Don’t miss BLINK

BLINK Parade
Example of a parade such as will be seen at BLINK tonight at 7 p.m. Photo provided

BLINK starts tonight with a parade from Findlay Market to Washington Park in OTR. What exactly is BLINK? Think Lumenocity on steriods. The four-night event, 7 p.m. to midnight each night, is a spectacle of light “projection mapping,” art installations, lighted displays, Cincinnati’s famous murals “painted” with light, and much more, along the path of the Cincinnati Bell Connector. There will be interactive displays for “hands-on” participation as well as live entertainment all along the 3.6 mile streetcar line, from Findlay Market to The Banks.

And it’s all free.

“It’s shaped around unity and the values we hold as a community,” says Timothy Maloney, president & CEO of the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, founding sponsor.

But with 60 attractions spanning 20 city blocks, you need a plan. Take it all in (or parts of it over a few days) by planning dinner, drinks or a performance in tandem. I plan to go the Cincinnati Pops season opener in the newly renovated Music Hall — which is incidentally right across the street from many of the attractions, and right on the streetcar line. I might decide to just jump on the streetcar and hop on and off.

Click here to see the map or download the event guide.

However you decide to see it, you can be sure that BLINK will be like nothing Cincinnati has ever seen.

 

The biggest story of the year in the arts

composite editedTo me, it was Lumenocity — even the name has instant recognition, at least locally. Who knew, in its second year, that free tickets would all be gone within 12 seconds?

IMG_-586At least 42,500 people flocked to three performances and a dress rehearsal of the orchestral light show. About 50,000 TV households tuned in to the live simulcast on TV. Hundreds more watched from rooftops and streets surrounding Washington Park. Another 1,300 saw live feeds to Fountain Square and Riverbend. Online, more than 6,000 logged on to watch a live video stream from as far away as Russia and Sweden.

IMG_-503No one knew what it was last year, until we told them. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra officials were stunned when 35,000 people showed up over two nights.

This year, coverage included the announcement of big plans and big changes.

The ticket snafu (some showed up eBay)

The guide (including an interactive map)

What’s next?