25 Free Things to do in Cincinnati this September

Fall is (almost) here! And you’ll be fall-ing in love with Cincinnati all over as the weather turns cooler, leaves more golden and days more glorious. There’s also loads of free fun to be had this month — from the Great Outdoor Weekend to fall festivals galore!

Without further ado, we present 25 free things to do in Cincinnati this September:

 


MathAlive! at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Daily through Oct. 2
Features forty immersive activities create fun experiences that bring to life the real math behind the things kids love most – video games, sports, design, music, entertainment, space and robotics. Highlights include a virtual downhill race in which visitors ride snowboards and a photo stage where they can capture a 360-degree freeze action “selfie.” Free admission and parking! We shared all the insider details here.

Shakespeare in the Park
Sept. 1, 7 p.m. at Erlanger’s Flagship Park
Don’t miss the final Shakespeare in the Park performance of the season! Bid adeiu to summer with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Lunken Airport Days
Sat., Sept. 3 – Sun., Sept. 4 at Lunken Airport
Get up close to jets, warbirds, sport airplanes… even sit in select aircraft! Talk to pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers! Visit with flying and aircraft mechanic schools! Free hot dogs, snacks and drinks!

WEBN Fireworks
Sept. 4, all day at Sawyer Point
Bid farewell to summer at WEBN’s 40th anniversary bash!

An Afternoon with Illustrator Chris Eliopoulos
Sept. 7, 4-5 p.m. at Blue Manatee
Join us as we welcome Chris Eliopoulos, illustrator of Brad Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World series, to blue manatee! Chris will be sharing his two new books, I am Jane Goodall and I am George Washington. This series is a fantastic avenue for children to learn about the extraordinary lives of people.

Yoga in the Park
Sept. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at Jacob Hoffner Park
Relax your mind and body during these sessions in a comfortable and safe environment!

Smale Kids Day
Sept. 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Smale Riverfront Park
Head to Smale Park for a free day of fun! Featuring Pones, Inc, Cincinnati Circus and Wump Mucket Puppets.

Grand Opening and Open Swim at Goldfish Swim School – West Chester
Sept. 10, 2-5 p.m.
Join us for our Grand Opening Celebration on September 10. The afternoon will include facility tours, complimentary snacks, games, raffles, activities and more!

ScopeOut Astronomy and Science Fair
Sat., Sept. 10 from 12-5 p.m. at the Cincinnati Observatory Center
Presentations, science demonstrations and hands-on activities, safe sun viewing, STEM. (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), Environmental Education and History exhibitors. Free admission from 12-5!

Deerfield Townshio Touch a Truck!
Sat., Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Deerfield Towne Center
Featuring vehicles from the Deerfield Township Parks Department and Road Department – tractor, mower, snowplow, and more! This is a free, community event.

Cyclopsfest
Sat., Sept. 10 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. in Yellow Springs
Cyclopsfest is an epic festival of handmade goods, music, culture and DIY wonderfulness. We consistently showcase some of Ohio’s best artisans, musical acts and creative contemporaries. Free!

Honey Hill Farm Petting Zoo
Sept. 13, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Owensville Branch Library
Honey Hill Farm is bringing a menagerie to the Clermont County branch libraries! See cute farm animals that love to be fed and petted as well as more exotic creatures.

Masterpieces in the Making
Sept. 14, 3-4 p.m. at the Oakley Branch Library
Join the staff of the Kennedy Heights Arts Center as we discover the art of Wassily Kandinsky. Then make your own masterpiece to take home!

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
Fri., Sept 16 – Sun., Sept 18 along Fountain Square
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the country, is held along Fifth Street in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and showcases the rich German heritage of Southwest Ohio, as well as tasty samples of German-style music, food and beer. First held in 1976, the event has grown to be America’s largest Oktoberfest with more than 500,000 people attending each year.

