is merrier and brighter than ever, with over 7 million LED lights; 11 winter wonderlands, including the North Pole Outpost, Charlie Brown’s Christmastown and Tinsel Town; 10

different live holiday shows, like the nightly tree-lighting ceremony on International Street or the Winter Wonderland Parade; festive activities such as cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus or ice skating; and the Eiffel Tower dressed up like a gigantic Christmas tree. The park also has more than 20 rides open, including its two newest, Sol Spin and Cargo Loco, and its most popular roller coasters, Mystic Timbers and Flight of Fear.

Open select nights Nov. 29-Dec. 31.

Catch a Cyclones Game at

Heritage Bank Center

100 Broadway St., Downtown

Even if you don’t know much about hockey, Cincinnati Cyclones’ hockey games are always a good time. The crowds are full of energy and the action on the ice is mesmerizing. The Cyclones also know how to throw a party with their creative theme nights, like Star Wars and Marvel Superhero nights, and plenty of giveaways and $2 beer nights. The Cyclones’ season ends with Fan Appreciation Night.

Meet Hundreds of Santas at Cincinnati

SantaCon

It’s about to get sloppy. Hundreds of humans dressed in Santa outfits will be taking over Downtown, Over-the-Rhine,

Newport and Covington in a holiday pub crawl. There will be singing and drinking; proceeds benefit The Cure Starts Now, a nonprofit focused on cancer research. SantaCon is happening Saturday, Dec. 14 from noon to midnight.

Catch A Christmas Carol at Playhouse in the Park

962 Mt. Adams Circle, Mt. Adams Since 1991, Cincinnati audiences have enjoyed Howard Dalin’s interpretation of Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday novella, but again this year, the play will be seen through the lens of the Playhouse’s producing artistic director, Blake Robison. And for those who worry the play won’t have the same magic as the years before, Robison reassures them, telling CityBeat, “All the great stories deserve to be readdressed. I understand anyone who might wonder or worry about that. Part of my job is to reassure people that it’s still the same story. We are still treating it in a traditional way.”

A Christmas Carol will be on stage from Nov. 22-Dec. 29.

See Cincinnati Ballet’s The Nutcracker at Music Hall

1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati Ballet presents a true holiday

Hundreds of drunken Santas will take over the street during the annual Cincinnati SantaCon PHOTO: PROVIDED BY 3CDC

classic: The Nutcracker. The enchanted dreamland comes to life once again thanks to Tchaikovsky’s treasured score and the brilliant Cincinnati Ballet company. It’s a traditional way to get into the spirit with the whole family.

The Nutcracker is on stage from Dec. 19-29.

ChristmasTown at the Creation Museum

2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, Ky.

Make a trip out to Petersburg to reflect on the reason for the season. View dazzling lights and even enjoy dinner with your family. You can also view a live nativity, the conservatory and the garden of lights all for free. The Christmas Star Planetarium Show will be available for $9 for adults and $6 for children.

Open 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. from Nov. 29-Jan. 4, Tuesday through Saturday, on select days.

Christmas Glow at Land of Illusion 8762 Thomas Road, Middletown

A haunted horror town during Halloween and a family-friendly splash zone during the summer, Land of Illusion transforms into a drive-through holiday light display each winter. Christmas Glow offers more than 3.8 million lights, a petting zoo and a Christmas village with a 45-foot-tall tree. Open nightly from 6-10 p.m. Nov. 27-Dec. 30. Closed Christmas Day; park will be drive-thru-only from Dec. 26-30.

Holidays at the Taft Museum of Art 316 Pike St., Downtown

The Taft offers two holiday displays this year. Explore the Holiday Traditions Old & New exhibit, where the dining room showcases the charm of historical New Year’s Day tea receptions with elegant tea services and festive delights, running Nov.13-Jan. 5. The Festive Transformations exhibit, running from Nov. 13-Jan. 6, showcases a holiday tree adorned with over 200 ornaments crafted from upcycled museum booklets by Indigo Hippo, a local creative reuse center. Highlighting sustainability and community engagement, the collaboration brings new life to old materials and invites visitors to celebrate the holidays with creativity and purpose. The Taft will also display silver tea and coffee services and holiday decor in the dining room, authentic to the home’s 19thcentury heyday.

On display through Jan. 6.

Deck the Y’alls Lightfest at Thomas More Stadium

7950 Freedom Way, Florence

The Florence Y’alls’ popular holiday lights festival is back at Thomas More Stadium, which has transformed into a dazzling winter wonderland, full of twinkling lights and holiday cheer. Two million lights are choreographed to music, including a 50-foot animated tree, and guests can immerse themselves in the show as they walk onto the field and through themed

areas. Deck the Y’alls Lightfest also features interactive experiences, like Santa’s Workshop where kids can meet the Man in the Red Suit in person, plus a skating rink during the day and plenty of photo ops. Local choirs, bands and entertainers perform live, and there’s a variety of food and drinks available for purchase.

Open Nov. 22-Jan. 1.

