Issuu

it’s

tailgate season!

Your guide to pregame events, food, gear, and etiquette.

PLUS: IS DEXTER LAWRENCE THE MISSING LINK? by Robert Weintraub

MELANIE MOON ON RACE AND THE CITY by Kelly Blewett

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H M O N A D E R M AT O L O G Y

Pregnancy & Postpartum Skin: A Dermatology Nurse Practitioner’s Guide For many women, the journey to motherhood is equal parts empowering and humbling. Your body is doing something extraordinary, and with those incredible changes often come changes to your skin. Anna Luning, a Certiﬁed Nurse Practitioner with nearly a decade of experience in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, along with her own experience of being a mom of two, understands the science behind these changes and the emotions that come with them. She’s sharing her own pregnancy and postpartum skincare playbook for looking and feeling your best no matter where you are in your own journey of motherhood.

Skincare + Treatments During Pregnancy One of the biggest challenges is that pregnant women are generally excluded from clinical trials, meaning many skincare ingredients and cosmetic treatments simply don’t have enough safety data. To make the conversation easier to navigate, I’ve organized common skincare ingredients and aesthetic treatments into a traffic light guide based on the available evidence and current expert recommendations. 1. RED These treatments or products are generally not recommended during pregnancy because there is evidence of harm, a safety concern, or insufficient safety data. The potential risk would outweigh the beneﬁt. 2. YELLOW Use caution. These ingredients and treatments may be appropriate in select situations, but they should only be considered after discussing them with your OB-GYN and dermatologist. Recommendations may vary depending on the stage of pregnancy, concentration, and individual circumstances. 3. GREEN Generally considered safe. These products and treatments are typically viewed as safe during pregnancy based on current evidence or strong safety data. Even so, it’s always a good idea to discuss any skincare routine or treatment plan with both your OB-GYN and dermatologist.

Skincare For Acne & Breakouts • GREEN Niacinamide and azelaic acid • YELLOW Cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid (used conservatively) • Depending on the individual medication, prescription-strength acne treatments can fall into either category, so it’s best to talk with your dermatologist.

Skincare For Dark Spots & Pigment • GREEN Mineral sunscreen (daily use is one of

the best ways to help prevent pregnancy-related pigmentation), antioxidants (such as SkinMedica’s Lumivive System or Skinceuticals Phloretin or CE Ferulic), niacinamide, azelaic acid, and pregnancysafe skin brighteners (such as SkinMedica Even & Correct Serum) • YELLOW Glycolic acid, chemical sunscreens, and prescription-strength skin brighteners

Skincare For Anti-Aging • GREEN Antioxidants (such as SkinMedica’s Lumivive System or Skinceuticals Phloretin or CE Ferulic), hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and mineral sunscreen • YELLOW Chemical sunscreens, growth factors and peptides (such as SkinMedica TNS Advanced+, Plated Intense Serum, or Re-Q)

Skincare For Dry Skin • GREEN Hyaluronic acid and gentle moisturizers with ceramides

Treatments • GREEN Medical-grade facials (such as Oxygen Facials or DiamondGlow), superﬁcial chemical peels (without retinoids), and waxing or threading. If you choose to get a facial or peel, let your esthetician know you are expecting to ensure they avoid any ingredients of concern. • YELLOW Dermal ﬁllers, microneedling, light-based treatments (such as IPL/BBL), fractional or ablative laser treatments, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and skin tightening treatments using ultrasound or radiofrequency (such as Sofwave, Ultherapy, or Thermage)

Things To Avoid Entirely During Pregnancy • RED Skincare: Retinoids (including over-thecounter or medical grade retinol serums), hydroquinone • RED Treatments: Oral isotretinoin (Accutane), BOTOX, deep chemical peels

More Than a Mom: My Postpartum Reset After welcoming your little one into the world, it’s natural to want to reconnect with yourself—not just as a mom, but as you. During pregnancy, many cosmetic treatments and skincare ingredients are put on hold. Postpartum can be an opportunity to thoughtfully reintroduce some of those things, depending on your goals and where you are in your journey. If you’re breastfeeding, keep in mind that some treatments and ingredients may not be recommended or may require extra consideration. Always discuss your options with your OB-GYN and dermatologist to determine what’s appropriate for you and your baby.

Chemical Peels One of the ﬁrst things I added back into my routine was a series of chemical peels to help improve skin texture and fade some of the pigmentation that appeared during pregnancy. They were a great way to refresh my complexion after months of keeping my routine very simple.

BOTOX People always asked me what I missed most during pregnancy. Was it a glass of wine? A margarita? Honestly...no. It was BOTOX! For me, getting back to my regular maintenance routine wasn’t about looking different—it was about feeling like myself again.

Filler I also refreshed my chin and jawline ﬁller. Pregnancy and the postpartum period can bring so many changes, and this subtle enhancement helped restore some of the facial balance I was used to seeing in the mirror.

Skincare Throughout pregnancy, I kept my skincare routine simple and consistent: a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, antioxidants, growth factors, and diligent daily use of a mineral sunscreen. (A tinted mineral SPF was a lifesaver for helping camouﬂage melasma— I highly recommend it to my fellow melasma girls!) After delivery, and once it was appropriate for me, I gradually reintroduced retinol and started a compounded topical for pigmentation containing azelaic acid, niacinamide, and tranexamic acid. Combined with consistent sun protection, it made a noticeable difference in my melasma over time.

Body Contouring Getting back to my pre-baby body has been a marathon, not a sprint. I incorporated CoolSculpting and EMSCULPT as part of that journey, but they were never a substitute for healthy habits. For me, these treatments complemented consistent exercise, balanced nutrition, and giving my body the grace and time it needed to recover.

