Top 5 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend: Nov. 12-14
1. Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market
After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, the Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market is back for an in-person show this weekend at the Duke Energy Convention Center (525 Elm St., Downtown). It's one of the biggest shows of the season, featuring more than 300 local and regional vendors, boutiques and specialty stores with everything you need to make your season bright – all in one place.
The show runs 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. General admission tickets are $10. There's early bird admission on Saturday from 8-10 a.m. for $15, or grab your girlfriends and head out between 4-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday for a special $5 Girls Night Oout entry fee. Ages 12-under get in free. cincinnatiholidaymarket.com.
2. Christmas Nights of Lights
One of Cincinnati's largest holiday light shows, Christmas Night of Lights has more than 1 million lights, larger-than-life trees, glowing snowflakes, dancing candy canes and tunnels of lights to enjoy as you drive around Coney Island (6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township). The 2-and-a-half-mile light show is synchronized to both traditional and rocking holiday music broadcast via your vehicle's radio.
The holiday light show runs from 6-10 p.m. nightly beginning Friday and running through Jan. 2. In celebration of opening weekend and in honor of Veterans Day, all veterans and active military get in free this weekend. Tickets are $30 per carload (up to eight people), $50 for vehicles carrying 9-15 people and $75 for vehicles carrying 16-35 people. Book online at christmasnightsoflights.com/cincinnati.
3. Holiday Junction featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains
The tradition continues! The Duke Energy Holiday Trains are back for the 75th season, opening on Friday. There will also be an interactive storybook with historic photos, Brickopolis Lego displays and "Rocky Mountain Express" showing in the Omnimax Theater. You'll have to wait a bit longer to see Santa, he's coming to town on Nov. 26.
Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Monday, Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. Runs Nov. 12-Jan. 3. $10. cincymuseum.org.
4. Shop Local
Second Sunday on Main gets a Shop Local theme this week. The street festival features over 100 local vendors, live music, street artists, outdoor biergarten and more than 50 participating shops, galleries, restaurants and bars. Hours are noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Main Street between Twelfth and Liberty, Over-the-Rhine. Free. secondsundayonmain.org.
Keep the shopping going Sunday at Art on Vine from noon-6 p.m. at Rhinegeist Brewery, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. artonvinecincy.com.
5. USA vs. Mexico 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Will we see a repeat of "Dos a Cero" as in 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013? For those who don't know, there's quite a rivalry between the USA and Mexico's men's national teams, and four times, USA has bested Mexico by a score of 2-0. The final round of qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup happens Friday at TQL Stadium (1501 Central Parkway, West End), and while the match is long sold out – fans from all 50 states have purchased tickets – you can head into the urban core for one of the most epic futbol parties of the year.
Washington Park (1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine) hosts a watch party with live music, specialty drinks and more beginning at 4 p.m., and pretty much every bar in the city will be showing the match, which begins at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. There will also be a watch party at The Banks, Downtown, starting at 7 p.m. You really don't want to miss the spectacle of seeing fans of the national teams in action.
Honorable mention: Light Up the Fair
This drive-through light show opens Nov. 12 and continues through Jan. 1. It's open every night including all holidays. $7, free ages 3 and under.
Details: Dusk-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, dusk-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, Boone County Fairgrounds, 5819 Idlewild Road, Burlington. 859-568-4046; lightupthefair.com.