Top 15 big-time events in Cincinnati this weekend: Sept. 13-15

1. HorrorHound Weekend

Includes horror film festival, Ink Fusion Tattoo Festival, celebrity meet/greets and photo ops, huge vendor market and more. There are Horrors of Cosplay costume contests for kids ages 14-under (5 p.m.) and adults (6 p.m.) on Saturday. Celebrities scheduled to appear include Robert Englund, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Cole Sprouse, Kathryn Newton, Skeet Ulrich, Melissa Barrera, Kevin Durand, Alisha Weir, Andi Matichak, Lulu Wilson, Eddie Steeples and dozens more. Zombeast performs Saturday night. This year also features MaskFest the 13th, featuring hundreds of the world's top mask makers, and thousands of masks and monsters for sale.

Details: 5-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road, Sharonville. Ages 12-under free. horrorhoundweekend.com.

2. Dent Schoolhouse

This Halloween tradition features a murderous janitor who has taken over the schoolhouse, along with his wicked friends. Admission includes Monster Midway, the Cincinnati Haunted House Museum and the Jack O' Lantern Showcase. Mini-escape experiences and axe throwing for purchase inside midway. Beginning Sept. 29, the schoolhouse will also open its doors 7:30-10 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays.

Details: 7:30 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, 5963 Harrison Ave., Green Township. Runs Sept. 13-Nov. 9. $30-up. Dentschoolhouse.com.

3. Brimstone Haunt

In the shadowy town of Brimstone, a monstrous presence lurks. Attractions include Haunted Hayride, The Bog (formerly The Forgotten Forest), and the dark, maze-like pathways of Psychosis. Midway attractions include Dead Shot paintball, Cranium Crusher and Axe Throwing.

Details: 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Ohio Renaissance Festival Grounds, 10542 E. State Route 73, Harveysburg. Runs Sept. 13-Oct. 26. brimstonehaunt.com.

4. USS Nightmare

Two decks of nightmarish fun await on this steam-powered dredge boat on the Ohio River. Those wanting to level up the scary can opt for the RIP Experience, which is an intense, immersive and more interactive experience.

Details: 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 100 Riverboat Row, Newport. $25-$90. ussnightmare.com.

5. Sandyland Acres

This award-winning haunted hayride and haunted barn features new scenes and new characters for 2024. Attractions are open weather permitting and are not handicap accessible.

Details: 8 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, 4172 Belleview Road, Petersburg. $20 hayride, $15 barn, $30 combo. Cash only, free parking. Runs Sept. 13-Nov. 2. sandylandacres.com.

6. Underwater Pumpkin Glow

This new attraction begins Monday (Sept. 16) but we're tipping it now to get you and the kids ready. You'll encounter larger-than-life sculptures of aquarium favorites, reimagined as pumpkins. See giant, glowing underwater octopus, an underwater pumpkin patch, and glowing environments for families to explore together.

Details: 10 a.m. daily, Newport Aquarium, 1 Levee Way, Newport. Runs Sept. 16-Nov. 3. Newportaquarium.com.

7. Northern Kentucky Oktoberfest Weekend

Twice the pleasure, twice the fun, twice the opportunity to get your Chicken Dance on. The Northern Kentucky river cities of Newport and Covington both host Oktoberfest celebrations this weekend. We'll "Prost!" to that.

• Covington Oktoberfest: Enjoy fun competitions, live music, craft vendors, German food and beer. There's a Chicken Dance Off at 5:30 p.m. Friday, sausage toss and stein hoist competitions Saturday, and a goetta ball eating contest and beer belly competition Sunday. Draft Kings Sports Village returns again this year with a massive TV so you won't miss any of the games, including Bengals vs. Chiefs on Sunday. New this year is Festzelt, a traditional seated and served Oktoberfest dinner in partnership with Hofbrauhaus taking place 6 p.m. Friday, 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday, and noon Sunday. It includes charcuterie board, pretzel with beer cheese, choice of Bavarian chicken or pork shank, with family-style sides like green beans, scalloped potatoes and sauerkraut. Also includes strudel and 2 liters of beer.

  • Details: noon Friday-Sunday, Goebel Park, 526 Philadelphia St., Covington. Runs Sept. 13-15. Free admission. Festzelt is $85 by reservation via braxtonbrewing.com.

• Newport Oktoberfest: Enjoy German food and beer, carnival rides and games for all ages, and contests like log sawing, stein hoist and brat toss. Entertainment includes traditional German music and plenty of Chicken Dance opportunities in the Warsteiner Tent, and high-energy local bands in the Glier's Goetta Tent. New this year is the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner special courtesy of Moerlein Lager House that includes half chicken, cabbages, German potatoes and a one-liter souvenir stein of beer for $29.99.

  • Details: 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-7 p.m. Sunday, Festival Park on the Levee, 100 Riverboat Row, Newport. Free admission. cincyfests.com.