Motherhood changed me in the best ways, but it also reminded me that taking care of myself matters, too. There is no “right” timeline for feeling like yourself again. Whether your version of self-care is skincare, aesthetic treatments, or a workout, just know that taking care of yourself isn’t selﬁsh. Looking in the mirror and recognizing myself again wasn’t about chasing perfection—it was about honoring who I was before motherhood while embracing who I’ve become. Every postpartum journey looks different, and whatever helps you feel conﬁdent and cared for is worth celebrating.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1

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WE’RE NO. 1 JOIN YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND THIS GUY AT BENGAL JIM’S TAILGATE AT SMALE PARK NEAR PAYCOR STADIUM.

TALES FROM THE TAILGATES

Whether it’s game day, Friday night lights, or a faux fox hunt in the country, half the fun is the party before. Let’s get ready for your ultimate fall pregame!

THE MISSING LINK P. 48

BY THE BOOK P. 52

BY ROBERT WEINTRAUB

BY K E L LY B L E W E T T

The Bengals went all in to acquire Dexter Lawrence as their defensive anchor. He’s convinced the team is headed back to the Super Bowl.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GRANT MOXLEY

Melanie Moon is determined to teach Cincinnati’s complicated history of race relations one class, video, and conversation at a time.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 5

D E PA R T M E N T S S E P T E M B E R 2 02 6

ON OUR SITE

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Reﬂecting on 50 years of Oktoberfest

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Humanizing food distribution to families in need

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DINE

94 / OFF THE MENU The return of Bissinger’s

Cindependent’s merger

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20 / HIGH PROFILE

Batched negronis at Viaggio, Madisonville

Queer historian Jacob Hogue

22 / OCCASIONS Ohio’s Renaissance Festival is No. 1 in the U.S.

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CONTRIBUTORS

ROBERT WEINTRAUB

WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT CINCINNATI’S EARLIEST TAILGATE-LIKE EVENTS IN THE 1800s were organized around public executions, it made a lot of sense. Being a fan of our local professional sports teams has felt like punishment in recent years, though I’m not sure what crime we committed. Maybe unnatural hope? Emotional intoxication? Apparently Cincinnatians used to bring picnic baskets to congregate and watch criminals be hanged at downtown public squares. A crowd of 15,000 people in 1829 almost rioted when the condemned man was pardoned at the last minute, with many demanding he be hanged anyway since they’d made the trip into town. I’d imagine a similar uproar today at a Bengals tailgate party if Joe Burrow injured himself in warmups. Cincinnati has a colorful tradition of pregaming big sports events, as explored in “Tales from the Tailgates” (page 34). The fall calendar is bursting with football on the pro, college, and high school levels, and each and every game offers an opportunity to gather with friends and family in order to extend the day’s enjoyment. And there’s strong passion here for the world’s version of football, with FC Cincinnati fans incorporating European-style pregame marches into their routine. Our tailgate section also highlights one nonfootball fall event, the Camargo Hunter Trials in Indian Hill. They do pregaming right, with a big tailgate competition alongside the horse-riding and jumping trials. Imagine bringing home a ribbon or trophy in Best Bite for your secret recipe Pigs in a Blanket! What’s next, a cornhole tournament for cash and prizes before a UC game? Sign me up. I might not even make it inside Nippert Stadium. Tailgating has become more and more popular beyond sports events, so it’s not surprising to see fans pregaming in the parking lot before a concert, a Marvel movie, or a night at BLINK. What’s next, hot toddies and a gift exchange in the Cincinnati Playhouse garage before A Christmas Carol? September is tailgate season, so make your plans now. What’s next? That’s entirely up to you.

J O H N F OX

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

1 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

ILLUSTR ATIO N BY L A R S LEE TA RU

For a conversation with Cincinnati’s new defensive tackle, Bengals columnist Robert Weintraub drove to Dexter Lawrence’s hometown of Wake Forest, North Carolina. In “The Missing Link” (page 48), Weintraub introduces us to the superstar athlete—who he calls genuine and humble—and uncovers why Lawrence is looking forward to representing the Queen City after seven seasons playing with the New York Giants.

BRIANNA CONNOCK WAYMAN Brianna Connock Wayman used her social media expertise to step into a new role as CM’s lead digital strategist. (She creates content and tracks analytics across digital platforms.) Off the clock, though, she loves a tailgate and has been organizing “Tales from the Tailgates” (page 34) for more than a year. Whether it’s UC, the Bengals, the Reds, or FCC, Wayman’s advice is the same: “Skip the game and make the tailgate the big event! The community is where it’s at.”

GRANT MOXLEY When shooting photos of football tailgates (page 34), contributing photographer Grant Moxley wanted to capture the energy of Cincinnati fans as they supported their teams from outside the stadium. “My style of photography is not to disrupt the scene,” he says. Moxley aimed to authentically capture the long-standing pregame routines of Bearcats and Bengals fans who ﬂood lots across the Queen City each fall.

