CityBeat | December 10, 2025

VOL. 28 | ISSUE 51

WINTERFEST AT KINGS ISLAND

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY KINGS ISLAND

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ASHLEY MOOR-MAHONEY

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

KATHERINE BARRIER

STAFF WRITER

MADELINE FENING

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

HAIMANTI GERMAIN

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ASPEN SMIT

CONTRIBUTING CRITICS

THEATER CRITIC: RICK PENDER

DINING CRITIC: PAMA MITCHELL

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

BRIAN BAKER

JASON GARGANO

THOMAS MADDOX

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

HAILEY BOLLINGER

RON VALLE CATIE VIOX

DISTRIBUTION TEAM

TOM SAND

STEVE FERGUSON

BIG LOU HOLDINGS

DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

ELIZABETH KNAPP

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER GUILLERMO RODRIGUEZ

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHRIS KEATING

NEWS

Rep. Landsman Squares Fight for ACA

Subsidies with his ‘Horrors of Socialism’ Vote

Landsman reaffirmed he was condemning “deadly regimes” with his vote, but he also brushed off the GOP bill as “absurd.”

BY MADELINE FENING

The future has grown hazier for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits — also known as the enhanced subsidies — that make private health insurance more affordable for nearly 20 million Americans and 530,000 Ohioans.

The COVID-era subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, and House Republicans have little time to come to a consensus on their fate.

In a show of party leadership, President Donald Trump was reportedly expected to unveil his preferred subsidy reforms on Nov. 24. The policy framework was expected to include a two-year extension of the subsidies with an income cap, as well as federal savings account option. But Trump’s announcement never happened. House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly told Trump that his proposal wouldn’t have the necessary support from House Republicans.

Rep. Greg Landsman, a Democrat representing Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, told CityBeat he’s having positive conversations with Republican colleagues about extending the subsidies

with changes down the line.

“I’m working with a group of folks on both sides of the aisle, and in the Senate, to try to get this done, because we can’t rely on leadership anymore,” Landsman said. “Based on my conversations, most people believe in a one to two-year extension, and that there be some cap and transition…The other thing that people have talked about is trying to get these subsidies to cover co-pays, premiums, that kind of stuff, and go directly to individuals and how you do that. All of that is probably best for a year two, but right now we just got to extend it for this year, because open enrollment starts Jan. 1; we may have to extend open enrollment.”

The rub with Republicans varies — some are caught up on the COVID connection, others are using their leverage to attack abortion providers — but Republicans have roundly opposed ACA funding since former President Barack Obama passed his namesake healthcare law in 2010. Gallup and PEW research polls have found only about 11% of Republicans approve of the ACA, while 52% of Americans

overall approve. Another poll shows 69% of all Americans believe insurance companies have too much influence on public debates about health policy. But perhaps the most vivid polling this year came in the form of public reaction to the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

“I think there’s people who understand, in ways that maybe wasn’t so clear to some folks, how bad the insurance companies have taken advantage of the system, and how much money they do put into their pockets and send to corporate investors when they’re denying claims and they’re jacking up premiums,” Landsman said. “I am a big believer that you have to have a public option, that people need to have the choice of buying into a system like Medicare and that will keep the private insurance companies honest.”

The “Horrors of Socialism”

Republicans have long equated public funding for healthcare with insidious “socialism.” Just last year, Senate Republican Mitch McConnell referred

to efforts to lower prescription drug prices by the Biden-Harris administration as “prescription drug socialism” with the “eerie echoes of Marxist propaganda.”

It’s no surprise then that in the midst of the publicly funded healthcare fight that Republicans brought a resolution to the House floor titled, “Denounce the Horrors of Socialism.” The resolution was brought up on Nov. 21, the same day Democratic Socialist and NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani was scheduled to meet Trump at the White House.

“Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress denounces socialism in all its forms, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States,” the resolution reads, listing death tolls under authoritarian regimes over the century while pulling quotes from James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. The bill appears to pull talking points from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, which has ties to The Heritage Foundation, the think tank that produced Project 2025.

“This resolution selectively lists certain despotic leaders and the harms of totalitarian regimes self-labeled as ‘socialist,’” reads a statement from House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “Ranking Member Waters opposes this resolution as a blatant attempt to tie critical government programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, as well as other policies that increase affordability for the American people, to these authoritarian regimes.”

The House voted 285-98 to approve the GOP-written resolution, with 86 Democrats voting in favor of the bill, including Landsman.

“To be clear the bill denounced the killing of 100,000,000 people, not free buses,” Landsman wrote on Facebook following the vote.

Speaking to CityBeat, Landsman reaffirmed he was condemning “deadly regimes” with his vote, but he also brushed off the bill as “absurd.”

“It’s a bill about the 100 million people who died of starvation and political executions in these ridiculously corrupt and deadly regimes,” he said. “But I think it has more to do with how dumb this speaker’s Congress has become in terms of the crap that he brings to the floor when there are a ton of bipartisan bills to address costs and safety and other things that people care about, and he won’t do it. He brings these absurd messaging bills.”

“If you thought it was an absurd messaging bill, then why did you vote for it?” CityBeat asked.

“What does it matter if I voted for it or didn’t vote for it?” Landsman responded. “It’s like, I’m not going to fall into his trap.”

“Honestly, I’m just trying to get people health care,” he continued. “I think it’s such a dumb argument and fight, and I think most Americans hate it.”

Olivia Merrill is a spokesperson for Cincinnati’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter. She told CityBeat that she wasn’t surprised by Landsman’s vote but found his reasoning frustrating.

“Landsman is a grown adult who’s capable of reading between the lines,” she told CityBeat. “He can recognize that this is not that the Republicans randomly decided it was important to recognize the deaths that were caused by the excesses of communism across the globe, but that this was specifically a reaction to Zohran Mamdani coming to the White House and an attempt to specifically intimidate him and intimidate Democratic Socialism across the country.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Dec. 4 that Democrats would force a vote to extend the tax credits for three years. While he guaranteed “every single Democrat” will support the bill, his legislation will fail without support from Republicans.