A Morning With Author/Illustrator Kate Beaton!
Sept. 17, 10-11 a.m. at Blue Manatee
All hail King Baby! Join us this morning as we welcome author/illustrator, Kate Beaton! Her latest book, King Baby, is a delightfully humorous tale of the joys (and, sometimes, just the opposite!) a new baby brings to life. Kate will be reading King Baby and sharing her amazing drawing skills with all of us. We’re so excited to meet the author of King Baby and The Princess and the Pony! Stop in for a morning filled with joy and laughter!

 

Bluegrass for Babies
Sept. 17, 3-9 p.m. at Eden Park’s Seasongood Pavillion
This family friendly concert offers great live music, local food and craft beer… and is also a fundraising event for improved infant health through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Featuring music from Hocking River String Band, The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars, Hickory Robot and Jennifer Ellis.

Anderson Township’s Fall Festival
Sept. 17, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Anderson Center Station
Features a petting zoo, food trucks, entertainment and apple roll for children.

Shaw’s Fall Festival
Sept. 17-Oct. 30 at Shaw Farms in Milford
Admission to this popular fall festival is free, and includes unlimited playground fun and pumpkin patch perusing! You’ll pay a la carte for pumpkins, rides and the maze.

Third Sunday Funday: Happy Birthday, President Taft!
Sun., Sept 18, 1-4 p.m. at Taft Museum of Art
Celebrate the President’s 159th birthday at his half-brother’s home. Discover portraits of William Howard Taft and other famous faces. Make a cherry blossom tree in honor of his time as President. At 2pm, a park ranger from the William Howard Taft National Historic Site will tell us about Taft’s life. Free!

JCC Farmer’s Market
Sun., Sept. 18, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Mayerson JCC
Visit our Farmer’s Market for the freshest fruits, vegetables, and art from local vendors and Cincinnati’s best food trucks. There will be honey and apple tastings and round challah to add to the delicious festivities. Live nutrition demos, Rosh Hashanah, and PJ Library activities make the market interactive for everyone!

Lisa Yee Discussing Supergirl at Super Hero High
Sept. 21, 6-8 p.m. at Joseph Beth Cincinnati
Supergirl is the new girl in school and she just also happens to be the most powerful teenager in the galaxy! After losing her home planet of Krypton and everyone she knows, Supergirl has made a new home on Earth, but she isn’t so sure that Super Hero High School is the right place for her. Wonder Woman, other new friends, and a kindly librarian make her feel welcome, but breached inter-dimensional portals, invading alien armies, and bad dreams shake her confidence. It’s not easy being a super hero and a high school student all at once!

Nature Journal Trail
Sept. 22 – Oct. 22 at Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve/Pin Oak Trail
Take a trip back in time along the trail! Your 2/3-mile journey will travel the pages of a re-created historic nature journal set in 1916 – a year marked by the creation of the National Park Service and the re-election of Woodrow Wilson against the backdrop of World War I.

 

Great Outdoor Weekend
Sat., Sept. 24 – Sun., Sept. 25 at locations throughout Cincinnati
Great Outdoor Weekend presents opportunities for children and adults to sample the best outdoor recreation and nature awareness programs available in Greater Cincinnati region. Each fall there are over 100 events available—all are free and open to the public. Check our calendar for free events at Cincinnati Parks, Great Parks of Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Nature Center!

Harper Quilt Show
Sept. 25 – Oct. 2 at Farnbach-Werner Nature Preserve
Drop in to enjoy Charley Harper’s artwork represented in a unique medium: quilts! The local SOS Quilt Guild will showcase more than 20 quilts featuring his designs inside the historic Ellenwood Nature Barn.

Johnny Appleseed Day
Sept. 26, 3-4 p.m. at the Oakley Branch Library
Help us celebrate Johnny Appleseed day with a fun apple craft and snack!


For more family fun, be sure to bookmark our Online Calendar, which is updated daily with the latest and greatest happenings in Cincinnati! And, be sure to check out our Fall Bucket List for 50 fun (many free!) things to do with your family this season.

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