8. Loveland Oktoberfest

We truly are spoiled for choice this weekend for Oktoberfest opportunities. Loveland's celebration includes live music, German food and biergarten, wiener dog race, lederhosen competition, stein hoist competition, and games for adults like mechanical bull, stein slide, Big 6 Wheel and Beer Puppeteer. The Kid’s Zone includes inflatable carnival games, a tall climb & slide, and giant bulldozer jump & slide.

Details: 4-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday, Historic Downtown Loveland. Free admission. $5 wristband allows unlimited play time in Kid’s Zone. Lovinlifeloveland.com.

9. Buckeye Bigfoot Bash

Yeti or not, here comes the fun. This family-friendly good time offers more than 50 craft and flea market vendors, specials and giveaways, a petting zoo, pony rides, gem mining and geode cracking, a scavenger hunt, meet and greet with Turtleman, and a Sasquatch Shoot corn cob cannon. There are also contests for Best Bigfoot Call, Hairiest Bigfoot, Biggest Foot, Best Turtleman Yell and Cutest Little Bigfoot for ages 0-8. Those wishing to participate in competitions should meet at the DJ Truck Stage at 1 p.m. You'll also find food, drinks and snacks for purchase.

Details: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Buckeye Trading Post, 11294 State Route 50, North Bend. Free admission, $5 parking. Information: 513-353-0284; buckeyetradingpost.com.

10. Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey

Rick Steves, known for his acclaimed PBS television series and travel shows, joins the Cincinnati Pops for a multi-media experience that pairs Romantic-era popular classics performed alongside high-definition video cinematography of European landscapes, with narration by Steves. Conducted by John Morris Russell, all three performances will be filmed live, with occasional shots of the Music Hall audiences, to be distributed to PBS stations across the country.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $26-up. Cincinnatisymphony.org.

11. 'Camp Siegfried'

This regional premiere by Bess Wohl finds two teens falling in love at summer camp while slowly being indoctrinated into the political right. It’s 1938, the world is on the brink of war, and this camp is exclusively for American youth of German descent. It stars Katie Scarlett and Aaron Schilling.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine. Runs Sept. 13-28. $38. Welcome Wednesdays offer $15 advance tickets and free walk-up, if available. Knowtheatre.com.

12. 'The Garbologists'

Two essential workers from different worlds discover there’s more that binds them than taking out the trash in this off-beat buddy comedy. Handling the trash of New York City also sparks conversations on the death of a loved one, cancer and trauma, as well as joy, love and singing fish. This quirky play by Lindsay Joelle stars Nathan Neorr as Danny, a gruff sanitation worker hiding a heart of gold, and Torie Wiggins as Marlowe, an Ivy League-educated newbie assigned to his route.

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Ensemble Theatre, 1127 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. Runs Sept. 14-Oct. 6. $30-up. Ensemblecincinnati.org.

13. 'POTUS'

One four-letter word is about to rock the White House. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty and the pursuit of sanity to keep him out of trouble. Note: This production contains explicit content and is intended for mature audiences only.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Falcon Theatre, 636 Monmouth Ave., Newport. Runs Sept. 13-28. Falcontheater.net.

14. St. George Festival

Enjoy Russian folk, ballet, classical and popular music performances, games and activities for all ages, local crafts and souvenirs, and homemade ethnic food.

Details: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, St. George Russian Orthodox Church, 118 N. Lebanon Road, Loveland. Free admission. stgeorgeroc.org.

15. Fort Ancient Antique Tractor Show

This annual event includes a tractor show, antique tractor pulls, garden tractor pulls, demonstrations of wheat threshing, straw baling, corn husking/shredding, sawmill, lots of vintage vehicles, a flea market, craft vendors and more. The featured tractor this year is Ford.

Details: 3 p.m. Thursday, noon Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. Sunday, Oeder’s Lake, 1369 E. State Route 22 & 3, Morrow. Runs Sept. 12-15. $5, free ages 12-under. Facebook.com.

Honorable mention: Antiques and Flea Market

• Friendship Flea Market: Twice a year the Friendship Flea Market turns the quiet little town of Friendship into a bustling marketplace with over 500 vendors. Horse-drawn trolley rides, live music on Friday-Saturday, and primitive and electric camping. Runs daily Sept. 14-22.

  • Details: 9 a.m. Saturday-Sunday, 6491 E. State Road 62, Friendship, Ind. $10 camping per night. Free admission, $3 parking. facebook.com/friendflea.

• Burlington Antique Show: Browse more than 200 dealers of antiques, vintage jewelry, primitives, garden and architectural elements, mid-century collectibles, memorabilia, Americana and retro/vintage furniture.

  • Details: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Boone County Fairgrounds, 5819 Idlewild Road, Burlington. $10 early bird admission (7 a.m.), $5 general, free ages 12-under. burlingtonantiqueshow.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 15 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend: Sept. 13-15