Cincinnati Environmental Group Warns Local Wetlands Could Lose Protection Under EPA’s New Clean Water Proposal

BY MADELINE FENING

The Trump administration has put forward a major change to the Clean Water Act that would strip federal protections from millions of acres of wetlands nationwide, and Cincinnati environmental advocates say the move could threaten some of the region’s most sensitive waterways.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 17 proposed a new definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS), a key legal phrase that determines which rivers, streams and wetlands qualify for federal protection. The proposal would exclude wetlands that lack a “continuous surface connection” to protected waters, as well as seasonal or intermittently flowing streams.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the rule is meant to create “clear and practical rules of the road” and bring the agency into alignment with Sackett v. EPA, a 2023 Supreme Court decision that sharply limited the government’s authority to regulate wetlands. He argued that the proposal would balance federal and state oversight and give farmers, developers and property owners relief from what he described as overly broad federal rules.

But environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers warn the change

could put between 38 and 70 million acres of wetlands at risk, according to analysis from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Those wetlands filter pollution, store floodwater and protect drinking water systems across the country.

Protecting Mill Creek

The Mill Creek Alliance, a Cincinnati-area watershed nonprofit, said the rollback could hit home quickly.

In a Dec. 2 statement, the group said the proposal “significantly weakens long-standing, science-based protections” for streams and wetlands across the Mill Creek watershed. The group pointed to areas in Butler County’s West Chester Township, where some of the last remaining natural wetlands could lose federal protection, as well as major Mill Creek tributaries such as Cooper Creek in Blue Ash and Evendale and Sharon Creek in Sharonville.

“This approach ignores decades of hydrological science and does not reflect how waterways actually function,” the organization wrote. “Wetlands and intermittent or seasonal streams play an essential ecological role even when they are not visibly or continuously connected.”

Losing federal safeguards could make it easier to develop flood-prone

areas, the alliance warned, potentially undoing “30 years of hard-won progress” in a watershed that has a long history of flooding, industrial contamination and habitat loss.

Nationally, critics say the rule could degrade rivers, lakes and drinking water supplies at a time when climate change is intensifying flooding and drought. Former EPA water official Betsy Southerland called the proposal “one of the most significant setbacks to clean water protections in over half a century.”

Republicans in Congress praised the proposal. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves said the rule is a “victory for common sense” that will lessen regulatory burdens on farmers, builders and property owners.

The proposed rule is open for a 45-day public comment period that closes on Jan. 5.

Mill Creek Alliance said it plans to join regional and national partners in pushing the agency to withdraw the proposal.

“Our watershed — and the people, wildlife and businesses that rely on clean, healthy water— deserve nothing less,” the group wrote.

Why UC Students Are Losing Faith in Cincinnati’s Politics

BY THOMAS MADDOX

Something has been shifting on the University of Cincinnati’s campus, and it’s not loud. It’s quiet. It shows up in group chats, in late-night conversations, in the way students roll their eyes when local politics comes up. UC students aren’t disengaged because we’re apathetic. We’re disengaged because Cincinnati’s political system looks less like a democracy and more like a machine running on autopilot.

The message starts the moment you try to participate. On Election Day, I walked up to my polling place and saw a big sign that said “No Campaigning.” Standard. But taped practically on top of it was a stack of pamphlets listing the endorsed Democratic candidates — placed so casually it felt deliberate. No one even bothered to hide it. That’s not a partisan criticism — it’s one about power. When a political ecosystem becomes so lopsided that the dominant side doesn’t even feel the need to pretend the rules apply, students don’t see civic engagement. We see a city telling us that the outcome was decided before we showed up.

And whether Cincinnati’s leadership wants to admit it or not, that’s exactly how the city feels. Predictable.

Insulated. Pre-scripted. A place where the same handful of names rotate through power, the same talking points get recycled and the same issues — crime, housing, transportation — get managed instead of solved.

Part of the problem is Mayor Aftab Pureval’s approach to leadership. A lot of students see him as someone already halfway out the door, treating Cincinnati like a stepping stone on the path to something bigger. He talks about “the future of the city,” but it rarely feels like he’s talking to us — the thousands of young people actually living that future. When attacks happen downtown or in Over-the-Rhine, the official statements read like PR memos, not honest conversations. Every student I know has a story about feeling unsafe walking downtown or through OTR at night, yet the official statements after each new incident sound more like damage control than leadership.

Housing is no better. Rent around UC climbs every year. Development around campus moves slowly, gets blocked or turns into endless process meetings. City Hall blames zoning. Developers blame City Hall. In the end, students pay the price while everyone else defends their turf.

You can feel the frustration everywhere. Most of us didn’t grow up in Cincinnati. We chose it. We came here expecting a city that wanted young people to stay, invest and build lives. Instead, we walked into a political environment where new voices aren’t rejected outright — they’re just politely ignored. Cincinnati loves the word “innovation,” but the political structure acts like change is something dangerous that needs to be contained.

And that’s what scares students — not corruption, not ideology, but the sense that nothing we do matters, that Cincinnati is a city where the power circle is small, self-preserving and resistant to any fresh energy that didn’t come from inside the club. You can see it in how city politicians treat student involvement like a novelty instead of a constituency.

The truth is this: UC students are one of the largest, most influential groups in Cincinnati. Tens of thousands of us live here, rent here, work here, vote here. We’re not tourists. We’re part of the city’s economic engine. We’re part of its future workforce. We’re part of its culture. But City Hall doesn’t treat us like stakeholders. It treats us like background noise.

That’s why students are losing faith. Not because we’re cynical by default, but because Cincinnati’s politics have earned our cynicism. We see a city that talks about wanting young people to stay, but doesn’t seem particularly interested in listening to us while we’re here.

Students don’t need perfect leaders. We don’t need flashy speeches or choreographed town halls. We need genuine accountability. We need a system where outcomes aren’t predetermined, where leadership isn’t a revolving door and where the next generation isn’t treated as a temporary inconvenience. If Cincinnati wants to keep the talent it says it values, it needs to stop assuming young people are too distracted to notice how the system works. We notice. And right now, what we see is a city running on a political structure that hasn’t meaningfully changed in decades.