Scuba Santa’s Winter Wonderland at Newport Aquarium

1 Levee Way, Newport

Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland is a festive adventure that starts in the Surrounded by Sharks tank where Santa swims with three rare shark rays, Denver the loggerhead sea turtle and other fishy friends. And just because he’s underwater doesn’t mean your kids can’t tell Santa what they want for Christmas; his special magic allows him to hear even as he dives. Visitors can also enjoy holiday music and colorful lights throughout the aquarium, as well as the return of the magic bubbles, which carry everyone’s Christmas wishes to Santa, in Shark Ray Bay Theater. When a bubble pops, that means a Christmas wish has come true. Kids can also color their own magic bubble to make sure their most important wishes make it directly to jolly ole St. Nick, who will be reading them daily before his final dive on Christmas Eve.

Open daily Nov. 29-Dec. 24.

Nights of Lights at Clermont County Fairgrounds

6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township

Since the closing of the beloved Coney Island, the usual Nights of Lights has been moved to the Clermont County Fairgrounds. You will be able to experience the same holiday joy, including 2 million lights that you can drive through and see. Scenes will include tunnels of lights, larger-thanlife Christmas trees, glowing snowflakes, dancing candy canes and more.

Nights of Lights is open nightly beginning at dusk through Jan. 5.

Holidays on the Farm at Parky’s Farm

10073 Daly Road, Springfield Township Head down to the farm to make some magical memories together. Holidays on the Farm is Great Parks’ annual outdoor, wintertime event. This year, expect more lights, Santa’s reindeer, a merry beer garden, food trucks, curling and more. The festive Christmas Tree Garden Trail and the Wonder of the Woodlot Trail are decked out in thousands of twinkling LED lights and illuminated displays, and kids can take pony and wagon rides for a real rustic holiday experience. And when the chill in the air has you seeking warmth, you can snuggle up together around the open firepits while enjoying music from the Dickens Carolers, or head over to Santaland to visit the Jolly Old Elf himself. Holidays on the Farm will be open from 5-9 p.m. on Fridays-Sundays Nov.22-Dec. 8 and 5-9 p.m. nightly on Dec. 13-23 and Dec. 31.

Pyramid Hill Lights at Pyramid Sculpture Park & Museum

1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton Holiday revelers looking for a unique tradition filled with art and nature need look no further than the annual Pyramid Hill Lights show in Hamilton. This will be the 25th anniversary of the show. Visitors drive along a two-mile route through the park, which features a glowing display of over 1 million lights. The show is designed to be enjoyed by every generation: Kids can stay engaged throughout the show with an interactive bingo game while parents enjoy the classical music soundtrack curated by WGUC and grandparents can take in all the holiday magic in a comfortable and inclusive way. Pyramid Hill Lights is open Tuesday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 6-10 p.m.

through Jan. 5.

Holiday Pops at Music Hall

1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine John Morris Russell conducts the Cincinnati Pops, with additional appearances by the May Festival Youth Chorus, local high school ensembles and more, in a program of winter and holiday hits.

Holiday Pops runs Dec. 13-15.

Lebanon Horse-Drawn Carriage Parade & Festival

Downtown Lebanon

The 35th annual parade and festival features two (!) processions of horsedrawn carriages, plus a whimsical festival featuring live entertainment, craft vendors, holiday activities and plenty of food in Lebanon’s quaint downtown. It’s like the setting of a Hallmark movie.

The parade takes place Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. and again at 7 p.m.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some!) at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presents another season of “high-octane jollity and frivolity.” NSFW or true Santa believers, it’s a light-hearted spoof of classic Christmas tales like It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that promises an evening of Santa-style belly laughs. Every Christmas Story Ever Told will be on stage from Dec. 13-29.

Downtown Dazzle at Fountain Square

520 Vine St., Downtown

The ice rink and giant tree on Fountain Square will be complemented by Downtown Dazzle, which features Santa rappelling from a nearby skyscraper and a fireworks show to close out the night.

Downtown Dazzle runs from 6-10 p.m. on Saturdays Nov. 30-Dec. 21.

Take in the seasonal glow at the Deck the Y’alls Lightfest PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE FLORENCE Y’ALLS

ARTS & CULTURE

Lost and Found

The

Richard W. James: No True Scotsman exhibit brings new meaning to found objects.

BY ALANNA MARSHALL

“It’s a very solitary life, being an artist,” Richard W. James tells CityBeat. As an assistant professor in the ceramics program at Miami University and an award-winning artist, James has dedicated much of his life to his career. Since he started working with ceramics in 1996, he has incorporated found objects into his work to represent influences from his upbringing. Quilts, fabrics, wood, furniture, instruments of different sizes and various other objects can be found in many of James’ works, reminiscent of his rural culture. The act of weaving into the clay itself and the intertwining of various mediums and materials in his works provide a representation of thought patterns and the questioning of one’s own perspective.

Found objects are one of the main identifying components of James’ works. “I have those objects to bounce off of,” James says. To combat the paralyzing freedom of staring at a lump of clay that could be turned into anything, it helps to think of the found objects in new ways. “To think about their intended uses, the nature of [it], the historical ramifications and context, using that object as a thing. The information that comes with it [is] something to bounce off.”

“They are analogous to how we use information every day,” he explains. “In this way, these objects can be remembered, changed and taken out of context to fulfill an artist’s present needs. That’s what they represent for me.”

When it comes to the interpretation of his art, James takes a particular approach.

“When I make my work, I usually try to have at least three different avenues into [the meaning],” he says. “There’s something literal they can look at, something referencing history and something personal to me — an inside joke, maybe, or something that I don’t really talk about.

