A Review of Bockfest

I apologize about my delay in getting to my newest post. I was recovering from a wonderful weekend in Over-The-Rhine. It truly was extraordinary. Young and old, out in droves celebrating the coming of spring, Bock beer and relating to a time that brought rich, German heritage to a boil on the streets of downtown Cincinnati. What was so amazing about the weekend was the collection of people that came down to enjoy the weekend. It wasn't the round-up of usual suspects, but rather a soup of suburbanites, downtown dwellers, hipsters, young professionals, wealthy & poor, old & young. It made me happy to see local newscasters on a day off enjoying a pint and enjoying conversation. The priest from my mothers' church was indulging in a couple Bock beers, so too was the guy at the gas station I go to all the time. The masses were out, and they all came calling for a good time in the name of this town's German past, a right of spring - a celebration.
The bars were hopping as you might expect, and for me, I looked on it like a proud father would watch a child learning a new trick. Seeing some of the faces in the crowd as they discovered such gems like Milton's or Mr. Pitiful's for the first time. Pitiful's had the Goshorn Brothers Friday night, and the crowd was as emotional as it was electric. Courtyard Cafe saw more life than it usually sees, and some fresh paint and a fresh approach lent itself well to the opening success of Jack Pott's (the old home of Jefferson Hall). Grammers was hopping with it's usual hipster/party more than most crowd, and even the new Senate Restaurant got in on the act with some bock beer flowing from its' taps. Of course, I don't have to point out that Arnold's was one of the places to be. The ownership there has been a huge part in the continued growth of the event. The wonderful thing about bars like Arnold's or Miltons and Pitiful's, is that they've been around long enough, that a couple that now resides in the suburbs with their 2.2 kids and the dog playing in the yard, run home to them like an old friend. This last weekend, they were filled with lots of old friends, and a lot more new ones. More than ever before. Everyone shined. Over-The-Rhine welcomed everyone home. It didn't turn it's back on us all. It gave us a warm embrace... and lots of cold beer. The music was being played, the dancers were decked out in traditional attire, the food was delicious and the smiles were wide. It was a great weekend for Over-The-Rhine. Better yet, it was a great weekend for Cincinnati, and for all of you who forget about downtown except during weekends like this or Taste of Cincinnati or Oktoberfest or Bengals/Reds games, remember: We're here the other 350 days of the year, waiting to give you that warm embrace. See you soon.