🍦 Open for Cincy Date Night Ideas

Happy Thursday, Scoopers!

On a personal note, we’re heading on an “off the grid“ getaway this weekend to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. We’re heading down the Ohio River to a cabin to read, cook, and hike all weekend. Will report back on some of the best places to check out along the Ohio River!

Don’t forget to check out the Ohio fall foliage map for day trips this fall.

Today’s email is a 5min 18sec read:

• 🍝 Local Highlight: The Story of Carmelo’s

• 🎟️ Reds fan attendance this year

• 💍 “The Wedding You’re Not Invited To“ Party

But first…

🍺 OCTOBER BREWERY BATTLE STARTS TODAY

Ever wish you could try every brewery in Cincy? Here’s how you can get pretty close.

Starting TODAY, we’re hosting our second Brewery Battle and 12+ breweries have all joined the friendly competition!

If you haven’t done one of our battles yet, here’s how it works:

• Find the Best: We curate 12+ breweries and each provides a draft beer for you to redeem with your pass

• Try the Best: Visit as many breweries as you can from October 1 - 31

• Vote the Best: Leave a review for each visit, help crown the winner

Early bird passes sold out in less than 24 hours, but you can still get your hands on a Battle Pass for just $25 which allows you to redeem one beer at each participating brewery through October.

This is a great way to get a beer at your favorite brewery, potentially discover your new favorite, AND support local businesses!

Grab your Brewery Battle pass here.

🍝 GRANDPA CARMELO’S 101 LAYER LASAGNA

**Note from the CS team: y’all asked for more highlighted/featured places + things to do in the newsletter, so we’re trying this out! Be sure to vote in the poll at the end of the email to let us know what you think. This section will NOT be sponsored, comped, or paid for in any way - just our own unbiased opinions!

We’ve had the chance to try out Carmelo’s many times over the last year that they’ve been opened, and

📍 Location: Covington

💗 Perfect for: Romantic, cozy date night

🍝 What to order: Caesar Salad, Sesame Sourdough, 101 Layer Lasagna, Spicy Shrimp Pasta, Tiramisu

Can we be so real right now? We can oftentimes be skeptical of new restaurants. Some places feel like they’re just checking the “cool vibe“ boxes and they all run together.

Carmelo’s really hits the nail on the head with their cozy brick space, lighting, and atmosphere they’ve created. They also have a great origin story!

The name comes from owner Billy Grise’s great-grandfather, Carmelo Caserta, who came over from Sicily and started a little tavern + grocery back in 1915. Billy grew up in the restaurant world, so opening this place with his longtime friend (and chef) Mitch Arens was kind of inevitable.

The atmosphere? Modern, cozy, and a little nostalgic — like your nonna’s kitchen, if your nonna also had a killer cocktail list.

The menu hits all the comfort notes but with some serious upgrades: the “101-layer” lasagna is the star (yes, it’s as ridiculous and amazing as it sounds), the hand-pulled mozzarella with grilled focaccia is a must-order, and the tiramisu is exactly what you want after a long week.

Grab a glass of wine, share a few plates, and let yourself sink into the best kind of food coma.

🍦 MINI SCOOPS

🎟️ Reds See Biggest Attendance Boost in a Decade

• The Reds ended the 2025 season with an 83–79 record and clinched a playoff spot, marking a 6-game improvement over 2024.

• Fan turnout surged — over 2.17 million fans came to Great American Ball Park, the highest total since 2015.

• That’s an increase of 146,000+ fans from last season, making it the 5th biggest attendance jump in MLB this year.

💍 Kentucky Library throws Taylor Swift “The Wedding You’re Not Invited To“ Party

• The Kenton County Public Library in Covington is throwing a Taylor Swift-themed engagement party and community yard sale/swap on Saturday, Sept. 28.

• Inspired by the viral “Taylor Swift Yard Sale” that became a surprise engagement party, the event will include Swiftie-themed activities, photo ops, and DIY crafts.

• Locals are encouraged to bring gently used items to swap or sell, blending pop culture fun with sustainable community connection.

🍺 Museum Proposal Aims to Celebrate Cincinnati’s Beer Legacy

• The Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation wants to bring the American Museum of Brewing to Cincinnati, celebrating the city's rich beer history.

• The goal is to create a world-class museum with immersive exhibits, beer education, and historical displays—ideally located in Over-the-Rhine.

• Organizers are seeking $50 million in funding, and hope to turn the museum into a major national tourist attraction by the time Cincinnati hosts the 2026 World Cup.

😻 Best date night spots in Cincinnati

• Sotto. It’s underground, it’s dark, it’s romantic. It’s also hard to get a reservation, so you might want to book now if you’re even thinking about taking your date there.

• Krohn Conservatory. Especially as the days get darker earlier, this place has all the moody vibes for a date night.

• Abigail Street. This is our favorite restaurant in Cincinnati - what’s more romantic than sharing a bunch of small plates?

• Safi. It’s such a small and intimate space, and the cocktails are to die for!

• Cincinnati Observatory Late Night Date Night. They do these about once/month and they are on scheduled days.

• Jazz at Cafe Vivace. Cool place in East Walnut Hills with great live music. Check the site to see when the shows are happening!

• Tablespoon Cooking Class. They have tons of different meal options to make, both on the weeknights and weekends!

• See a comedy show at Go Bananas or Comedy at the Comet.

• Your local park! Hear us out: grab a picnic blanket, some charcuterie, and some flameless candles. The weather is unbeatable right now and your date will be way more impressed with a thought-out picnic in the park vs. another restaurant.

🔮 MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Here are some epic events you can look forward to over the next couple of months! Add them to your calendar now so you don’t forget.

• OCT 1 - 31: Cincy Brewery Battle

• OCT 3: WWE Friday Night SmackDown at Heritage Bank Center ($)

• OCT 5: Fall Food Fest at Findlay Market ($)

• OCT 6 - 9: Cincy Startup Week at Union Hall OTR ($)

• OCT 19: Lytle Park Pumpkin Walk

• OCT 25-26: Cincinnati Coffee Festival at Music Hall ($)

• OCT 25: Hocus Focus at Cincinnati Observatory

• OCT 25: Ohio Bat Fest at Maple Ridge Lodge

• OCT 25: Hallowest Fall Festival at Oak Ridge Lodge at Mt Airy Park

• NOV 29: Crafty Supermarket at Music Hall

📆 UPCOMING EVENTS

ALL WEEK/WEEKEND:

• Cincy Bookstore Crawl

• House of Cards Carnivale at Factory 52

• Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

THU OCT 2

• Line Dancing Lessons at Lori’s Roadhouse

• Diwali Gala at Delta Hotels Cincinnati by Marriott

• Candlelight: Tribute to Queen at Memorial Hall

• Step by Step Dance Series at Fountain Square

FRI OCT 3

• Meat Raffle at Urban Artifact

  • If you haven’t been to one of these yet, this is your chance! See how it works here!

• Nice Life OTR Grand Opening

• The Jury Experience at Memorial Hall

• NightLight 513: The Shining at Covington Plaza

SAT OCT 4

• Wyoming 42 Annual Fall Festival

• Cincinnati Fall Fest in Washington Park

• Moonlight Dance at Mt Echo Park

• UC vs. Iowa State at Nippert Stadium

SUN OCT 5

• Fall Food Fest at Findlay Market

  • This event is SO fun and you can try so many foods at Findlay Market! Check out our recap from a couple years ago here!

• Jungle Cat Rooftop Brunch at Rhinegeist

• Bengals vs Lions at Paycor Stadium

  • Can’t make the game? Check out the list of sports bars to watch the Bengals in Cincinnati!