“I want it to be dense, and I don’t think it can be dense if there’s one narrative that is clearly present above the others. It’s an easy thing to latch onto, and the viewer gets into this game of trying to decipher the meaning the artist is trying to give as opposed to putting themselves in [it].”

This does not mean that certain breadcrumbs cannot be found within the titles of James’ works, though. Visually inescapable upon walking into the exhibit at the Weston Art Gallery, “No True Scotsman” references the logical fallacy that occurs when someone attempts to defend a general claim by changing the definition of a term to exclude counterexamples. “A straw man argument,” James says, referencing the statue itself, which takes the form of a man standing at an overwhelming 12 feet tall. The amalgamation of earthenware, wood, straw, quilt, and string that forms the massive figure is truly something to behold as it towers over gallery viewers.

“Part of being a successful artist is being naive and stupid about things,” James says. “It’s impractical. I did the math on the clay — [how] it was going to shrink, what I needed to make it and all that stuff. When I started putting it together, I put the feet down and started

building infrastructure. The waist was up to here on me,” James jokes, raising his hand so it was level with his eyebrows. “I was like, ‘What have I done?’ ‘Why did I do this?’”

James’ partner and co-creator on “No True Scotsman” and “Feed Dogs,” Emily Scheltgen, worked alongside him. James’ work had always been a solo endeavor until his collaboration with Scheltgen on “No True Scotsman.” However, the experience of having his partner work with him on this piece has opened new doors for the future of James’ work. “It’s our first truly collaborative piece. From now on, most of my pieces will probably be with her in tandem,” James says.

With a history of weaving and textiles, Scheltgen worked heavily on weaving the straw that cascades over the body of the statue from the neck down to the ankles like fitted clothing, with woven sleeves over the figure’s arms. “She probably spent 200 to 300 hours on the straw,” James says. With both of them dedicating numerous 10-hour days to completing the statue, their efforts certainly paid off in the end. “It’s nice to be with somebody who understands what it’s really like to be in the trenches in the studio all the time,” he says.

Along with Scheltgen, James’ son, Ollie W. James, made significant contributions to the 12-foot sculpture. “My son helped quite a bit. He helped sort straw for countless hours. We couldn’t have done it without him,” he raves. “The best part was to have all three of us working together on the monumental sculpture. It was very

gratifying.”

Many art careers have to do with persistence — or, as James describes it, a “war of attrition.” This often leads to many works going unseen. “I make a lot of work that never sees the light of day because it just doesn’t have it. Duende,” he says. “Duende” is the Spanish term that is loosely interpreted as having a soul or a heightened state of expression.

“You go through these cycles. In the end, you’ve got to be honest with yourself. It’s the sunk-cost fallacy of knowing that I’ve spent 200 hours on this thing and wanting to say, ‘I meant to do that,’ when I didn’t. It’s really staring you in the face. That keeps me honest,” he explains.

Along with “No True Scotsman,” the Richard W. James: No True Scotsman exhibit features other unique installations like “Sisyphean Wheel” and “Feed Dogs.”

“There’s a cohesive internal logic to all these pieces,” James says.

With the help of his partner and his son, James was able to utilize his knack for found objects and meticulous use of clay and cloth to bring his vision to life by taking advantage of both space and form in a new way at the Weston Art Gallery.

The Richard W. James: No True Scotsman exhibit will be on display at the Weston Art Gallery through Jan. 19. More info: cincinnatiarts.org.

Richard W. James’ gallery talk takes place on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. at The Weston Art Gallery. More info: cincinnatiarts.org.

The Richard W. James: No True Scotsman exhibit at Weston Art Gallery.

PHOTO: ALANNA MARSHALL

Cincinnati Grassroots Theater Gets a Fresh Spin with One Off Productions

BY NOAH MOORE

Nestled in Cincinnati’s vibrant theater scene, One Off Productions (OOPs) has been quietly redefining the landscape of independent theater. Co-founded by local artists Rupert Spraul and Hannah Gregory, the company eschews traditional productions, focusing instead on theater that is raw, scrappy and deeply intimate.

“One Off Productions started not really with an ambition to start up any theater company, but with just a single idea for one production,” said Spraul, a director, producer and actor. “Then we assembled a team to put that together. And then I met Hannah, and we inspired each other to make that one show happen. And then from there on it just seemed that there was more in the tank. We had more to do, so One Off Productions was born.”

Their debut production, Romeo and Juliet: A Fool’s Paradise, premiered in January 2023 at Gabriel’s Corner, a converted church basement stage in Pendleton. This clown-show adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy was hilariously described as “like Dean Martin chugged a beer, hit you upside the head with a salami, fell in love, then died!” Entirely self-produced, the show captured the community’s imagination, raising nearly $3,000 through a GoFundMe campaign.

Following the success of their first production, OOPs staged Happy Birthday, Wanda June in the fall of 2024. This adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s dark comedy about war, masculinity and humanity’s search for meaning was once again performed at Gabriel’s Corner. The company, offering $15 tickets committed to accessibility to the arts, sold out its entire run, and the production solidified OOPs as a grassroots theater mainstay in Cincinnati.

Both Spraul and Gregory bring rich theatrical backgrounds to the company.