The only real question left is whether City Hall is finally ready to change.

Thomas Maddox is a senior at the University of Cincinnati, studying finance. He writes about Cincinnati politics, development and the issues shaping the city’s future.

Holiday Guide The

24 Greater Cincinnati holiday traditions you won’t want to miss by CityBeat Staff

reak out the holly and tinsel: The holiday season is upon us, Cincinnati. Whether you’re more of a “bah humbug” or “deck the halls” kind of person, there are a lot of fun holiday traditions in Cincinnati happening throughout November and December you won’t want to miss out on.

From taking a few spins on the ice downtown or oohing and ahhing at colorful light displays to donning a bright red Santa suit and getting sloppy drunk (for a good cause), here are 24 ways to make merry this time of year.

Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Take a walk on the wild side: At the Festival of Lights, guests can enjoy over 5 million LED lights, a light show on Swan Lake, costumed characters, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, train rides on the North Polar Express, a blacklight puppet show and more. There will also be five Fiona fairies hidden throughout Fairyland for visitors to find, as well as plenty of delicious holiday treats like hot chocolate, roasted nuts and s’mores. 3400 Vine St., Avondale. Festival of Lights runs nightly (except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) from Nov. 20-Jan. 4.

Holiday Junction at Cincinnati Museum Center

All aboard! At nearly 80 years old, Holiday Junction is a beloved tradition

that’s been handed down from generation to generation, with Greater Cincinnati families gathering to watch the toy-sized candy-colored circus trains, sleek sleeper cars and coal-laden hopper cars (for those on the naughty list) zip around scenery of snowbanks and crowded streets. Highlights of Holiday Junction include a 1904 electric toy train from the Cincinnati-based Carlisle & Finch Company, which made the first such electric toy train in 1896, along with a pre-World War II Lionel layout and a ‘60s Lionel Super O layout that show the evolution of toy trains and prefabricated landscapes. You’ll also be able to spot Thomas the Tank Engine as he and his friends chug around the mountains of Sodor. 1301 Western Ave., West End.

Holiday Junction runs Nov. 10-Jan. 5.

WinterFest at Kings Island

Kings Island’s WinterFest is merry and bright, with millions of LED lights; live holiday shows, like the nightly tree-lighting ceremony on International Street or the Winter Wonderland Parade; festive activities such as cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus or ice skating; and the Eiffel Tower dressed up like a gigantic Christmas tree. And when you need to warm up, you can enjoy some hot cocoa and holiday-inspired treats or even some gift shopping. The park also has a selection of rides and attractions open. 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason.

WinterFest runs on select dates from Nov. 28-Dec. 31.

Cincinnati’s Nights of Lights

One of Cincinnati’s most dazzling holiday lights shows is back for its 10th year at its new location on the Clermont County Fairgrounds. Nights of Lights is a drive-thru display featuring a two-and-a-half-mile track with more than 2 million colorful lights set up in dazzling and festive scenes. The lights are also synced to rocking holiday music, featuring all the classics. Scenes include tunnels of lights, larger-than-life Christmas trees, glowing snowflakes, dancing candy canes and more. 1000 Locust St., Owensville.

Cincinnati’s Nights of Lights runs Nov. 19-Jan. 3.

Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland at Newport Aquarium

Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland is a festive adventure where Santa swims with the aquarium’s new roughtail stingray, plus three rare shark rays, Denver the loggerhead sea turtle and other fishy friends. And just because he’s underwater doesn’t mean your kids can’t tell Santa what they want for Christmas; his special magic allows him to hear even as he dives. Visitors can also enjoy holiday music and colorful lights throughout the aquarium, as well as the return of the magic bubbles, which carry everyone’s Christmas wishes to Santa, in Shark Ray Bay Theater. When a bubble pops, that means a Christmas wish has come true. 1 Levee Way, Newport. Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland runs Nov. 28-Dec. 24.

Festival of Ferns at Krohn Conservatory

The conservatory will have you celebrating among the fronds for its annual holiday show, themed “Festival of Ferns” this year. Festival of Ferns will feature both familiar and unexpected plants, “from towering tree to delicate maidenhairs complemented by the crimson hues of our seasonal poinsettias.” The centerpiece model train display features locomotives zipping through botanical recreations of local landmarks, utilizing materials like wood and moss to make mini versions of the spectacular originals. 1501 Eden Park Drive, Walnut Hills.

Festival of Ferns runs daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Jan. 4. Check the conservatory’s event calendar before going, as sometimes the show closes early for private events.

Ice Skating at Elm Street Plaza

Nothing says winter or the holiday season in Cincinnati quite like ice skating in the heart of downtown. Lace up your skates for a spin on the ice in the UC Health Ice Rink’s new location at the brand-new Elm Street Plaza, a two-anda-half-acre outdoor park and venue just down the street from Fountain Square. 3CDC says the ice rink’s new spot offers a bigger and better experience, with more space to skate, an upgraded WGU Warming Tent and cozy igloos and firepits. 150 W. Fifth St., Downtown.

UC Health Ice Rink runs daily from Nov. 21-Feb. 16.

Visit the Shillito’s Elves at the Carew Tower

The famous Shillito’s Elves will be on display in the Carew Tower near Fountain Square this year. The mechanized

figures depict various Christmas scenes, like the elves building toys in Santa’s workshop and sorting Santa’s mail. The same six elves will be on display: The Mail Sorter; Little Woodshop; Pete the Painter; Lazzie Bear and Gift Wrap; and Elves at home, including Ralph the Piano Player, Ned the Newspaper Reader and the four-stack of Bunkbed Elves dreaming of their toy deadline. 41 W. Fifth St., Downtown. You can catch the elves’ animated antics Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 27-Jan. 4.

Holidays

on the Farm at Winton Woods Farm & Equestrian Center

Head down to the farm to make some magical memories together. Holidays on the Farm is Great Parks’ annual outdoor, wintertime event, offering merriment like old-fashioned hay rides, pony rides, lighted trails, photos with Santa, holiday crafts, curling and more. You can also take part in farm animal meet-and-greets, admire Santa’s reindeer or settle in for a storytime and sing-along with Mrs. Claus or an interactive show with Mt. Scrooge. 10073 Daly Road, Springfield Township. Holidays on the Farm runs nightly from Dec. 4-23.

