Top 15 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend: July 19-21

1. Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio

Whether or not we #GetPaulToMusicHall , Cincinnati has the distinct honor of presenting the world premiere opera adaptation of Sir Paul McCartney's "Liverpool Oratorio," with music and libretto by McCartney and Carl Davis. Originally released as a live album in 1991, the piece has been performed in concert before, but never as a fully staged production – until now. It's part of Cincinnati Opera’s 2024 Summer Festival, and your chance to be part of history in the making. Opera Insights – free, informational pre-show discussions – begin in Corbett Tower one hour prior to showtime.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $35-$285. Cincinnatiopera.org .

2. The Ohio Challenge

Here's a festival full of hot air. The Ohio Challenge features daily hot air balloon competitions, skydiving demonstrations, creative flying shows, a nightly fireworks and drone show, plane rides, tethered balloon rides and nightly balloon glows. The festival also features a kids' zone, craft and food vendors, carnival rides, and on Saturday there's an antique car show. Parking is located at Middletown Regional Airport (2301 Wedekind Drive).

Details: 5-10:30 p.m. Friday, 4-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Smith Park, 500 Tytus Ave., Middletown. Admission: $40 premium parking, $20 handicap parking, $20 park ’n’ ride, $10 walk-in. Tethered balloon rides cost $20; plane rides run $25-$189. ohiochallenge.com .

3. AfriFest Cincy: Taste of Africa

This family-friendly festival is the largest African cultural event in the Queen City. It showcases varied African cultures, art, food, vendors, entertainment, fashion and more. Enjoy live performances, drumming, dancing, AfroBeat and other fun activities.

Details: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Sawyer Point Park, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown. Free. myapnet.org .

4. Lens of History: A Celebration of People, Spaces and Emotions

This new exhibition, part of the 2024 FotoFocus Biennial, explores the rich tapestry of Black history in Cincinnati through the lens of Black photographers and community photo collections from the 1800s to the 2000s. You'll see more than 200 photographs from the collections of the CMC alongside those of contemporary artists James Bates II, Ron Blassingame, Jymi Bolden, Ron Clemons, Monsta Dixon, Whitney Dixon, Steven Easley, Butch Gibson, Melvin Grier, Erica Griffin, Robert Harris, Malik Perkins, Larry E. Steele, Lé Thompson, Sylvia Lemon-Woods and Frank D. Young. The exhibition runs through Oct. 14.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday, Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. $22.50, $15.50 ages 3-12 and ages 60-up. Free for FotoFocus Passport holders in October, and museum members. cincymuseum.org .

5. Tire Discounters Festival in Sycamore

This two-day festival offers a wide variety of food and beverage vendors, carnival rides and live music. Friday night is tribute night, with Hot Red Chili Peppers: Tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bronson Arroyo Band: Tribute to Pearl Jam. On Saturday JoeyMac gets things going, followed by popular classic rock cover band DV8, and the headliner is Jefferson Starship.

Details: 6 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, Bechtold Park, 4312 Sycamore Road, Sycamore Township. Free admission. Ride bracelets $5. sycamoretownship.org .

6. Todd's Fork Revival

Kick back and enjoy a weekend of live bluegrass and Americana on three stages. Nineteen acts are set to appear, including The Larry Keel Experience, Slippery Creek, The Shady Pine and Hillbilly Chic. There will also be food and craft vendors. The festival doesn't sell alcohol, but you can bring your own. Camping is available at an additional cost, or opt for weekend passes that include camping.

Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, noon Friday-Saturday, Todd's Fork Adventures, State Route 22 & 3, Morrow. Passes: $120 3-day pass with camping, $100 2-day pass with camping. Admission only: $30 1-day pass Friday or Saturday, $20 Thursday only. Camping (must buy admission separately): $25 per night, $60 per night RV. Kids under age 10 get in free with a paying adult. toddsforkrevival.com .

7. Bacon, Bourbon & Brews Festival

If you love bacon, or bourbon, or beer, or any combination thereof, head to Festival Park in Newport this weekend for a celebration of Greater Cincinnati's brewing and pork industry heritage. You'll find creative dishes that incorporate bacon, bourbon or beer in the recipe, plus there's live music, games and family-friendly fun. Ages 21-up can enjoy a bourbon bar featuring limited edition bourbons, educational talks about bourbon, bourbon trivia and bourbon flights.

Details: 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday, Festival Park, Newport.  Free admission. Cincinnatifestivalsandevents.com .

8. Summer Jam Music & Fruited Beer Festival

This new summer festival at Sonder Brewing promises a vibrant fusion of fruity beers, refreshing summer cocktails and plenty of live music. The taproom and beer garden will feature 10 fruited beer releases, a charity cornhole tournament, vendors and food trucks. Artists scheduled to appear include Benny Hill, Noah Smith, The Ark Band, The Cadillac Preachers, Rumpke Mountain Boys and The Joe Cowels Band. The festival is free to attend, but special wristbands are required for alcohol purchases.

