City Life

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Lumenocity 2013

Photograph provided by Agar

New Event Tradition: Lumenocity
A better light show doesn’t exist on the planet (sorry Pink Floyd fans). The free performance at Washington Park drew 48,000 attendees this year, most of whom fell silent with wonder as silhouettes of Cincinnati Ballet dancers swept across the facade of Music Hall, and Charley Harper’s darling wildlife figures came to life, fluttering and flapping to John Adams’s frisky score, “Short Ride in a Fast Machine.” All we want for Christmas is word it will happen again next year. cincinnatisymphony.org

Outdoor Fund-Raiser: Cincinnati Nature Center’s Hoots & Hops
This nighttime fund-raiser on August 22 found a sold-out crowd walking the Discovery Trail for lessons on frogs, crayfish, mosquitoes, and monarch butterflies accompanied by tastes of Mt. Carmel, MadTree, Rhinegeist, and Fifty West brews. Back at the lodge, local eats, full pints, and live music were waiting. Cheers to Mother Earth! 4949 Tealtown Rd., Milford, (513) 831-1711, cincynature.org

Hidden Civic Gem: Maps in the County Recorder’s Office
Your trip to the BMV just got a little less dreadful. Head up one flight to Room 205, the County Recorder’s office, and check out the seriously cool early-20th century maps on the walls. Many were printed by old Cincinnati lithography companies, and all document our city’s past in a beautiful, if unintentional, way. As you wander, just smile nicely at the County employees. (It’s a public office—you’re allowed to be there!) 138 E. Court St., downtown, (513) 946-4570, recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org

Creative Entrepreneurs: ArtWorks CO.STARTERS
It may sound like a self-help infomercial—Turn your creative ideas into a new
job! Only $300!
—but ArtWorks CO.STARTERS has the track record to back it up, with more than 200 graduates and more than 30 new local businesses coming from the course. They wrangle into one series all the business, financial, marketing, and legal know-how a creative entrepreneur needs—whether established or a start-up—and provide a supportive community for when doing it alone starts to feel…lonely. (513) 333-0388, artworkscincinnati.org

Radio Days: Voices We Love Up and Down the Dial

55KRC: She’s been the calm savior for hordes of confused cooks, and Marilyn Harris continues to offer her advice Saturday afternoons.

WNKU 89.7: Sundays at 6, Oakley Scot mashes the buttons for our own Katie Laur on Music from the Hills of Home.

WVXU 91.7: Mark Perzel’s warm baritone helps us cozy up to his new show, The Book Club, Saturday mornings at 7.

700 WLW: Ken Broo’s Sunday Morning Sports Talk eases us in to a full day of football, but we especially love the hits of music trivia.

Q102: Jeff & Jenn (with their producer sidekick Fritsch) bring weekday mornings their fun, feisty, and OMG moments—hello, Second Date Update!

Behind-the-Scenes Access: FBI Citizen’s Academy
There is only so much you can learn about the FBI from watching Miss Congeniality and The X-Files. For real inside info, apply to the Cincinnati’s FBI Citizen’s academy. The free, eight-week program was created in 2000. It’s not just classroom work, either. Participants have the opportunity to view SWAT demonstrations, fire FBI weapons under close supervision, and even take a behind-the-scenes tour of FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. Classes start in April, so make sure to apply by the end of the year. (513) 421-4310, fbi.gov/Cincinnati/outreach

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