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RECORDING QUEER HISTORY P. 20

NO. 1 REN FAIR P. 22

OOM-PAHPAH Revisiting 50 years of the crown jewel of Queen City festival season: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. G R E G H A N D

ILLUSTR ATIO N BY V I S B I I

CINCY SHAKES EXPANDS P. 24

GOLDEN AGE CLIFTON ESTATE P. 26

AY BACK IN 1976, CINCINNATI’S DOWNTOWN COUNCIL AN-

nounced a brand-new event. With less than a month’s notice, the council decreed that Oktoberfest would occupy Fountain Square and Government Square for a weekend that October. The Enquirer editorialized support for the idea but noted that the proposal was “overdue.” And overdue it most certainly was. What took Cincinnati—or, excuse me, Zinzinnati—so long? As early as October 1972, City Council adopted a motion by Mayor Thomas Luken to sponsor an annual Oktoberfest. The revival of Oktoberfest in 1976 ﬁlled a gap in the Queen City calendar that had historically been occupied by a variety of large annual celebrations. In 1900 the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce announced plans for a fall festival and exposition of several weeks’ duration. For the next decade, grander and more spectacular carnivals blossomed each year at Washington Park, drawing visitors numbering in the hundreds of thousands. After a hiatus blamed on ﬁnancial panics and World War I, Cincinnati again endeavored to revive the autumn celebrations in 1923. There was one huge attraction missing CONTINUED ON P. 18 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 7

DISPATCH

MOVIES

FILM FORWARD

After merging with the OTR Film Fest, Cindependent—now presented with LADD—returns September 16–20, featuring more ﬁlms by and about people with disabilities, panels with professionals, and more. cindependentﬁlmfest.org 1 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M SMEOPNTTEHM B2 0E XR X2 0 2 6

SPEAK EASY

FOOD FOR FAMILY Nonproﬁt Impacting Tomorrow, cofounded by Ken Tracy, serves more than 135,000 people every year with food, clothing, healthcare, educational programming, and more. Its Loveland food distribution system, The Market, provides families in need with free groceries, and in June, the nonproﬁt unveiled its redesign, intended to create an engaging and familyoriented shopping experience, sponsored by Jungle Jim’s. How did the partnership with Jungle Jim’s happen? [Jungle] Jim [Bonaminio] and his wife visited, and over a few hours we discussed ways we could work together, which led to this unbelievable sponsorship that includes resources, funds, and food. Tell me about the redesigned market. When we redesigned the market, the conversation I was having with Jungle Jim was about providing somebody with an experience they remember instead of just providing them with food. The Market is now an experience with better navigation, more food options, and aspects like a children’s play area to be more family-centered.

Who is The Market intended to serve? A lot of people think poverty is those who may not have a job or are struggling through life. Yes, there are cases like that, but we’ve found that a percentage of our customers are people like moms who have to decide to pay for food or rent or between gas for their car and food and medical costs for their children. Here, a child can get dental and medical care and a mom can get supplies for her child, feminine hygiene products, and the food they need. By providing all of these services in one location, we are trying to build stability into a family’s life so they can better manage those difficult decisions. What impact has The Market and Impacting Tomorrow already made on the community? Right now, we’re serving 151 ZIP codes, and in this year we’ll help more than 200,000 people. We’ve found through our membership cards that all our resources feed off of each other, and entire family stabilization is happening. —Z AC H A RY S H U LT Z READ A LONGER INTERVIEW WITH KEN AT CINCINNATIMAGAZINE. COM PHOTOGRAPHS BY TK FREELANCER

PHOTOGR APH (MOVIES) COURTESY CINDEPENDENT / (SPE AK E A SY ) BY JOHNNY HARRINGTON / ICON BY EMI VILL AVICENCIO

from the 1923 Fall Festival— Jones of The Monkees, George Takei of Star Trek fame, “Weird Al” Yankovic, beer—this being the dawn of Prohibition. Previous Cincinnati fall festrumpeter Al Hirt, the San Diego Chicktivals trumpeted their selection of fine en, and local favorites such as Jim Scott, Joe Morgan, and Thane Maynard. local brews, served up in booths decorated to look like British pubs or German That Al Hirt appearance in 1998 Bierhäuser. The 1923 event, though sucmarked the Downtown Council’s second attempt to crash the Guinness list cessful, was never repeated. After reviving Cincinnati’s fall celwith The World’s Largest Kazoo Band. ebrations in 1976, the Downtown CounThe council distributed 25,000 kazoos cil considered its first Oktoberfest a sucand brought Rick Hubbard, the selfcess, but news reports were somewhat proclaimed “King of Kazoo,” to town, lukewarm. According to The Enquirer, but Guinness was unimpressed. Total attendance that year, despite “some of the oom-pah music was recorded and the beer was one rainy day, was estimated 3.2 percent.” at 500,000. Within a decade, howevIn 2007, Oktoberfest Golden Jubilee er, Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest went, literally, to the dogs The 50th Oktoberfest as the inaugural wiener dog blossomed into the premier Zinzinnati takes place regional celebration. By 2014, races pitted dachshunds September 17–20 Fodor’s Travel Guide ranked strapped into bun-shaped at Sawyer Point & Cincinnati’s as the largest bumpers against each othYeatman’s Cove. Oktoberfest celebration in the er in a mass waddle across U.S. and second largest in the world, Fountain Square. Since then, the “Running of the Wieners” has become a after only the original extravaganza in Munich. crowd favorite. Blame it on the Chicken Dance. InAfter a hiccup during the dread COVID year of 2020, and despite several troduced around 1981, the novelty jig quickly became a crowd favorite, leading relocations, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati has to 1994, when Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest soared back as a highlight of Cincinnabroke into the Guinness Book of World ti’s festival year and an annual reminder Records as 48,000 people flapped their of the city’s Germanic heritage. arms and shook their tailfeathers. For 50 years, Oktoberfest ZinzinThat year, the Chicken Dance was nati has oom-pahed its way to the pinnacle of Cincinnati’s festival season. led by Luitpold Prinz von Bayern, the The folks who run the show claim our crown prince of Bavaria, whose greatgreat-great-grandfather had created the Oktoberfest to be the largest outside original Oktoberfest in Munich back in Munich and, with attendance nearing 1810. Since then, leaders of Cincinna800,000 in recent years, it’s hard to ti’s Chicken Dance have included Davy gainsay them.