A Christmas Carol at Playhouse in the Park Blake Robison’s stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ most beloved story, A Christmas Carol, returns to the Playhouse for its third season this year. Follow the notorious Ebenezer Scrooge on his Christmas Eve journey to remember the spirit of the holiday and rediscover empathy and compassion

with the help of his ghostly former business partner and three mysterious spirits. Robison’s interpretation includes dazzling sets, costumes, lighting designs and even puppetry. 962 Mt. Adams Circle, Mt. Adams.

A Christmas Carol will be on stage from Nov. 21-Dec. 28.

Mt. Adams Reindog Parade

For more than three decades, pups decorated in their holiday best have taken to the streets of Mt. Adams for an annual costumed Reindog Parade. The parade will be led by Santa Claus and this year’s Grand Marshal. All proceeds will be donated to the League for Animal Welfare. Reindog Parade kicks off at 946 Pavilion St., Mt. Adams.

The parade is Saturday, Dec. 13. Registration starts at 12:30 p.m. and the parade kicks off at 2 p.m.

Holidays

at the Taft Museum of Art

The Taft Museum of Art will create a new holiday tradition this year, with teapot-shaped artworks from local artists decorating the tree in the Duncanson Foyer. The museum says the idea was inspired by the tea reception that museum founders Charles and Anna Taft would host on New Year’s Day. The museum will also host holiday-themed Family Fundays and holiday tea. 316 Pike St., Downtown.

Visit the museum’s website for specific times and dates.

Servatii Christkindlmarkt at Moerlein Lager House

Holiday magic with some European flair returns to The Banks with the Servatii Christkindlmarkt. The free market brings all kinds of holiday cheer with it, including a new tent for holidaythemed programming, themed character days, karaoke contests, a mailbox where kids can drop off letters to Santa and an all-new Holiday Beer Extravaganza, featuring holiday beers from more than 20 local breweries. Also new this year: the Christkindlmarkt will expand its footprint to include the Carol Ann Carousel, which will be open on select weekends along with a holiday train ride. You can also rent a private, heated igloo, which can fit up to 15 people, and each booking comes with $300 in bonus gift cards good for food and drinks. 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, The Banks.

Servatii Christkindlmarkt runs Thursdays-Sundays from Nov. 22-Dec.28, with special hours on Christmas Eve.

Pyramid Hill Lights at Pyramid Sculpture Park & Museum

Holiday revelers looking for a unique tradition filled with art and nature need look no further than the annual

Pyramid Hill Lights show in Hamilton. Visitors drive along a two-mile route through the park, which features a glowing display of over 1 million lights. The show is designed to be enjoyed by every member of the family, including your fur-kids. The experience also includes fiber art, woodworking, sculpture and light projection pieces from local artists. 1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton.

Pyramid Hill Lights runs Tuesdays through Sundays Nov. 14-Jan. 4.

Light in the Forest at Cincinnati Nature Center Wander the woods in this celestialthemed light display set up along the Cincinnati Nature Center’s trails. The mile-long trail features dazzling light displays and interactive activities, including new installations and light displays from nine regional light artists, including seven BLINK artists. Guests can also enjoy live music, a bonfire, a decorated historic home, food trucks and holiday shopping. 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford.

Light in the Forest runs select dates from Dec. 5-28 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Cincinnati SantaCon

It’s about to get sloppy. Hundreds of humans dressed in Santa outfits will be taking over Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, Mt. Adams, Newport and Covington in a festive holiday pub crawl. There will be singing and drinking, and proceeds will benefit The Cure Starts Now, a nonprofit focused on cancer research.

Cincinnati SantaCon is Saturday, Dec. 13 from noon to midnight.

The Nutcracker at Music Hall

Cincinnati Ballet presents a true holiday classic: The Nutcracker. The

enchanted dreamland comes to life once again thanks to Tchaikovsky’s treasured score and the brilliant Cincinnati Ballet company. “When a curious young girl named Clara receives a magical Nutcracker for Christmas, her dreams come to life in the Land of Sweets,” reads the event description. It’s a traditional way to get into the spirit with the whole family. 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine.

The Nutcracker is on stage from Dec. 18-28.

Every Christmas Story

Ever Told (and then some!) at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presents another season of “highoctane jollity and frivolity.” NSFW for true Santa believers, it’s a light-hearted spoof of classic Christmas tales like It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that promises an evening of Santa-style belly laughs. 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some!) runs Dec. 10-28.

Christmas Tree Shopping at Findlay Market

You can find the perfect tree at Findlay Market’s annual Christmas Tree Sale. Every weekend from Nov. 28-Dec. 21, you can shop the selection of Christmas trees and wreaths to find the one that best fits your holiday decorations, says the market.

Visit Findlay Market’s website for specific sales times.

Holiday Pops at Music Hall

John Morris Russell conducts the Cincinnati Pops, with additional appearances by the May Festival Youth

even get to indulge in Buddy’s favorite food combo: maple syrup and spaghetti. 520 Vine St., Downtown. Downtown Dazzle runs from 6-9 p.m. on Saturdays Nov. 29-Dec. 20.

Winterhaus at Fountain Square

A brand new tradition is popping up at Fountain Square this year. Winterhaus is an oversized tent that will serve as a festive hub downtown and feature daily events, a full bar and space for everything from co-working to private events. 520 Vine St., Downtown. Winterhaus will be open from November through February.

Christmas Glow at Land of Illusion

Chorus, vocalist Cody Fry, Studio for Dance and local high school ensembles, in a program of winter and holiday hits. 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine.

Holiday Pops runs Dec. 12-14.

