Lumenocity

This was the second year Lumenocity happened, and I was really excited to experience it. It’s really hard to describe what this event is, and do it justice. It’s essentially a several-​hours long festival in front of Music Hall, in Washington Park. However, what it’s known for is the massive grand finale, where the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra plays while a massive light show is projected onto the façade of Music Hall.
I had been a little skeptical about this going in – I grew up attending CSO concerts, and a light show sounded slightly hokey. But I knew how nuts people had gone for it the first year, so when I had the chance to get tickets, I thought I should at least check it out.
What an INCREDIBLE event to showcase the best of Cincinnati. Despite being smooshed together like sardines, seeing a tribute to Charley Harper where critters jumped, hopped, and scrambled across Music Hall is one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had since returning to my hometown. After this year, I totally get the hype, and hope this is something all Cincinnatians can experience as they work out future demand for tickets.
Pro-​tips (though the advisability of these may change based on future year’s logistics):
1. Get there and set up your chair EARLY. We got there a few hours after the gates opened, and just barely found a patch of grass at the back. You can leave your chairs set up, and walk around «the village» of food stands, drink stands, community organization booths, and vendors.
2. Re-​apply sunscreen often, bring toilet paper for the port-​o-​lets (which were surprisingly clean), and hydrate a lot. I suggest gatorade. It’s sunny out there if you get there early! Also, bring a poncho — it briefly rained when we were there, and it really came in handy.
3. Bring cash for the beer spots, though most other vendors will take cards
4. Enjoy the pre-​show acts at the Gazebo
5. Lumenocity is a great family-​friendly event, but it’s crowded, hot, and a very LONG wait until the light show for little kids. It’s probably best to just bring older kids to this event.
6. If you really want tickets, you need to make friends with a Symphony subscriber — or better yet, become one yourself. Season ticket holders receive first dibs on 4 Lumenocity tickets well before the remaining tickets are opened up to the public.