Photograph by Chris Hughes
On August 1 and 2, the shores of the Ohio River will be graced by music with a distinctly Cincinnati feel. For the second consecutive year, the On Point Music Festival takes the stage at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove for a weekend of sonic stylings from all over the area. The two-day event, which features music from across a variety of genres including country, alternative/indie, acoustic, and bluegrass, is entirely free, and also offers opportunities for food, shopping, and skating on-site.
The festival will showcase a diverse selection of artists, in part curated by Inhailer Radio. It features day one headliner Ashes & Arrows, an Asheville-based country group that appeared on America’s Got Talent last year; Motherfolk, a local indie rock group with more than 5 million listeners on Spotify and which released its album Eternal Joy last month; and Inhailer Radio founder Coran Stetter’s Multimagic, a dream-pop duo whose debut album Manic Daze reached the top 10 on the North American College & Community Radio Charts.
The Queen City musical theme was something that the festival’s founders strived for from the outset. “There’s a big hole for local music in Cincinnati, especially at the medium-high level,” says Haden Wright, who works as part of the audio team at the Cincinnati Parks and was part of the pioneering group behind On Point last year. “We really pushed to create an opportunity to get some of those like higher mid-level acts more active in the city they’re from. A lot of larger Cincinnati bands have a tendency to go elsewhere, so having more of a market for them here is a good thing.”
Photograph courtesy Zayne Isom
On Point, which held its first event with the current name last year, grew out of another musical endeavor spearheaded by Cincinnati Parks: the Sawyer Point Summer Concert Series. It was created, partly, in a bid to improve both attendance and the quality of events. “A couple of years ago, we realized the series wasn’t giving us the bang for the buck that we had hoped it would,” says Lou Sand, regional and special events manager for Riverfront Parks. “So we decided to decouple it into individually branded events. Alongside that, we wanted to see if we could do something a little bigger for one of these events, with more local talent.”
After success in 2024, the brains behind On Point have now taken another step to progress their event—a partnership with Inhailer Radio, a local independent music station. Stetter, who also serves as executive director of the station, had already worked with the festival in its first year, and approached the parks with a proposition to formalize their relationship.
“He felt like he had some experience with the local music scene that he could bring to the table,” says Jonathan Tagg, who leads the Cincinnati Parks’s audio team. “He has a lot of connections and has done a lot of promotion in the Cincinnati area, so we thought it was a great fit, and that he could really help us with getting the word out.”
Nick Barrows, Inhailer’s local music director, expanded further on the partnership, “We saw great potential in what this festival could be. I think it’s a perfect match between our park system and our music community.”
Barrows began volunteering with the station in 2023 and has worked as director since last year. “I wanted to be at Inhailer to show my support for all these hardworking artists, who all work really hard to fulfill their dreams. Our mission is to allow people to hear these incredible artists for the first time.”
Modern country and bluegrass musician Maria Carrelli, who will be performing on the second day of the event, says that she had no doubts about playing at the festival. “I was immediately in. To be able to play alongside so many great local musicians in such a great location is an honor.”
There will be several non-music activities and amenities for event-goers at Sawyer Point, which Haden Wright describes as “The most Cincinnati spot in all of Cincinnati.” Food trucks, beer suppliers, pickle ball courts, and a local vendors market will be present. Additionally, The Sawyer Point Roller Skating Rink will be running an event alongside On Point, at which visitors will be able to use the facilities for free.
The extravaganza is, according to Lou Sand, part of the Cincinnati Parks’s long musical history. “We have funding lines, which have been around for a really long time, entirely devoted to music and entertainment throughout the park system. Over the years, we have also partnered with other organizations to help execute events. We’re always trying to do as much as we can to bring music to the city with what we have.”
The On Point Music Festival will take place at Sawyer Point and Yeatman’s Cove on August 1 from 5-10 p.m. and August 2 from 2-10:30 p.m.
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