Downtown Dazzle at Fountain Square

The giant Christmas tree on Fountain Square will be complemented by Downtown Dazzle, which features Santa rappelling from a nearby skyscraper and a fireworks show to close out the night. Kids can also decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus, participate in the Search for Santa and earn their Elf Certification, get a picture with Santa and Buddy the Elf and maybe

A haunted horror town during Halloween and a family-friendly splash zone during the summer, Land of Illusion transforms into a drive-through holiday lights display each winter. Christmas Glow offers more than 3.8 million lights, a petting zoo and a Christmas village with a 35-foot-tall tree. 8762 Thomas Road, Middletown. Christmas Glow runs daily 6-10 p.m. through Dec. 24; drive-thru only from Dec. 26-30.

Winter Nights & River Lights on the Purple People Bridge

The Purple People Bridge’s annual holiday display features thousands of Christmas lights and holiday decorations spread across the bridge for everyone to enjoy. Access from Newport on the Levee (1 Levee Way, Newport) or Sawyer Point (705 E. Pete Rose Way, The Banks).

Winter Nights & River Lights runs nightly from Nov. 21-Jan. 4.

ARTS & CULTURE Arts & Culture Briefs

The latest arts & culture stories in Greater Cincinnati

BY KATHERINE BARRIER

Make Memories at Great Parks’ Annual Holidays on the Farm

You can have an old-fashioned Christmas down on the farm with the help of Great Parks.

Holidays on the Farm returns to Winton Woods Farm & Equestrian Center for its fourth year from Dec. 4-23. Organizers say the event allows attendees to escape the holiday hustle and enjoy the season in a natural setting.

This year, visitors can walk on the lighted trails, meet Santa’s reindeer, go on a hayride, listen to carolers, warm up with some s’mores and hot cocoa or enjoy a beer or cocktail in the “cheer” garden. The winter sport curling will also make its return, or you can do a holiday craft and get your Christmas shopping done at Vendor Village.

The kids can also go on a pony ride and meet some of the farm animals. A host of holiday characters will also have some entertainment planned for the little ones, including an interactive show from Mr. Scrooge and a singalong with Mrs. Claus. Don’t forget to get their photo taken with St. Nick himself.

“Holidays on the Farm is a chance to step away from the rush of the holiday season and enjoy a nature-based, outdoor festival that perfectly captures what Great Parks represents, which is fun and adventure in all four seasons,” Todd Palmeter, Great Parks’ CEO, said in a previous press release.

This year, Great Parks will also host a Toys for Tots drive every night of Holidays on the Farm. Donations will go toward the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s annual toy drive.

Admission to Holidays on the Farm ranges from $12-$17, or you can buy

a multi-day pass, which starts at $20, that allows unlimited visits throughout the season. Admission for children 24 months and under is free. You can buy your tickets on Great Parks’ website or at the door. Holidays on the Farm attendees do not need a Great Parks

motor vehicle pass during event hours.

Holidays on the Farm is located at 10073 Daly Road in Springfield Township and runs nightly from 5-9 p.m. from Dec. 4-23. Learn more at greatparks.org.

Servatii Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt Brings Holiday Cheer Back to The Banks

Holiday magic will return to The Banks this season with the fourth annual Servatii Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt.

The Servatii Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt aims to bring some European flair and holiday traditions to The Banks. It’ll once again be held on the Schmidlapp Event Lawn in Smale Riverfront Park next to Moerlein Lager House, but this year, the market’s footprint will extend all the way to Carol Ann’s Carousel, creating a corridor of holiday magic, says organizers.

“From the beginning, our vision has been to highlight the incredible assets of Smale Riverfront Park,” Greg Hardman, managing member of the Moerlein Lager House and Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt, said in a press release. “By incorporating Carol Ann’s

Carousel and programming every space between, guests will experience a fully immersive holiday village unlike anything else in Cincinnati.”

The free market is open Thursdays through Sundays from Nov. 22-Dec. 28 (except Christmas Day), with special hours on Christmas Eve. Visitors can expect all kinds of holiday cheer, including themed character days and character brunches, live performances, a big red mailbox where children can post their letters to Santa and, on select weekends, rides on the carousel and holiday train.

The market will host the Cincinnati Karaoke Championships in the Stock Yards Fest Tent. This high-energy karaoke competition starts at 6 p.m. every Thursday in December. Nightly winners will advance to the Championship Round on Saturday, Dec. 20,

which will be hosted by Kiss 107 DJ JonJon and Friends.

The private, heated rental igloos will also return this year. Each igloo can fit up to 15 people and each booking comes with $300 in bonus gift cards good for food and drinks.

Servatii Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt will be open:

• Thursday from 5-9 p.m.

• Friday from 5-10 p.m.

• Saturday from noon to 10 p.m.

• Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.

• The market will also be open on Christmas Eve from 3-7 p.m.

Servatii Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt, located next to Moerlein Lager House at 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, The Banks. More info: cincinnatichristkindlmarkt.com.

New Vintage Store Brings Retro Looks to Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine

Anew curated vintage clothing store is bringing the style and aesthetic of the ‘80s, ‘90s and Y2K to Over-the-Rhine.

Vine Street Vintage opened at 1511 Vine St. on Nov. 15. The shop is the second brick-and-mortar resale operation from duo James Leach and Jackson Baltes, who also own 502 Thrifts in Louisville.

“I feel like clothing nowadays, like fast fashion, is just a huge problem, and it’s not made very well,” Leach told CityBeat. “These T-shirts have just held up over the years very, very well, and they all have really interesting styles. And I really like just providing clothing that people can enjoy a bit more than just the standard thing that everyone else has, because each piece is pretty unique at this point.”

Leach got into the resale business in high school, saying he always really liked vintage style, and his friends’ interest in vintage clothing helped spark his own. He thrifted enough clothes to start doing the pop-up Flea Off Markets in Louisville, and in March 2024, when he was just a senior in high school, he and Baltes opened 502 Thrifts.

“We were just like, let’s just get into it, man. I mean, we do this all day anyway,” Leach said.

The quick success of 502 Thrifts led Leach and Baltes to expand. Leach says Cincinnati drew their interest as they had spent a lot of time in the city and noticed that, in Over-the-Rhine, while Findlay Market and Main Street already offered thrift and vintage stores, Vine Street had none.