Spraul is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), while Gregory holds a BFA in musical theater from Northern Kentucky University. Founding a theater company wasn’t part of their original plans, but through shared passion and creativity, they have built something truly innovative.

“My personal journey with theater started, like many people, in high school, where I fell in love with the theater community as an integral part of myself and my identity,” said Spraul. “My acting journey has brought me all over the country, from New York to Montana, and that has helped me realize what my priorities are as a theatermaker.”

Gregory’s theater passion took root

early, flourishing through her work with the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Her drama, Descent: A Murder Ballad, premiered at the festival in 2019 to critical acclaim, solidifying her interest in unconventional storytelling.

“Fringe helped me understand the logistical and administrative aspects of theater production, where I felt like I already had a handle on the creative side of it,” Gregory said. “I think OOPs is a natural next step after Cincinnati Fringe. We’re fully taking on the responsibility of producing ourselves, and it’s been incredibly rewarding.”

Self-producing in an era of rising costs and high venue fees remains a challenge, especially with OOPs’ commitment to paying its actors. Yet Spraul sees this struggle as part of what makes independent theater so exciting and rewarding.

“I think that grassroots theater is kind of this, to use a platitude, of the people, by the people, for the people,” he said. “It’s just a really honest form of the art. There’s nothing that motivates doing it except for the drive to create something with the intention of sharing it with an audience. There’s no pretense of career stepping stones. It’s just a bunch of artists getting together and investing their time and their care to make something that might be impactful or strange.”

While the company’s formation may not have been preordained, launching OOPs in an arts-rich city like Cincinnati was a calculated risk. Spraul and Gregory recognized the city’s potential to support a fresh theater movement and foster community through the arts.

“Theater is communion, and it requires a community, and the community in Cincinnati is strong,” said Spraul, praising the local actors and crew who have contributed to OOPs’ productions. “I just couldn’t be more grateful for the openness and generosity of Cincinnati’s theater artists.”

With two productions completed, OOPs is already looking ahead, planning two more shows for 2025. Meanwhile, both Spraul and Gregory remain active performers, highlighting the collaborative spirit at the heart of their mission.

“Having this theater company is really wonderful because we’re in charge of it, and we can work around it when those performance opportunities come up,” Gregory said. Their commitment to expanding experimental and indie theater ensures OOPs will remain a dynamic force in Cincinnati’s artistic landscape.

To learn more about One Off Productions, visit their Facebook page.

One Off Productions’ Happy Birthday Wanda June

PHOTO: JONMARIE JOHNSON

FOOD & DRINK

Festive Eats

Holiday magic and memorable meals in the Fountain Square District

BY BRIAN CROSS

The holiday season is in full swing, and despite the brisk nights, it’s the perfect time to get out and experience those festive traditions that only come around this time of year. And it’s the perfect time to gather with friends, family and loved ones for a delightful holiday meal.

A trip to Fountain Square is one of our favorite ways to have a classic holiday experience in the Queen City. As luck would have it, the area around Fountain Square is replete with restaurants that cater to a variety of tastes.

On the Square, the UC Health Ice Rink is a main draw, along with this year’s 55-foot Norway Spruce, trimmed and lit in all its holiday glory. Downtown Dazzle adds some extra fun on Saturday nights (Dec. 14 and 21), featuring Santa and his reindeer rappelling down the facade of the Macy’s building, and a special holiday fireworks show.

Also on Dec. 14, Cincinnati’s original SantaCon returns to the bars and streets of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. While there may not be official SantaCon stops on Fountain Square, you’re sure to see some festive revelers dressed as Ol’ St. Nick roaming around.

Whatever day you choose to visit, you’re sure to work up an appetite hoofing it around the square. And for some of us, the best part of downtown holiday festivities happen at nearby restaurants that offer memorable meals and cozy

holiday ambiance this time of year.

The king of downtown dining is, of course, the famous Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse. Relatively new to the Square, the original location at Seventh and Walnut streets relocated to The Foundry development at Fifth and Vine streets in 2022.

If you’re dining at Ruby’s, you’re expecting the best, and they tend to deliver it. From every food and drink item to the ambiance and attentive service, it’s a great choice for a special occasion dinner any time of year, and it’s especially popular with the added draw of Fountain Square festivities. Be sure to plan ahead and make reservations.

Ruby’s is a bit on the pricey side, but you don’t have to go all out to experience that perfect holiday outing. One popular option is to stop in for lunch and drinks at the bar, offered at Ruby’s and other area restaurants, for a fraction of the cost of a whole dinner.

If it’s gotta be dinner, several other nearby restaurants offer that next-level dining you’re looking for on a special occasion.

Just next door, The Davidson will be celebrating their first holiday season at Fountain Square after opening in February this year. “We’re excited to be right next to the tree,” Brandt Tiffany, director of operations at The Davidson, told CityBeat. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Gonna be a lot of good foot traffic down here.”

Owned by Thunderdome Restaurant

Nicola’s, Via Vite has been delighting diners on the square for 17 years. You can’t beat the location — directly on Fountain Square — especially for the outdoor patio when it’s warm outside. But, it’s a great option during the winter months as well.

Inside, it’s warm, dim and decorated for the holidays with class. The fine folks at Via Vite are experts at making any time feel like a special occasion for their guests. On the menu, stick to a comfortable Italian classic or try something new. It all goes down easy at Via Vite.

