Holiday events for beer drinkers, outdoors types and kids at heart

The holidays are upon us, and in typical Cincinnati fashion there are scores of events happening around town. Check out this roundup of our favorites....
 

For the beer lover:
Polar Bear Express Route on the Pedal Wagon, now through Feb. 29
Two-hour pub crawl with seasonal drink specials along the way. 15-seat private tours are $250 Sunday-Thursday and $295 Friday-Saturday; public tours are $20/seat Sunday-Thursday and $25/seat Friday-Saturday.

Cincinnati SantaCon, 12 noon-12 midnight Dec. 12
Register online for your chance to dress up like Santa and stop at some of Cincinnati’s favorite bars.
 

For the outdoors type:
Weekend carriage rides at Macy’s Celebration Station across from Fountain Square, 12-5 p.m. Dec. 12-13

Krohn by Candlelight, 5-7:30 p.m. Dec. 9, 16 & 23

Krohn Conservatory’s Holiday Show, now through Jan. 3

Light Up OTR at Washington Park, 6 p.m. Dec. 12

Holly Jolly Downtown Trolley, 12-5 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 19
Trolley service will run every five minutes, with stops along Fourth and Fifth streets. Free.

Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt at Fountain Square, 4-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 20
Market vendors offer a variety of traditional holiday sweets and European baked goods, Glühwein (hot spiced wine) and other hot beverages, Christian Moerlein beer and handcrafted gifts and seasonal decorations. USA Today named it one of the top 10 German-themed holiday markets in the U.S.

Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, now through Jan. 2
Tickets are $16 adults online, $11 kids and seniors online; $18 adults at zoo, $12 kids and seniors at zoo

Fountain Square Ice Rink, now through Feb. 15
$6 admission, $4 skate rental.


For the arts enthusiast:
The City Flea at Washington Park, 5-10 p.m. Dec. 12

Antique Christmas at the Taft Museum of Art, now through Jan. 3
Tickets are $10 adults, $5 kids; kids 5 and under are free.

Holiday Toy Trains at the Behringer-Crawford Museum, now through Jan. 17
Tickets are $9 adults, $5 kids.
 

For the historian:
Luminaria at Mt. Lookout Square and Cincinnati Observatory, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 13

Holiday Junction at the Cincinnati Museum Center, now through Jan. 3
Tickets are free for members; prices vary depending on which museum package purchased.
 

For the kid at heart:
Macy’s Downtown Dazzle on Fountain Square, 6 p.m. Dec. 12
Watch Santa rappel down the 525 Vine building to Macy’s rooftop, and catch fireworks afterward as well as much from local choirs. John Morris Russell will conduct the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and May Festival singers. 

Holiday Mystery Theater at Cincinnati Museum Center, 5 p.m. Dec. 13
The Whodunit Players will perform Santa’s Slay…Oops, Sleigh. Tickets are $55 for members and $65 for non-members.

BRICKmas Holiday Display at Newport on the Levee, now through Jan. 1
Tickets are $10.


For the dog lover:
Reindog Parade in Mt. Adams, 2 p.m. Dec. 12
26th annual parade of dog owners and their best friends, with Marty Brennaman as Grand Marshal. Prizes awarded for best costumes for dogs under 25 lbs. and over 25 lbs., best group and best master/dog lookalike.