The storefront on Vine Street is also significantly larger. While the sales floor at 502 Thrifts is about 500 square feet, Vine Street Vintage offers 1,400 square feet and a wider selection of accessories, including purses, tote bags and satchels, as well as belts and belt buckles. Leach also wants to add rings, necklaces and sunglasses to the inventory.

“We also have a lounge area at Vine Street for anyone who’s shopping and just wants to pop a squat. We got a couch in the back with some old-school video games hooked up so, if people aren’t shopping, they can come in, just chill, just enjoy the vibe,” Leach said.

The clothing is mainly focused on Y2K and earlier decades, but Leach says they get in items from all decades.

“Jacket-wise, we get in a lot of Carhartts. We get in a lot of Harley-Davidson jackets. … We get in a lot of Starter sports puffer jackets,” he said. “We do have a lot of Harley-Davidson stuff all over the store … A lot of Hard Rock Cafes, as well. Looney Tunes stuff. We have a bunch of NASCAR items.”

Vine Street Vintage is buy-sell, so you can bring in your vintage or thrifted items and receive money or in-store credit if it’s accepted.

While Cincinnati is home to a number of vintage and thrift stores, what makes Vine Street Vintage unique, Leach says, is its keeping thrifting affordable to everyone. The store has a $10 rack and $5 bucket and will sometimes put out items for free.

“Vintage has seen a huge spike in popularity in the past couple years, and, honestly, it just keeps on growing. So, I feel like a lot of vintage shops, they take advantage of that a bit and overprice items that they get for a very fraction of the cost. I feel like we’re a lot different in the sense of where we try and keep everything affordable,” said Leach. “There’s a price point for everyone at our stores.”

Leach says they also work hard to have items in the store that can fit anyone’s style — things like fur and suede coats and neon ‘80s windbreakers.

“Stuff that isn’t necessarily the most popular, but if there is someone that wants that type of item, they can come here.”

Overall, Leach says he wants the store to be a fun and welcoming place.

“I want [customers] to feel like they can ask whoever’s working the store that day any questions, or even if they need help styling, if they’re trying to get out of their comfort shell. I want them to be able to come to our store and find something that fits them.

Vine Street Vintage is open

Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can learn more by visiting their social media, @vinestreetvtg on Instagram.

Bertha G. Helmick

attorney at law

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FOOD & DRINK

Eats Briefs

The

latest food and dining stories in Greater Cincinnati

BY KATHERINE BARRIER

Four Cincinnati Restaurants Land on OpenTable’s ‘Top 100’ List

Cincinnati is home to several of the best restaurants in the United States, according to OpenTable. The restaurant reservation site released its annual “Top 100 Restaurants in the U.S.” list in November, with four Cincinnati restaurants making the 2025 roundup.

Restaurants featured on the list included two Jeff Ruby restaurants, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse and The Precinct, as well as one of Chef David Falk’s popular downtown restaurants, rustic Italian eatery Sotto. Over-the-Rhine Italian restaurant Pepp & Dolores, owned by Thunderdome Restaurant Group, also made the list. All four restaurants have been featured on the list in previous years. These four restaurants were also the only ones from Ohio honored on the list. Two Indiana restaurants, Vida in Indianapolis and 9th Street Bistro in Noblesville, were also mentioned. No restaurants from Kentucky were featured on the list.

OpenTable says its annual list was culled from over 10 million verified diner reviews and dining metrics like diner ratings, percentage of reservations made in advance and five-star reviews.

Flight Club, 125 W. Fifth St., Downtown. More info: flightclubdartsusa.com/cincinnati.

New Social Darts Concept to Open in Downtown Cincinnati This Month

Anew entertainment, food and drinks concept is opening in downtown Cincinnati this month.

State of Play Hospitality, an international social entertainment company that has created several tech-enabled concepts, will open its “Social Darts” venue, Flight Club, in the former Saks Fifth Avenue building on Fifth Street on Friday, Dec. 12. The concept was originally founded in London in 2015 and blends

the charm of Victorian fairgrounds with the warmth of a traditional pub.

This will be the 12th North American location of Flight Club. The venue features nine private and semi-private playing areas, known as oches, that will be used for its signature Social Darts gaming — proprietary darts technology with automatic scoring and multiplayer games for groups of up to 270 people.

As with every Flight Club, the Cincinnati location was individually designed, with

a sophisticated and playful atmosphere and a menu of craft cocktails and elevated cuisine.

“We can’t wait to be part of the city’s growing entertainment scene,” Toby Harris, CEO of State of Play Hospitality, said in a previous press release. “At Flight Club, the heart of the experience is all about social connection — bringing people together to have fun and some friendly competition, as well as enjoy some great cocktails and delicious food.”

The menu features a selection of sharables, small plates and dips, like the Lobster Elote (grilled street corn, jalapeños, cilantro, cotija, mayo, tajín and flour tortilla chips), sliders, mini tacos and wings. There are also sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and carnival-esque desserts like s’mores and cotton candy. To drink, try a signature cocktail like the Rum Cake Punch (buttered rum, lime and a smoked cinnamon stick) or the Fields Forever (Casamigos Tequila, triple sec, strawberry, basil, agave, lime and a sugar rim).

Flight Club will also host brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a menu of flatbreads, sliders, fresh fruit and cocktails, plus an add-on option for a bottomless brunch package. Happy hour will run Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. with specials on select beer, spirits, wine and bites.

With the grand opening approaching, Cincinnati content creators will be hiding Flight Club gift cards in lockboxes throughout the city. You can join the scavenger hunt and crack the lockboxes’ codes to uncover prizes during the week of Dec. 12.

Norwood Brewery Northwood Cider Company to Close in December

Cincinnati’s only brewery dedicated to hard ciders is closing permanently after three years. Norwood’s Northwood Cider Company announced on social media Nov. 24 that its final day of operations would be Saturday, Dec. 13.

Northwood Cider opened on Mills Avenue in Norwood in November 2022.

Owners Darrin Wilson and Joe Klare told CityBeat at the time that the lack of a dedicated cidery in town provided an opportunity for them to create a Cincinnati original. Candace Winterbauer joined the business as the head cidermaker.