Another Fountain Square newcomer bolstered by a larger brand behind it is Cajun/Creole restaurant and bar Laveau. With a New Orleans theme inspired by the French Quarter, Laveau always brings a festive atmosphere, complete with deep red hues, gold accents and even some string lights.

“Everyone keeps telling us we are the best-kept secret in Cincinnati,” says Josh Engel, marketing manager for March First Brands, which operates Laveau at 27 E. Sixth St.

That’s the same March First that operates a brewpub on Fountain Square. It’s the same brand that runs Cincinnati Distilling, which keeps Laveau’s bar stocked with its original spirits. The bar features familiar and creative cocktails that pay tribute to the Big Easy.

Group and armed with their track record of success, The Davidson offers an “elevated” menu at an approachable price point. But this restaurant brings something different to the table compared to their other concepts like Maplewood, Bakersfield and The Eagle.

Tiffany told CityBeat, “Different than our other brands, it offers a wide variety of French- and Italian-inspired cuisine that’s all scratch-made. We’re not bringing anything in that’s pre-made.”

The corner location is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the holiday happenings of Fountain Square.

“There’s not a better view in the city. We’re right on the corner of Fifth and Vine, catty-corner to the tree,” Tiffany told CityBeat. “We’ve got a ton of floorto-ceiling windows across the front of the restaurant. We’ve got our patio that’ll be open; we’ve got heaters on the patio, so it should be a nice cozy scene out there, for sure.”

The Davidson rolled out a new bar menu that features handmade craft cocktails at a price point that’s easy to swallow: $5, $10 and $15. They’ll be open seven days a week for lunch the final two weeks of December, but will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Back on the Square, the contemporary Italian mecca Via Vite has become almost as much of a Fountain Square landmark as the Genius of Water herself.

Opened by Chef Cristian Pietoso of

“As a Cincinnati Distilling concept, our cocktails highlight the best of our locally crafted spirits. On the menu, you’ll find Southern favorites such as boudin balls, shrimp dishes, crab cakes, etouffée, gumbo, jambalaya and a variety of po’boys.”

Speaking of March First, the brewpub located directly on the Square is the perfect spot to pop in for a respite from the cold — and to try one of their locally brewed craft beers, seltzers, ciders or spirits. How about something hot?

“We’ve been doing hot chocolate with our Voltage Peppermint Schnapps, which is perfect for after you’re done ice skating,” Engel told CityBeat

A low-key taproom-meets-sports-bar vibe, March First features a full food menu and a pretty full menu of sporting events to watch while you enjoy the festive atmosphere.

From casual to upscale and everything in between, you don’t need to stray far from the winter wonderland that is Fountain Square to enjoy a relaxing holiday dinner. So, continue the tradition or start a new one. Take selfies by the giant tree. Fall on your face while trying to ice skate. It’s what winter in Cincinnati is all about, and there’s always a great meal waiting for you at the end of it.

To learn more about the food and dining options in the Fountain Square District, visit myfountainsquare.com/nearby.

The Tyler Davidson Fountain dressed up for the holiday season.

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

REVIEW BY PAMA MITCHELL EATS

Eastern European Comfort Food Finds a Home at Sudova

It took me only one visit to find my go-to dish at Sudova. Called Pelmeni, it is one of two dumpling plates and, as far as I can tell, the restaurant’s homepage has a lovely photo of this meal. The website photo shows a plate more artfully arranged than the one I enjoyed, with a generous dab of caviar and lots of pretty, edible flowers as garnish, but I am fairly sure the restaurant is showing off its Pelmeni.

I went back another time and tried the same dish. My companion ordered it, too, and loved it as much as I did. The fragrant preparation reminded me of my mother’s chicken and dumplings, mostly because the dumplings had the same toothsome texture as Mom’s did. Sudova stuffs theirs with salt cod and potato brandade, and there is no chicken in sight. Caviar beurre blanc provides a light, slightly salty and totally satisfying sauce.

Rye varenyky is the second dumpling entrée. (Pelmeni and varenyky are types of Ukrainian or Russian dumplings akin to pierogi.) These dumplings are stuffed with potato, sauerkraut and caramelized onion; it is vegetarian, and would be vegan without the dill sour cream topping. I bet this preparation is as delicious as the one I fell for.

On the web, Sudova announces itself as an “Eastern European Kitchen,” which may be an unfamiliar cuisine to many Cincinnatians. Although this is owner Sarah Dworak’s first full-scale restaurant, she has been cooking Ukrainian and other eastern European treats in our city for more than ten years. Her first venture was a pierogi stand at Findlay Market, followed a few years later by the adorable Wodka Bar on Main Street in OTR. (Sadly for its many fans, the Wodka Bar closed this fall.) Now she is putting all her energy into this new venture on Court Street.

I walked past the place the first time I went looking for the tucked-away restaurant. Its entry sits back from the street beyond a pleasant grouping of patio tables. Dworak’s team rehabbed an old building that had not been in use for decades. The result of what must have been a challenging buildout is an inviting dining room and bar that combines contemporary and traditional décor. Sleek, dark tables without tablecloths and cool, dark green banquettes contrast with the imposing, elaborate hutch behind the bar. Some of the walls are quite plain, adorned only with sconce-style light fixtures, while another wall near the front door holds framed artwork and what appears to be the owner’s personal memorabilia.