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HIGH PROFILE

UNTOLD STORIES

Jacob Hogue spent years compiling decades of Queen City queer history for his debut book. —JAC LY N YO U H A N A G A R V E R

HOW DO YOU conduct research for a book on queer people who lived during a period when being queer was illegal? You learn the lingo—often hateful, usually vile— of the times. Jacob Hogue spent ﬁve years researching and writing Cincinnati Before Stonewall: The Untold Queer History of the Queen City (Arcadia Publishing). He originally intended to start a podcast that would spotlight his friends, but as he began to research the project, he saw he had a larger story to tell. Hogue is the history and legacies chair for Cincinnati Pride and the creator of Queen City Queer History, an Instagram project that shares “untold Cincinnati LGBTQ+ history.” “As I started to research the queer history of Cincinnati, I realized nothing existed before the 1970s. It’s like queer people came out of nowhere.” Cincinnati Before Stonewall covers the history of LGBTQ+ people in Cincinnati from the Civil War until the late 1960s, just before the Stonewall Riots in New York. In addition to interviews, Hogue scoured newspapers’ digital archives, medi-

cal textbooks, and lavender listings. But he couldn’t use modern terminology to talk about LGBTQ+ people. Instead, he turned to dated vocabulary like “masquerading” (cross dressing), “singular discoveries” (queer people, as in “A singular discovery of a man dressed as a woman was found”), and “degraded creature” (due to obscenity laws, Hogue says, newspapers could not speak sympathetically about LGBTQ+ people). Hogue purposely included some lighthearted stories in the book because so much of what he found was cruel and dehumanizing. One of the most difficult chapters in the book, though, tells of a double suicide that the news painted as a story of hypnotism—that one boy hypnotized the other boy to kill himself. “The reporting was horrible,” he says. “It introduced me to this idea that bad endings were a prerequisite in order for queer people to be introduced into main society.” The book ends with the birth of activism, and Hogue is already at work on a postStonewall follow-up. “We only have so much time to tell our stories before they’re lost.”

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OCCASIONS

FANCIFUL FAIR The country’s top-rated Renaissance festival brings whimsy and wonder to the region. —MACKENZIE MANLEY

F YOU’VE EVER attended the Ohio Renaissance Festival, you know the vibe: Hedge knights stroll among time-traveling doctors, bedecked lords and ladies, regal queens, conniving court jesters, not-so-wise wizards, fairies, and a few folks in modern attire. “Our tagline is Where fantasy and history collide,” says Cheryl Bales, the fest’s marketing strategist. “We’re still holding on to the historical aspects of the Renaissance period, but we’re open to the fantasy side as well, which would be the more popular trends of pirates, Vikings, steampunk.” This year marks the Ohio Renaissance Festival’s 37th season charming guests, kicking off September 5 and running on weekends through November 1. In March, it was crowned the best U.S. Renaissance fair in USA TODAY’s 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards. Huzzah! Located in Warren County—a convenient road trip from Cincinnati or Dayton— the festival was founded by Peter Carroll in 1990. At the time, he co-owned the Georgia Renaissance Festival. (Brimstone and Fire bought that festival in 2015.) “We have grown from about a 10-acre facility in 1990 to now we’re pushing 40 acres,” says Bales, add-

ing that this pocket of Midwest whimsy boasts more than 100 live performances across 17 or 18 stages. Amble about the grounds and you’ll ﬁnd hundreds of shops and vendors selling wares, trinkets, and, of course, juicy turkey legs that would have even the most barbaric reaching for a napkin. (Though, if you ask us, you’d be remiss not to try the lavender lemonade complete with fairy dust.) “We have a team of people who have built it to be immersive,” says Bales. “I think that sets us apart. We have enough land and acreage with an attendance cap that everyone can come

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and have a great time.” Ticket buyers have come from every state, including Alaska, says Bales. The fest draws around 285,000 attendees annually, making it one of the largest Renaissance festivals in the country. Despite its growth, there are attendees and performers alike who have been with the fest since the ’90s; The Swordsmen, a witty comedic duo, have been with the festival all 37 years. How does the festival approach growth? Bales says it’s very purposeful: “We will reach a point where we have no more land, so everything we do has to

be an intentional decision thinking about the growth of the property.” Its last expansion, the ﬁve-acre Whimsy Woods, opened in 2023, complete with mushroom statues and fairy houses. True to its name, Whimsy Woods was designed to add an all-ages, fantasy-leaning space to the grounds where people can relax in the shade. The advent of social media has also shaped the festival. Bales says the fest taps into what’s trending culturally. A few years ago, it was pirate culture, then steampunk, and now there’s more interest in Vikings. During the last two

weekends of September, the fest will host viral sensation Jacques the Whipper, a circus performer who holds the Guinness World Record for most bullwhip cracks in one minute, at 298—an act that Bales says festival organizers have hoped to bring to Ohio for the past two years. Through the decades, the attraction of a Renaissance festival remains, no matter if you’re 5 or 95. “You take all that modern-day stress and in-the-moment instantaneous culture and just close the door on it for a while,” says Bales. renfestival.com

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PREVIEW

THE BARD GETS BIGGER CINCINNATI SHAKESPEARE COMPANY ANNOUNCES PLANS TO EXPAND WITH A NEW COMMUNITY ARTS AND EDUCATION CENTER. — E M M A B A L C O M

SHAKE IT UP Concept renderings show Cincy Shakes’s expanded Elm Street facade (left) and a new second stage (above).

WHAT IS During a regular week in July, Cincy Shakes hosts play rehearsals on the stage of the Otto M. Budig Theater, while summer camp takes place across three other rooms. A regional premiere of Jane Austen rehearses while the Much Ado tour loads up. Cincy Shakes even rents space from the First Lutheran Church to accommodate additional programming. “There’s just so much activity here that we need the room to deliver what we’re doing today,” says Producing Artistic Director Brian Phillips. When the Budig Theater was constructed a decade ago, the original plan included a second stage, but other capital projects necessitated narrowing the scope. Phillips, though, never forgot about the jettisoned second stage and how it could honor Cincy Shakes’s growing appetite for programming. So he was thrilled when conversations about expanding the building picked up last year.