“We want to be Cincinnati’s hard cider. We didn’t come here to start this business; we started this business because

we’re passionate about it and we felt the region needed it,” Klare had said.

“Northwood Cider was founded as a passion project – a love for both quality cider and gathering friends together –that exploded into a full blown business centered around the idea that great cider fosters great community,” Wilson and Klare said in the post. “Seeing people experience hard cider for the first time made from fresh pressed apples and the highest quality ingredients is our greatest joy – we never get tired of hearing ‘Wow, I didn’t think I liked cider!’ Unfortunately, we can’t keep the party going forever.”

Wilson and Klare said Northwood, like many craft beverage producers, is facing increased operating

and production costs and changing consumption patterns in an already challenging economy. Until it closes, the brewery will be open during its regular hours. A “final hurrah” closing party will be held on Dec. 13.

“Thank you to all of our partners who worked with us to host events, and most importantly, we thank you, our customers and friends. We couldn’t have done this without you!” Wilson and Klare said. “Support your favorite local spots—they need you now more than ever. Thank you for your support and the memories. We’ll miss you.”

Northwood Cider Company, 2075 Mills Ave., Norwood. More info: northwoodcider.com.

MUSIC

Following the Magic

In the studio, on the stage, talking in a cafe, Jess Lamb is a gentle force of super nature.

BY BRIAN BAKER

Aconversation with Jess Lamb is a hybridized combination of disparate and yet inextricably connected qualities. It’s a tarot reading, a palmist’s insights, an astrologer’s consultation, a musical treatise, a philosophical dissection, a sweat lodge journey to the soul’s center and a repudiation of the illusionist’s art in favor of true magic.

Case in point: Lamb wanted to conduct our interview at Iris Cafe in Overthe-Rhine, without knowing that the grandmother who helped raise me after my mother’s death was named Iris. When I note this coincidence, she responds with “That’s amazing!” The exclamation doesn’t hit like hipster chatter designed to fill empty space but is spoken with the wide-eyed wonder of a believer who finds miracles in the mundane and sees signs in the most random tea leaves.

“Follow the signs,” Lamb states categorically. “Once you notice one, you’ll notice three, then you notice five, and, like right now, you’re creating portals. I believe that with all the AI things happening that there’s going to be a resurgence of people going analog and wanting to live like they’re in the ‘90s. I believe that could bring back the music industry where people are selling physical items

and in control of that, making human-tohuman connections.”

That belief in signs and hope for a future that successfully draws on a reliable past may well be the secret ingredient that makes Lamb’s music so compelling. She has steadfast faith in her path, the work she creates along the way, the people she collaborates with and the intersectional environment where it all takes place.

“I think that’s born into us, that force of ‘Got to be who I am,’” says Lamb. “I see it; I’m drawn to it and to working and collabing with others who are just the biggest local stars that I’ve been in front of. I want to speak life to Cincinnati. I’m always going to be here. I have property here; I started my label (City Queen Sounds) here. When people go looking for the soul, and the songs that take you there, it’s deep, it’s different and that’s Cincinnati. I think this is where we’re going to shine the brightest during these times.”

It speaks volumes to Lamb’s local commitment, and to the artists she wants to promote, that we’re well into our conversation before it turns toward her personal work, her latest releases and future plans and her upcoming gig at MOTR Pub

featuring many of the players who have accompanied her on past residencies and jam session dates. It’s just as important for her to elucidate what she refers to as “shadow work,” the act of artistic creation that draws on the darkest aspects of inspiration and experience in order to inject that creation with the greatest level of authenticity and emotion.

“I admire artists who become the character of their creation,” says Lamb. “I think that’s what really anoints great actors, but that also comes with some torment because you have to get in it and have the deepest experience. There has to be pain. This is something I tried to avoid a lot in my life, but, of late, I’ve been really obsessed with being in the shadow work. The more shadow work we’re willing to do, the deeper our spirit is, the more our hearts radiate and shine. It’s like a recharge. Go dark, come out so light.”

Lamb’s latest singles are great examples of what she does best with her soul/ R&B/indie rock heart and vocal cords, the first being Bootsy Collins’ stunning remix of “Beautiful,” the closing track on her exquisite 2020 album, You Are. The original featured a wealth of vocal talent, including Siri Amani, Krystal Peterson, Mol Sullivan, Anna Applegate, Kate Wakefield and many others who are present in Collins’ wildly imaginative remix that took Lamb and her co-writer/coproducer Warren Harrison by surprise.

“I sent Bootsy all of the hundreds of stems we had recorded. We had so many legendary voices on there,” says Lamb. “When he sent it back, there were totally

different lyrics, and I was like, ‘I don’t even remember recording this,’ and Warren was like, ‘I don’t even know how he got those.’ Then we realized we didn’t clear out the logic folder where you can delete takes you’d done, which we forgot about. Bootsy created this beautiful new version five years later with stuff we would have deleted. And actually, the lyrics are even more relevant to now, so this is the timeline jumping. I find hidden prophecies all the time, things that didn’t mean anything to me five years ago and now they’re changing my path.”

The second single is the brand new track “Since You’ve Gone,” which initially feels like an anthemic break-up torch song that touches musically on soul, jazz, art pop and gospel. Lamb notes the song goes infinitely deeper than lamenting a failed relationship.

“I wrote that for my grandmother, Viola Lamb,” she recalls. “She was one of my many nurturing energies that really made me be salt-of-the-earth with the way I create and do what I do.”

As it happens, “Since You’ve Gone” is new only because it’s making its studio debut. If you’ve seen Lamb live over the past decade and a half, you’ve probably heard it.

“That may be the song that I’ve sat on the longest before putting out a recording I thought did it justice,” says Lamb with an ever-present smile. “And with a lot of the Thursday night bandmates: Chris Robinson (guitars), Warren Harrison (strings), Nate Trammell (drums), Amanda Eldridge (bass), Anna Applegate

and Tiffany Sullivan (vocals) and me on keys and vocals.”