Sudova has been a hit from the getgo, with reservations not always easy to get unless you plan ahead. With colder weather upon us, the patio tables will not be available for much longer, further reducing your chances of dining there on short notice. But they will also reserve bar seats, a nice option if tables are unavailable.

As for the eastern European menu, Google would be a helpful dinner companion at Sudova. Descriptions are minimal, and although the servers and bartenders provide helpful explanations of the less familiar dishes, I hated to slow them down by asking too many questions. When I later looked up, for instance, kulebiaka (a savory pie, served here with a salmon and mushroom filling) or halushki (originating in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, a casserole often made with bacon and noodles, but Sudova’s is vegetablebased, with spaetzle), I almost wished I had swapped the dumplings for one or more of those delicacies.

On one visit, I tried the seasonal borsch. I missed the summer version by a couple of days, and the bartender

lamented that it had gone off the menu. I am sure it or something like it will return in warmer weather. Instead of summer “Green Borsch,” served warm with chicken, sorrel, root veggies and soft-boiled egg, Sudova now serves a more traditional and quite delicious cold soup based on red beets.

For starters — listed as small plates — there is a green salad with golden beets, fennel and buckwheat, which unfortunately was mostly lettuce and had few bits of those other ingredients. A warm bean appetizer called Kvasolya didn’t work for me as a starter; despite the ingredients list of roasted pepper, leeks and Bulgarian feta, it was just a plate of seasoned beans. I thought it might have been perfect if tossed with the salad, simultaneously making the greens more interesting and lightening up the heavy beans.

Holubsti (stuffed cabbage) had a sweet tomato sauce and a meat stuffing. My partner thought the sauce was too sweet, and for me, the dish was too meaty. But we both enjoyed sharing one of the large plates, a risotto made with buckwheat instead of rice, its

savory flavor coming from wild mushrooms, pearl onions and pecorino cheese.

The glass wine pours include a wide-ranging geographic set of choices. Selections from Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Turkey join more familiar varietals from France and Italy — with California notably missing. Even by the bottle, Sudova listed only one pinot noir from California. This is not criticism, as I love adventurous wine lists and relish the chance to explore the unknown when it comes to wine.

In a comfortable and welcoming space, Sudova adds an exotic flair to Court Street, itself fast becoming a premier dining destination. A block or two away, in front of Court Street Kitchen, weekend valet service is available no matter where you intend to spend your evening. Sudova is small and in high demand at the moment, so do try to plan ahead for your taste of eastern Europe.

Sudova, 22 W Court St., Downtown. More info: sudovaoncourt.com.

Sudova bills itself as an “Eastern European Kitchen.” PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/SUDOVA

MUSIC

Herman’s Hermits for the Holidays

British Invasion legend Peter Noone discusses the importance of fun and more ahead of a holiday-themed Ludlow Garage show.

BY BRENT STROUD

Singer Peter Noone achieved enormous success with Herman’s Hermits during the 1960s, conquering the world with “Hermania.”

Herman’s Hermits landed 11 songs in

the top ten in the U.S. alone with classics like “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat,”

“I’m Into Something Good,” “Silhouettes,” “Listen People” and “There’s a Kind of Hush,” among others, even

over the years in addition to the songs floating on radio airwaves from then to now.

The British Invasion was a landmark in American cultural history, helping bring a touch of joy after the sobering assassination of President John F. Kennedy just months before, in addition to a rejuvenation for rock and roll. Noone describes the scene in England around that time with bands running into each other on the road at all-night cafes and the camaraderie.

“It’s a very small place, England, you know,” Noone tells CityBeat. “It’s smaller than some states in America. It’s smaller than Iowa and we all kind of knew each other. We had a few newspapers that dealt just with bands and music, and everybody knew where everybody was — everybody saw The Beatles were going to America, everybody saw The Dave Clark Five were number one in America. We all knew each other and we all ran into each other because everybody was a live band then.”

Herman’s Hermits, though a Manchester band, even regularly played the now-famed Cavern Club in Liverpool. “It was our home for a while,” Noone says.

The band broke in America soon after scene-leaders The Beatles with the effervescent “I’m Into Something Good” in 1964 and a first of three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show on June 6, 1965. Noone describes sharing their success with a still up-andcoming The Who and taking them on their first American tour. “If they come on tour with us, they’ll play to 500,000 people in 50 days and that’s what it was.”

He also talks about the importance of having a good time, recalling stories from the tour. “They were great fun. I mean Pete (Townshend) was working on Tommy during the tour and Roger (Daltrey) was getting fit and he’s still very fit, which is good, good for him. Keith Moon and John (Entwistle) would hang around with me and Karl Green (Herman’s Hermits bass player) and go do murder and mayhem,” which Noone describes as, “just run around all day drinkin’ and jumping off buildings.”

“You know, you’re supposed to have fun when you’re young, I always insist,” Noone adds. “And then if you don’t have fun when you’re young, you probably won’t when you’re old either.”

outselling The Beatles in America in 1965 and appearing in three MGM movies in addition to touring the world. Both Noone and the music have had a lasting effect, coming up in pop culture

Though Noone laments the addition of alcohol at clubs like The Cavern, marking it as a turning point when “booze” began “running the business” instead of kids who could come to shows and buy records in the spirit of having a good time.