WHAT WILL BE Adjacent to the existing Budig Theater, a new Community Arts and Education Center will include a studio theater with more than 150 seats and three multipurpose education and community spaces. According to Phillips, Cincy Shakes’s mission is to bring the house playwright to life beyond just mainstage programming, and the expansion allows the organization to host a 15-show season across two venues; grow its existing education, camps, and classes; and offer room for event rentals or incubator and studio spaces for other arts groups. With a groundbreaking expected in March, Cincy Shakes anticipates the approximately $25 million expansion will open in fall 2028, in time for the company’s 35th anniversary season.

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WHAT MUST BE It’s significant that this expansion can happen at all. A 2024 study by SMU DataArts found that nonprofit theaters average half as many performances and productions as they did in pre-pandemic years, and a 2023 survey found that more than half of theaters have budgeted for a deficit. Many describe their organizations as struggling. Cincy Shakes, meanwhile, has garnered significant public support for its existing programming and upcoming expansion, increasing the number of productions and its patronage over the last five years. “To work from a place of confidence, to be able to take risks because of financial security…it makes us a better company and allows us to dream big,” says Phillips. cincyshakes.com

RENDERINGS COURTESY CINCY SHAKES

ON THE MARKET

ADDRESS: 3892 CLIFTON AVE., CLIFTON LISTING PRICE: $1,499,000

DIAMOND DWELLING

A MAJESTIC CLIFTON ESTATE HAS TIES TO ONE OF CINCINNATI’S GOLDEN AGE JEWELRY AND SILVERSMITHING COMPANIES. — J E A N A H A R R I S

during the Queen City’s Golden Age, a local jewelry and ﬁne silversmithing company made quite a name for itself. Known as the “Tiffany of Cincinnati,” Duhme & Co. was renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship and elegant designs. A majestic mansion in Clifton has ties to the Duhme family. Built in 1889— and christened with the name Brightside—3892 Clifton Ave. originally belonged to Charles Duhme (son of Duhme & Co.’s cofounder, Herman Duhme) and his wife, Ophelia Fowler Duhme (a millionaire heiress in her own right). The home’s architect was H.E. Siter. “It’s rare that these flagship estates come on the market in Gaslight Clifton.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY WOW VIDEO TOURS

WHILE THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF PRESTIGE

Many have been owned for decades by the same owners,” says listing agent Robert DiTomassi. A gently curving driveway meanders up to the house. Inside, signs of old money’s opulence remain preserved across more than 6,200 square feet. No plain surfaces were permitted in this grand design. The front door alone is a study in high-impact details, with not one but three leaded glass fanlights overhead. Surrounding the door are Grecian columns, dentil molding, and sizable sidelights. It’s a lovely first impression, but opening the door reveals that the interior is in another league. The foyer is gobsmacking in its grandeur, as are the adjoining living room, library, and dining room. Gleaming woodwork with intricate carvings stretches in every direction. The ceilings alternate between frescos and delicate swirls of plasterwork. Sunlight streams through stained glass windows. Even with so much gilded glamour, the home remains warm and welcoming for modern living. The floorplan includes six remodeled bathrooms. All five bedrooms are large and bright, while some include charming features like fireplaces and window seats. The third floor offers additional living and recreation spaces. Even 137 years later, 3892 Clifton Ave. still dazzles like a diamond.

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Dr. Know is Jay Gilbert, radio personality and advertising prankster. Submit your questions about the city’s peculiarities at drknow@cincinnati magazine.com

DR. KNOW

completely legal, provided that the rules of Board of Health Ordinance #00053-11, “Fowl, animals and vermin,” are followed: Minimum property sizes are speciﬁed for various populations of chickens, which allow only one rooster per 15 hens. (Dude!!!) Shelters must be 10 feet from all property lines and built to certain standards. Chicken poop must be collected at least once per day and placed in approved containers. Noises and foul odors (insert foul/fowl pun here) must not annoy neighbors. Armed with this information, please feel free now to sneak onto your neighbor’s property in the dead of night with your tape measure and odor detector. Let us know how things turn out.

Q+ A

You recently wrote about a long-ago amusement park in Oakley that nobody remembers. Evanston also had a big forgotten amusement park, but ours was famous for never opening! Old people talked about it when I was an Evanston kid, but I can’t ﬁnd anything about it now. Can you? —DON’T PARK HERE DEAR DON’T:

I live in South Cumminsville. A few doors away from me are people who have about four chickens in their yard, squawking and pooping, etc. I’m sure this was legal in Cincinnati long ago, but is it still? All I ever hear about chickens is how ﬁlthy they are. Should I report these people?

—CHICKEN HAWK-TUAH

DEAR TUAH:

The Doctor has much to unpack here. Worrying about sanitation several hundred feet from your home borders on OCD; you may want to have that looked at. Should you wish to anonymously report your neighbor to the authorities—which makes you both a chicken and a rat—you will be disappointed. Hosting chickens in Cincinnati is

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Imagine living in a nice, quiet neighborhood like Glendale or Villa Hills. Now imagine new neighbors arriving, bringing roller-coasters and a three-ring circus, all surrounded by a canal with singing gondoliers. That’s what residents of Evanston were told to expect in January 1905 when a New York company declared that construction would begin on Dreamland in 12 days. Reaction was instantaneous. Evanston citizens were so opposed to Dreamland that they voted—remember, we’re talking about Cincinnati in 1905—to ban alcohol sales in most of the village. That put three saloons out of business, but it killed a major revenue source for the park. More legal barriers were hurled at Dreamland, plus offers from other amusement parks to buy off the owners and send them away. This legal roller-coaster lasted for about a year until the investors gave up. Had Dreamland succeeded, the birth ILLUSTR ATIO N S BY L A R S LEE TA RU

“A BROADWAY EXTRAVAGANZA THAT EXPLODES WITH LIFE AND ENERGY!”

of both Doris Day and King Records could not have happened where they did. And all of it would have been obliterated by Interstate 71, which in its own way has become Evanston’s three-ring circus.