Details: noon Friday-Saturday, Sonder Brewing, 8584 Duke Blvd., Mason. Free; wristbands $20. VIP options available. eventbrite.com .

9. 52 Taps Beer Festival

Another beer-centric event happening this weekend is 52 Taps Beer Festival, an outdoor beer festival where you can explore a diverse selection of styles of beer, from classic IPAs and crisp lagers to innovative sours and barrel-aged brews. Beer samples (4 ounces) cost two tickets, with full pints varying by brand. Food can be purchased from restaurants at Gatherall.

Details: noon-10 p.m. Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday, Factory 52, 4590 Beech St., Norwood. Free admission; beer tickets are $1 each. f52taps.com .

10. 'Tick, Tick … Boom!'

Before there was "Rent," there was "Tick, Tick … Boom!," Jonathan Larson’s explosive musical about life, death and the necessity of art. The semi-autobiographical story follows a composer struggling to break into New York City's theatre scene. The musical stars Patrick Earl Phillips, JT Langlas and Annika Jonker, and it is directed by Lindsey Augusta Mercer.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, The Carnegie, 1028 Scott St., Covington. $18-$40. Runs July 19-28. Thecarnegie.com .

11. Butler County Fair

The Butler County Fair opens Sunday for a week of family fun. You'll find plenty of amusement rides and games, carnival food and food trucks, exhibits, vendors, and a daily local music showcase. Veterans and seniors aged 62-up get in free on Wednesday, and on Saturday adult admission is reduced to $5 and kids get in free with a paying adult. Note that Grandstand events are sold separately. Here's the Grandstand schedule: Sunday: Garden tractor pull, antique tractor pull. Monday: Truck/tractor and semi pull. Tuesday: Rodeo. Wednesday-Friday: Demolition derby. Saturday: Combine derby. You can purchase a grandstand wristband good for the entire week in advance at the fair office.

Details: 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Saturday, 1715 Fairgrove Ave., Hamilton. General admission: $10, $5 ages 6-12 with paying adult. Multiple-day adult admission (includes parking): $35 7-day pass, $25 4-day pass. Grandstand weeklong wristband: $40, $15 ages 6-12). Grandstand per day: $10-$15 adult, $5 ages 6-12. Runs July 21-27. butlercountyohfair.org .

12. A Historic Housewarming

Rediscover the Harriet Beecher Stowe House at this restoration reveal and reopening, which highlights the abolitionist author who lived in the house in the 1840s, and African American proprietor Irene Bacon, who managed the house in the 1940s as the Edgemont Inn. Events start Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with esteemed state and local leaders. On Saturday, enjoy family-friendly events fostering a shared historical experience. On Sunday, local artists create and draw inspiration from historical home together. Tours uniting past and present take place throughout the weekend.

Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, 2950 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills. Free. stowehousecincy.org/housewarming .

13. Ghouliecon

Let your inner ghoulie run wild at this locally-run horror festival. Meet fellow horror enthusiasts, enjoy live performances, a horror fashion show, panel discussion, cosplay contest, horror-themed merchandise and the Afterlife Gala (starts at 8 p.m.).

Details: 5:45-10 p.m. Friday, 10:45 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, Leapin’ Lizard, 726 Main St., Covington. $30-$60. facebook.com .

14. Burlington Antique Show

Browse more than 200 dealers of antiques, vintage jewelry, primitives, garden and architectural elements, mid-century collectibles, memorabilia, Americana and retro/vintage furniture.

Details: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Boone County Fairgrounds, 5819 Idlewild Road, Burlington. $10 early bird admission (7 a.m.), $5 general, free ages 12-under. burlingtonantiqueshow.com .

15. Art & Vendor Festival

The City of Florence hosts this new festival, which features 30 unique craft and vendor booths offering a wide array of handmade goods, artisan products and local specialties. There'll also be food trucks visiting, and a display of winners from the community photo contest on show across the street in the Historic Main Street Fire Station (269 Main St).

Details: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Bell Park, Main St., Florence. Free. florence-ky.gov .

Honorable mentions: Other cool shopping

• Summer Fair : Craft show, food, wine and live music with Mr. Phelps Band and Eden.
  • Details: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Vinoklet Winery, Colerain Township. $5 admission, free parking. vinokletwines.com .
• Night Market : The market stays open late with artisan goods, food and entertainment. You'll find both market house merchants and outdoor market vendors open, as well as storefronts along both Race and Elm streets. There will also be interactive stations and live music.
  • Details: 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. Findlaymarket.org .

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 15 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend: July 19-21