It was partially a sense of fun that drew Noone to music to begin with. He

Peter Noone

PHOTO: CINDY FUNK, FLICKR

tells CityBeat about choosing music over acting at Manchester School of Music and Drama.

“They had a music class there and I enjoyed the people in the music class a lot more than I enjoyed the people in the drama class. The musicians were having fun and laughing, and the other people were being dramatic (imitates dramatic acting).”

Noone went solo in 1971 with the David Bowie-penned “Oh! You Pretty Things,” featuring the assistance of longtime producer Mickie Most and Bowie on piano. He released a series of cult favorite singles throughout the decade before recording a power pop, nearly punk-influenced record as The Tremblers that features famous friends in 1980.

“A lot of my friends were saying I should make a record,” Noone says. “Me and Stan Lynch from The Heartbreakers wrote a song. I knew the guys from Elton John’s band, so we collaborated on a song and, you know, I just got all these different people who were in the music business who would be passing through L.A. and we’d go in the studio and we really had fun making them because they’re not that complex.”

He would begin revisiting his Herman’s Hermits hits in the ‘80s, when a lot of ‘50s and ‘60s acts started taking a look back with touring that has continued over the years.

Noone’s positive image has stayed with him throughout his career, with his playful, upbeat demeanor always intact. “I had an experience when I was a kid with my sister,” Noone says. “We went to see a show and it was the Everly Brothers, Rolling Stones, Bo Diddley and Mickie Most, and by accident we walked around by the stage door. We didn’t know anything about stage doors or autographs or anything, we were really kids, and The Everly Brothers came out of the stage door, and they saw my sister and I and they were extraordinarily nice to us. We had just seen them live onstage — they were superstars in our head. We knew the words to all their songs, we used to sing their songs together — ‘No, you sing this part, I’ll sing this part’ — and they were nice to us. I said to myself, ‘If I ever become a star of any kind, I’m going to be nice like they were,’ because that is really a good part of being a star. And then, for the next 10 years every time I met a star, they were nice to me. Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Frankie Valli, Roy Orbison — every time I met a person who was a star, in the beginning years, they were extremely nice people.”

His sense of humor and fun-loving showmanship lend themselves perfectly to his most recent bio addition as the host of Something Good with Peter Noone on Sirius XM’s 60s Gold where he jokes between songs, speaks in

funny voices, reminisces and tells stories while introducing songs from the decade Noone describes as a “musical renaissance.”

“I think I enjoy it because I know all the music and, quite often, I know the people on the records. I can put myself in it, I can be the camera in the stories.”

He also uses the platform to save songs from being lost to time. “You know, I had a couple, and I insisted that I play them because I was told by the producer that nobody plays that song anymore and it was ‘Just a Little Bit Better’ (a song by Herman’s Hermits) and I said I’m gonna try it on my audience and while I was doing it onstage, I could see people singing along to it,” Noone says. “So, I said ‘You’re wrong, it hasn’t gone away, it’s just that no one plays it.’”

Our conversation also moves to an interesting point on the plurality of culture and the lessening of a shared culture in recent years. He describes seeing people drive past in a car and everyone listening to something different in headphones or using Spotify as opposed to more communal radio and media of the past. “A billion people did not buy ‘I’m Henry the VIII I Am’ by Herman’s Hermits, but a billion people heard it and whether they liked it or not, they know it.”

Though, he does compare the huge number of Sirius subscribers and 60s Gold listeners to the viewership of past cultural tastemaker The Ed Sullivan Show. “Probably only 13 of them listen to my show,” Noone jokes.

He also reflects on the opportunities that the internet brings. “I get emails from everywhere,” Noone says. “Now, people in countries that didn’t have a stamp when I made this record can access the music. It’s unbelievable for me.”

Noone’s latest project, An Olde English Christmas tour, has become a tradition of its own. Noone tells CityBeat of the freedom that the shows bring, allowing him and the band to do old favorites and a little more than the hits along with Christmas classics.

Noone remembers Cincinnati and Ohio fondly, an essential region where Herman’s Hermits would help establish success in America. “It was different, there were many, many different nations in the 50 states, so Cincinnati was always a big one for us,” Noone says. “Ohio was our state, we thought that we owned it, almost like politicians. We believed that was it, you know, ‘We’ve got New Jersey, we’ve got Ohio and now we need to work on California.’”

An Olde English Christmas with Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone appears at Ludlow Garage at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Dec. 21. More info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.

SOUND ADVICE

OVER THE RHINE

Dec. 20-22 • Memorial Hall

Over the Rhine, the long-running Cincinnati-area musical outfit led by husband-and-wife duo Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, formed 35 years ago. A lot has changed since — including in the band’s namesake neighborhood — but Over the Rhine has endured, releasing 15 studio albums and touring consistently for a dedicated fan base both domestically and abroad.

For the uninitiated, Bergquist’s versatile, ever-emotive voice and the duo’s deft compositional skills anchor Over the Rhine’s frequently transfixing mix of folk and ethereal pop. Given the band’s religious origins (the duo met at Malone College, a Christian institution in Canton, Ohio), it’s no surprise they eventually found their way to Christmas music, releasing The Darkest Night of the Year in 1996. That’s also the year they started what has become an annual tradition: Christmas shows featuring a host of original songs and a smattering of cover tunes.