Right by Spring Grove Cemetery on Groesbeck Road, there’s a sign for “The Willows at Spring Grove,” a pet cemetery and dog park I remember being promoted a while back. But the place is abandoned and overgrown. Were any pets ever buried there? If so, what’s happened to them? —DOG GONE

GATSBY NA TOUR COMPANY_ PHOTO BY EVAN ZIMMERMAN FOR MURPHYMADE

DEAR GONE:

The Willows at Spring Grove, we should mention, was not affiliated with Spring Grove Cemetery. Its builders simply appropriated the nearby prestigious name, much like Oakley’s shopping mall that named itself Hyde Park Plaza. The pet cemetery’s site on Groesbeck/Gray Road was where the old Coors Dairy complex had once been (not affiliated with Coors Beer or Hyde Park Plaza). Cincinnati old-timers fondly recall when Coors Dairy employed “milkmen” who delivered glass milk bottles to families with children who looked suspiciously like them. The Doctor ﬁnds scant evidence that The Willows Not Affiliated With Spring Grove ever officially opened. There was a big announcement and promotional video in 2009, but little else afterward. If you click through the Google Maps image history of the entrance, you’ll see some nice paths and dog statues in 2011, but then images of increasing neglect and overgrowth. For some reason, the sign has remained. If any pets were actually buried there and abandoned, it must mean that the developers have never seen movies like Poltergeist and Pet Sematary.

SEPTEMBER 15 - 27, 2026 Aronoff Center CINCINNATIARTS.ORG

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WE LCO ME TO MIDDLEHOOD BY JUDI KETTELER

Trail Mix

HIKING GETS ME OUTSIDE, CHALLENGES MY BODY, AND BRINGS ME BACK TO MYSELF. I MIGHT WANT TO BE A HIKER. SO FAR, I HAVE THE HIKING BOOTS AND A WATER BOTTLE. The boots I bought for my trip to Iceland four years ago. The water bottle I bought in Iceland. If I lived in Iceland, I would deﬁnitely be a hiker. But I live here in a city of cars, where hiking might never even register as a thing. Walking is an everyday part of life. You just open your door and go. Technically, running is the same, though it does require being half-crazy. (I’ve been a runner for 30-plus years, so I’m allowed to say that.) Biking is taking over the city, with all the connected trails and signs announcing the connected trails at every park on the east side. I think you can get from here to Canada just following the Little Miami River. What I’m saying is being a hiker of trails is, as my 15 year old says, niche. Like rock climbing or snowboarding, but without all the breaking of bones. So, as I drive by the REI store on I-71, what’s with the wistful look in my eye? The one that says Maybe? It’s all about timing. I turn 52 this month, which I believe is the official 3 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

threshold for retirement being closer than youth. Hence, I’m considering several candidates for my retirement project. So far, hiking is in the lead. Buying a lake house was the front-runner until I remembered my husband and I don’t have an extra million dollars; we do have two college-age kids. I already garden, read, and embroider—the old-lady triumvirate. Starting a book club would require being too social, so no thank you. But hiking has everything I like in an exercise: It’s physically challenging, and you can do it alone. I HAD A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH hiking for much of my childhood. When I was 5, my parents bought a used pop-up camper, and our family of seven set about exploring the Bluegrass State. Technically, there were nine of us, but my two oldest brothers were in their late teens and 20s and had the important job of keeping watch over the house and their weed stash. The rest of us went, and it was the best thing in the world. Not all parts were equal, though. The best parts were the playground, the pool, the questionably clean lake, and the camp store, where my saved quarters could buy postcards and candy. Only one thing stood in the way of all that low-budget fun: hiking trails. It’s like my parents thought it was required to spend the morning in the woods working up a sweat and walking for absolutely no good reason. No one kept track of steps yet, but I swear those two were determined to make sure we got in our 10,000. Sometimes they’d bring their small green tree guidebook and explain which trees we were seeing. God help me. Every so often there would be a half-broken bridge to creep across with my sisters or the chance to leap from rock to rock along a creek with my brother. Usually, though, the trails were far too long for my taste. When I was maybe 7 or 8, I had the clever idea to “forget” my gym shoes and bring only my sandals on a camping trip to some state park in Kentucky. Laura, 10 years older than me, got blamed, since I was the youngest and she was generally in charge of me (or at least I let her think she was in charge of me when it was convenient). I seem to recall the solution was that I had to hike in my sandals. All the Ketteler girls had matching sanILLUSTR ATIO N BY D O L A SU N

CONNECT: with inspiring, diverse women making a difference in Greater Cincinnati. to a mission that is improving lives through collective giving. with an organization turning charitable donations into a powerful force for good.

