BLINK adds first-ever official after-party aptly named 'afterglow'

The lights and sounds of BLINK, the nation's largest light and art event, will stretch a little longer into the night this year at the festival's first official after-party.

The party, aptly named "afterglow," will be held the night of Saturday, October 19 at MegaCorp Pavilion in Newport.

The party will celebrate the artists involved in the 2024 festival while attendees dance and enjoy plenty of food and drink options.

"We're thrilled to introduce afterglow at this year's BLINK — a cultural celebration that honors the artists and creators who make it all possible," said Josh Heuser, founder of AGAR, in a press release. "On Saturday night, MegaCorp Pavilion will transform into an indoor installation, offering an immersive light and dance experience."

Unlike the majority of events and installments at BLINK, the afterglow party will be ticketed and restricted to adults 21 years of age and older. Doors will open at 10 p.m. and tickets cost $30 each .

The event will feature musical entertainment from Harlem-born musician DJ Austin Millz, who will bring a fusion of hip-hop and electronic music to the audience.

According to organizers, the event held at MegaCorp Pavilion will also be near two BLINK installation sites.

Organizers of BLINK announced last year that projection mapping, which hasn't been done since Lumenocity ended in 2016 will return to the iconic Music Hall for BLINK when the festival returns in 2024.

Justin Brookhart, BLINK's executive director, announced the art and light festival will return to Cincinnati October 17 through October 20 in 2024, running for four days. The first day will kick off with a parade to open the four-day showcase of art created by contributors from all over the world, Brookhart said.

In 2022, 2.1 million people came to see the spectacle at BLINK and the event brought $126 million in revenue to the city, according to Brendon Cull, president and CEO of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber.

The 2022 festival marked the largest BLINK so far, with more than 100 art installations, projection mapping, light-based installations and more. Thousands of people filled the city streets to marvel at the various art experiences, which were accompanied by a parade, live music, food and more.

Organizers said attendees traveled to Cincinnati from 29 different states; through the execution of the event, BLINK also "directly created or supported 1,638 jobs," said Justin Brookhart.

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