A pair of “holiday” albums followed, 2006’s Snow Angels and 2014’s Blood Oranges in the Snow, which feature titles like “All I Ever Get for Christmas Is Blue,” Snowed In with You,” “If We Make It Through December” and “First Snowfall.”

This year’s run of shows at Memorial Hall, billed as “An Acoustic Christmas with Over the Rhine,” will undoubtedly feature a slew of offerings from their seasonal songbook as well as some surprises.

“Folks began snatching up copies (of The Darkest Night of the Year) and seemed to agree that they hadn’t heard anything quite like it,” Detweiler wrote recently when OTR announced this year’s shows. “We will be leaning into some harmonies and making an intimate but hopefully holy ruckus. It won’t be all Christmas music: We’ll certainly mix in tunes from many of our records along the way. But hopefully it’s still true: Hopefully, you haven’t heard anything quite like it.” Over the Rhine play Memorial Hall Dec. 20-22. More info: memorialhallotr. com. (Jason Gargano)

THE WONDERLANDS

Dec. 28 • Bogart’s

With Christmas right around the corner, Cincinnati-based pop alternative outlet The Wonderlands is looking to bring the gift of music to their home city. The five-piece will play Bogart’s with what’s labeled as a “Holiday Hangover” show. With the show being nestled right

between Christmas and New Year’s Day, it’s the perfect time to be merry and joyous while enjoying some great tunes.

The Wonderlands are best described as a conglomerate of pop meshed with multiple genres. One of their biggest singles, “When I Was Younger,” showcases their ability to blend different musical styles in an innovative and catchy way. Somehow, the song manages to meld together elements of pop, folk, jazz and rock without feeling too overwhelming. The excellence in musicality is further developed in the band’s newest single, “Bloom ” This

song balances upbeat pop with melodic melodies and electronic elements. It’s a sound that isn’t common or easy to craft, but The Wonderlands do it in a way that the masses will surely enjoy.

So, how is the band able to craft such enchanting songs? Well, the band was started by childhood friends Adam Steele, the band’s bass player, and Miles Jena, the band’s vocalist. This longstanding friendship has helped The Wonderlands flourish and experiment in ways that only lifelong friends can do. Members Jill Gavigan, Derek Johnson

and Patrick Oakes would join as the band continued to grow.

The Wonderlands won’t be the only ones helping Cincinnatians clear their brains of the holiday fog at Bogart’s. They will also be joined by other acts such as Coastal Club, Adam Paddock and Touchdown Jesus. Each of these acts has a pop and alternative edge to them, so if you’re a fan of that this is definitely the show for you.

The Wonderlands play Bogart’s on Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. More info: bogarts.com. (Logan Turner)

The Wonderlands PHOTO: INSTAGRAM

Over the Rhine PHOTO: DARRIN BALLMAN

FULL SUPPORT

CROSSWORD

Alternatives to spondees

6.  Doesn’t fade away

11.  Sports bar installations

14.  Quick as lightning

15.  Slightly off

16.  “Too funny!”

17.  Gleam from a globe?

19.  Into composting, for short

20.  Name on the check

21.  Pore over closely

23.  More gray-colored

26.  Some tea bags

27.  Range in the Rockies

28.  Left in a hurry

29.  They might be queens for a day

30.  Washington Commanders coach Dan

31.  Poem’s title that might begin “To a”

34.  Bit of soreness

35.  Upbeat

36.  Camera part

37.  “___ Substance” (2024 Demi Moore movie)

38.  “Something to Talk About” singer

39.  Applesnax rival

40.  Lots to purchase

42.  Chuck Schumer’s group

43.  Gets satisfaction for

45.  Salem’s partner

46.  Zeroes out

47.  “Impression, Sunrise” painter

48.  Hot reaction

49.  Phrase of full support, and an explanation of this puzzle’s theme

54.  Massachusetts cape

55.  Intends

56.  Flowering heath

57.  Escorted

58.  Follow

59.  Reporter in the line of fire

Down

1.  Conditions

2.  Peak of an Austrian trip?

3.  “I’ve seen better”

4.  Certain signal to talk, redundantly

5.  Exerts oneself

6.  Cutting beam

7.  ___ County, North Carolina

8.  Tackle moguls

9.  ___ nail (nail that is 7.6 centimeters long)

10.  Infatuated with

11.  “I’m pointing to the spot I think the ink should go”?

12.  Quick trip?

13.  Vaccinations

18.  Hurricane areas

22.  December 25th VIP

23.  March 17th VIP

24.  Edge of a fore-and-aft sail

25.  “I need to put this by which edge?”

26.  Pollute

28.  Kinda small

30.  Throws in the towel

32.  “I agree with that”

33.  City on the Ruhr

35.  Some insurance agents

36.  “Deus Ex” video game company

38.  Scott Joplin’s genre

39.  Curt of “Fox NFL Sunday”

41.  Hurricane’s dir.

42.  Trig function

43.  Typeface choice

44.  “Around the World in Eighty Days” author

45.  In sorrier shape

47.  Dinner table?

50.  Claims

51.  Tease

52.  Zamboni’s surface