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WELCOME TO MIDDLEHOOD dals. We called them “ADSs,” which stood for—get ready for it—Almost Dr. Scholl’s. My Almost Dr. Scholl’s were Almost a Coup. But the hiking would not be stopped. As an adult, I came to appreciate a nice hike, though usually as a means to an end. If I wanted to see more of Mt. Rainier, the mountain wasn’t going to see itself. If we

my children, the exact same way it had been forced upon me. Because paybacks. (I’m not mad about becoming my mother; she’s basically a 90-year-old badass.) ONE WEEKDAY LAST OCTOBER, I WAS having a rough afternoon. I don’t remember exactly what happened. Maybe I had just

I WASN’T IN THE WOODS BECAUSE I’D BEEN TOLD TO BE HERE AS A MEANS TO AN END. I WAS JUST HERE TO BE HERE. THAT’S PRETTY UNDERRATED IN EVERYDAY LIFE. wanted to make it to the creek we promised the kids they could play in (“Which better be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, Mom, because I hate this!”) we needed to follow the trail through the woods. Hiking was either about making the most of a destination or something to force upon

screamed “I’ve never known anyone more in their own way than you!” to my teenage son. Maybe my agent and I had received another rejection on my manuscript. I don’t have to remember the details to remember the feeling of being stuck, like there was literally nowhere to go.

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I fantasized about leaving my cell phone at home and just disappearing! But who was I kidding? Like I would ever want to break my New York Times game streak. I put on my gym shoes and slumped into the car, no speciﬁc destination in mind. I was aimlessly driving on Montgomery Road when French Park suddenly popped into my head. Why? No idea. I hadn’t been in 20 years. But it was close by, so I went. I drove up the big hill at the entrance and parked my car near an expanse of green. I began walking, with no notion of where I was going, other than toward the woods. Every step had the tenor of a teenage diary entry. Parks were stupid. People were stupid. Life was stupid. Soon I was on the Creek Trail walking alongside a creek, a forest of burgundy and gold begging me to look up, and it wasn’t stupid. It wasn’t stupid at all. The air was just at the edge of chilly. Crisp like an apple, making my lungs remember the joy of being lungs. I stepped over roots, hopped on

PH OTO G R A PH BY J O N ATH A N W I LLI S

rocks, and tried to ﬁnd the prettiest, most perfect leaf. I was every age I’d ever been, and no age at all. Because the woods didn’t give a shit about me or need anything from me. The creek was creeking, the trees were treeing, the sky was skying, and I was the most unimportant thing in the entire ecosystem. I wasn’t here because I’d been told to be here as a means to an end. I wasn’t here to create a memory with my children. I wasn’t even here to feast my eyes on some sight I read about in a guidebook. I was just here to be here. That’s pretty underrated in everyday life. I went back the next day and the next week and nearly every week, until the trees were bare and it was too cold to feel my hands. Next year, I will really learn about hiking, I told myself. This will be my thing! Beware the fanciful ideas of winter. I’VE YET TO HIKE MORE THAN ABOUT four miles, but I have checked out multi-

ple trails in Cincinnati. Mariemont Lower Gardens is strange, and the Johnson Nature Preserve is tiny but bursting. And I still keep coming back to French Park. As I hike its trails, I imagine what it would be like to backpack overnight. To hike for days. Mental training matters, too. Sometimes I imagine I’m on the Appalachian Trail somewhere in Virginia. Shenandoah, maybe, where we once camped when I was a kid. I walk right by my childhood self, see her frown when she realizes it’s at least another hour until she can do handstands in the campground pool. Or maybe I’m out west on the Pacific Crest Trail, like Cheryl Strayed in Wild. She was trying to find herself after the tumultuous years of her early 20s, and I’m trying to figure out what the hell my 50s should be about. She was trying to walk back to herself, and I’m trying to walk into myself. I can be a crazy old hiker lady with two

long, gray braids, a khaki-colored bucket hat, and a sturdy wooden walking stick. I could hike rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon. Can you do that? Descend down into the canyon and climb your way back out? It would be murder on my glutes. The French Park hillsides already have them zinging. But I wonder if I need to do something big and bold to be a real hiker. Something worthy of a memoir and a movie adaptation staring Reese Witherspoon. If a thing is good, is more of that thing even better? If 3.5 miles in Amberley Village brings me contentment, will 1,000 miles chasing mountain ranges be 300 times better? Does enjoyment scale? I don’t know yet if I want a big adventure or an hour of quiet by a creek a few times a week. So, yes, I might be a hiker. Or I might just remain a person who hikes. Either way, the woods don’t care—and that’s the most beautiful thing of all.

FEEL GOOD ABOUT FEELING GOOD

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Tales tailgates from the

Whether it’s game day, Friday night lights, or a faux fox hunt in the country, half the fun is the party before. Here’s your guide to pregame experiences, plus snacks, tips, and spirit wear to get the most out of any fall tailgate. I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y J I M T U C K E R

Game Day at The Grid Get the complete college football experience at UC’s official pregame party. —BRIANNA CONNOCK WAYMAN

WHAT:

The Grid tailgate at the University of Cincinnati WHO: Students and their families, alumni, and all Bearcats football fans who want to come together before kickoff.

WHEN: The season’s ﬁrst home game is September 5 (Boston College), followed by September 12 (Western Carolina), September 26 (Kansas State), October 24 (100th Homecoming game against Texas Tech), October 31 (Utah), and November 21 (Colorado).

WHY: The Bearcats have played at historic Nippert Stadium since 1901. The unique, sunken bowl-style stadium is the second oldest college football home ﬁeld in the U.S. UC stepped up in the football pecking order by joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023.

VIBE: Party in the heart of UC’s campus just steps from the stadium. With more than 125 tailgating zones, food and beverage vendors, and interactive games, you’ll need little else to have a good time. Be sure to arrive at least 2.5 hours before kickoff for The Catwalk: a parade of players and cheerleaders led by the marching band and, of course, the Bearcat mascot.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY GRANT MOXLEY

tailgating tips > BRING SOME BEVS Food brings complications: allergies, repeat dishes, and logistical issues with heating/melting/keeping things fresh. Drinks are a safer bet. Make sure if it’s beer you bring at least a six pack. I C O N B Y E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O

Hanging Out at Cincinnati’s

First Tailgates Our earliest tailgating experiences were at public executions (!!), horse races, and baseball games. —GREG HAND

ohn May was the unlikely inspiration for Cincinnati’s ﬁrst tailgating event, and he was one bad dude. After plunging a dagger into the heart of his erstwhile drinking buddy Wat Sullivan in 1797, May was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang from a gallows erected at Fifth and Main streets. A crowd estimated to top 8,000 soon gathered, largely conveyed by farm wagons from the rural districts. Cincinnati’s total population at the time was 700, so one might assume the farmers packed lunch.