Oddly enough, Lamb’s piano part was re-recorded note for note by Shelby Lock, who mixed the track from her Silver Moon Sound studio in Santa Cruz, California; it was discovered that Lamb’s keys had been recorded in mono. Everything else was done in Aaron Madrigal’s Tone Shoppe studio in Northside, live on the studio floor, with engineering done by Madrigal and Eric Cronstein.

“We had the band in a circle and that’s live, minus the keys,” says Lamb. “That’s total live performance energy, how we’ve performed every Thursday night, jamming for years. I knew that song had to be huge, full band. It feels like a church choir. They have such deep soul.”

The best news accompanying “Since You’ve Gone” is that it announces the arrival of Lamb’s first full album since You Are five years ago. Lamb is naturally excited about the 2026 release of the nine-track set, recorded like its initial single.

“It will also feature Siri Amani and Victoria Lekson, my harpist and best friend on every track, although she wasn’t on ‘Since You’ve Gone,’” says Lamb. “You’re going to hear lots of choir, harp, sultry electric guitars, and I’m going back to my gospel roots. Everything I’m writing is in this gospelesque/traditional R&B vibe. The album is called Hymns For My Friends. These are the songs we wrote for each other.”

Lamb will be hyperactive in the new year as she’ll continue to teach songwriting at Xavier University and give private lessons, while vigilantly scouting for talent to feature on her City Queen Sounds label (“I’m trying to showcase the best female artists that I’ve gotten to work with. And I’m sure there are female artists out there that I haven’t met, and I’d love to meet them. If anyone wants to pop into a show and introduce themselves, I would love that.”) She’s also writing the curriculum for an imminent songwriting class at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and preparing for another fantastic jam session at MOTR Pub on Dec. 18 with the usual crew and, as advertised, several friends. That vibe has always been consistent and constant.

“We’re unlocking things. The more I meditate, the more I create and it’s just for the sake of life,” Lamb says enthusiastically. “I have so much soul, I have to give some of it away. I think the souls of things are so thick to me, it makes me even more present in moments of performing, where the spirit can just take control. I feel like I don’t even know what happened in that set, and I wouldn’t be able to play it exactly that way again.”

Jess Lamb plays MOTR Pub on Dec. 18 at 8:30 p.m. More info: motrpub.com.

SOUND ADVICE

RICKY SKAGGS & KENTUCKY THUNDER

Dec. 12 • Memorial Hall

The first thing one sees upon visiting Ricky Skaggs’ website is the headline “A Hall of Fame Career.” Below that is a list of the various halls of fame that have inducted Skaggs: Country Music, IBMA Bluegrass Music, The National Fiddler, Musicians, GMA Gospel Music Association and Kentucky. That’s an impressive list for those who care about such things. Even more impressive is that it’s impossible to argue against Skaggs’ inclusion if such institutions must exist — the 71-year-old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is a pillar of bluegrass, country and whatever adjacent genres you can conjure, a man of multiple talents and an unceasing devotion to the music he loves. Then there is the fact that in January 2021 President Trump awarded Skaggs the National Medal of the Arts — a sign of the recipient’s enduring Christian faith, if questionable sense of optics and political acumen.

Skaggs grew up in Cordell, a tiny Kentucky town 150 miles southeast of Cincinnati. He started singing and playing mandolin at age 6, soon after performing onstage with Bill Monroe,

the “Father of Bluegrass.” At 16, he joined Ralph Stanley’s backing band, the Clinch Mountain Boys, the beginning of a road-dog life that shows no signs of slowing. Skaggs has been touring since 1997 with his revolving backing band, dubbed the Kentucky Thunder, a crew more than willing to support their leader’s impeccable taste and technique. Then there is Skaggs’ mastery of genre, which critic Robert Christgau succinctly described

back in 1983, the same year the Kentuckian won the first of his many Grammys: “Nothing if not an astute traditionalist, Skaggs understands that what makes country music go is the tension between heaven and hell.”

That tension is there in Skaggs’ pair of Christmas albums, which include his takes on staples like “Joy to the World,” “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” The First Noel” and more. In a world gone mad, there’s something reassuring about Skaggs’ straightforward, largely acoustic-based takes of these holiday classics. And, as consistent as the change in seasons, he and his band are back for a Christmas tour through the heartland.

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder play Memorial Hall on Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. More info: memorialhallotr.com. (Jason Gargano)

CHRIS ISAAK

Dec. 19 • Hard Rock Casino

Chris Isaak’s obsession with Elvis, Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison has rarely been as obvious as it is on his two holiday albums, 2004’s simply titled Christmas and 2022’s Everybody Knows It’s Christmas. Isaak’s swoony croon is in full bloom on rockabilly-inspired covers of “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Help Me Baby Jesus,” “Blue Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.” Isaak also throws in some original tunes, including one celebrating his favorite animal — “Dogs Love Christmas Too” finds the now-69-year-old singer/songwriter/

guitarist in a playful mood: “Dogs love Christmas too, just like me and you/No, they don’t go shopping or hang up a stocking/But there’s lots of things they do.”

It’s then no surprise that Isaak’s 2025 Holiday Tour is again partnering with the BISSELL Pet Foundation to draw attention to Empty the Shelters, an adoption program. The collaboration encourages fans in participating touring markets to adopt dogs that Isaak literally brings on stage with him.

“I’ve been working with musicians and actors most of my life, so getting to bring animals on stage was a natural step up,” Isaak said in a press release announcing the tour. “I knew that they could be counted on to steal the show, and they always do! Partnering with BISSELL Pet Foundation again this year feels like a great way to both celebrate the holidays and help get dogs and cats a home. It makes our Christmas show much more special — the pets get out of the shelter for the evening, and hopefully you will get to find a forever friend!” If Isaak’s past holiday tours are any indication, expect some of his non-Christmas staples to find their way into the set list: “Two Hearts,” “San Francisco Days,” “Somebody’s Crying,” “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” and, of course, “Wicked Game.” Dogs, Christmas and love gone bad — three of Isaak’s favorite topics in one evening.

Chris Isaak plays Hard Rock Casino on Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. More info: casino. hardrock.com. (JG)