Jon Paden of Walnut Hills rides in the Arnolds Bar & Grill bathtub in last year's unofficial Bockfest parade.
(Credit: File)
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Some festival promoters use a lot of grandiose verbiage to make their events sound like the greatest thing you can't afford to miss.
Mike Morgan is not one of those people.
"Fantastic beer," says Morgan about why people should come to Bockfest. "Fantastic beer and a lot of fun."
A three-day celebration of Cincinnati's 1800s brewery heritage, Bockfest — which takes its name from the goat-kick-strong beer traditionally brewed around Lent — returns to Over-the-Rhine this weekend. Here's a look at some of the highlights, and be sure to check our list for the full schedule.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
- 6 p.m. - Bockfest 2009 Parade at Arnold's Bar and Grill, 210 E. Eighth St., downtown. (Parade starts forming at 5:30 p.m.) The parade is traditionally led by a goat pulling a keg of bock beer. The winner of the best parade entry will receive a grand-prize stein.
- 7:30 p.m. - Ceremonial Blessing and Tapping of the Bock at Bockfest Hall, 1150 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. The Bockfest Proclamation 2009 will be read and a priest will bless the ceremonial first keg of bock before it is tapped by the 2008 Bockfest Sausage Queen. Judges will announce the parade grand prize winner.
- Live music at Arnold's, Bockfest Hall and Grammer's, 1442 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine.
- Continuous free shuttle to Bockfest locations runs 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
- 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. - "Prohibition Resistance" tours of Cincinnati breweries. Tickets are $30 and available at www.otrbrewerydistrict.org; tickets are expected to sell out in advance. Tours will be approximately two hours in length and will start and end at Bockfest Hall.
- Noon to 6 p.m. - Bloatarian Brewing League Bockfest Competition of homebrewers at Bockfest Hall. The winning recipe will be used to produce the official "Hudepohl Bock" in 2010.
- 1 and 3 p.m. - Subway tours. Tickets are $40 per person and available at www.otrfoundation.org; tickets are expected to sell out.
- 7 p.m. - Bockfest 2009 Sausage Queen finals at Bockfest Hall
- 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. - Live music at Bockfest Hall
- Continuous free shuttle to Bockfest locations runs 2 to 11 p.m.
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
- 11 a.m. - Brunch Bock and Bluegrass at Arnold's
- 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3 p.m. - "Prohibition Resistance" tours at Bockfest Hall.
- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. - German Day at Bockfest Hall, beginning with a procession from German Mass at Old St. Mary's Church, 123 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine, to Bockfest Hall