Hangings were a big draw here for many years—until executions were made private and relocated to the Ohio Penitentiary— and the spectators were hungry for blood or for entertainment, if not for the picnic baskets they carried. When John Birdsall murdered his wife in 1829, a mob estimated at 15,000 people gathered on Government Square. Among the multitude was a “professor of galvanism,” polishing his electrodes and collecting pennies from curiosity seekers who hoped to watch the contortions of his body after he was hanged. Birdsall was reprieved at the last minute, and the throng erupted into “a general burst of indignation and disappointment,” according to newspaper reports, with many insisting he be hanged anyway. Cincinnati could not manage anything resembling a tailgate party in these early years, largely due to literal lack of tailgates and vehicles of any sort. Most of the public events back then occupied venues that were either in easy walking distance or served by frequent streetcars. Affluent folks who owned their own carriages largely eschewed events patronized by the great unwashed. But the upper class did relish the “sport of kings,” packing the roads out to the Latonia Race Track. The inﬁeld there overﬂowed with surreys, phaetons, and barouches, the ground plastered with blankets boasting sumptuous feasts and Champagne chilling in silver buckets. Charitable picnics were far more democratic and usually involved a game of baseball. Fund-raisers at Parker’s Grove (eventually renamed Coney Island) were well attended and suggested there was a lot of baseball at picnics at a time when there were few picnics at baseball. I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y J I M T U C K E R

Snack Stars Baseball and boxing, the big sports draws of the day, took place at facilities plopped square in the middle of thriving neighborhoods, and every thriving Cincinnati neighborhood boasted a plethora of saloons. Most Reds fans built up a thirst on the streetcar, quenched it at the watering hole across the street from the ballpark, and procured their second round within the friendly confines. As late as the 1940s, saloons for sale in Cincinnati bragged about their proximity to Crosley Field. There was some activity that might be considered tailgate-adjacent, of course. On Opening Day 1919, as the Reds launched their world championship season, fans gathered hours before the ticket window opened in hopes of snagging decent seats. John Geraci and Brutus Buchanan, both 17, enjoyed a sort of tailgate as the first two fans in line, perched on wooden boxes salvaged from a nearby grocery. During their five-hour vigil, the young men fortified themselves with sandwiches and pickles. Toward the close of that season, the merchants of Miamisburg, Ohio, treated 200 World War I veterans to a Reds game. Delivered to the Queen City by train, the soldiers marched behind a brass band to the Sinton Hotel for a mid-day repast, then boarded charted streetcars to the ballpark. If you wanted a pregame feast in those days, you got on the good side of Reds owner August “Garry” Hermann. For road games, he piled his inner circle into his personal railroad car loaded with snacks and beer. He transported visiting teams to Redland Field in a four-horse tally-ho, equipped with a fully stocked icebox. During the 1919 World Series, Herrmann opened his office to the entire Chicago White Sox organization as well as newspaper reporters. In this private clubroom, he proffered a pregame banquet of burgoo, boiled ham, bratwurst, and sauerkraut. Maybe the “Black Sox” didn’t throw the World Series that year after all. They might have been too stuffed to play! PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW DOENCH

Looking to be the star of your tailgate party? Bring these fan-favorite noshes and bevs. —EMMA BALCOM Grippo’s Bar-B-Q Chips Grippo’s potato chips, the official chip of the Cincinnati Reds, have been an area staple for nearly 70 years, and the classic BBQ ﬂavor packs a sweetly spicy punch.

Rhinegeist Cincy Light All retail sales from this crisp and light lager, brewed in partnership with Cincy Reigns, support NIL efforts for UC student/athletes.

Glier’s Goetta Mac n Cheese Bites Mac and cheese is just better with crumbles of goetta in every bite. The Glier’s recipe for gooey, cheesy perfection bakes balls of cooled mac and goetta at 400 degrees for eight minutes.

Skyline Dip It takes only three ingredients to make every Cincinnatian’s favorite dip: cream cheese, shredded

cheddar, and a good old can of Skyline Chili.

Ecklerlin Gourmet Burgers The Findlay Market butcher’s gourmet burgers are made with fresh beef. Be sure to peruse the market for ﬂuffy buns and a variety of toppings and sides.

Cora’s Cakery Brownie Tray Available in cookie butter, cookies n cream,

peanut butter chip, s’mores, or a classic fudgy chocolate, Cora’s brownies are a dozen per tray. Grab a few.

Morsel & Nosh Charcuterie The cheese and charcuterie trays come in myriad sizes and varieties, including gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and/or dairy-free options.

park and march FC Cincinnati tailgating culminates in raucous marches to TQL Stadium. —ELIZABETH WOOD

WHAT:

FC Cincinnati Prematch at the Park and The March WHO: Free and fun for all ages.

WHEN: Prematch festivities begin at Washington Park 3.5 hours before kickoff. “The March to the Stadium” begins one hour before kickoff. Other less-official tailgates gather at The Pitch, Samuel Adams Taproom, and Northern Row Brewery & Distillery. FCC’s remaining home games at TQL Stadium: September 5 at 7:30 p.m.; September 12 at 7:30 p.m.; October 14 at 7:30 p.m.; October 18 at 7 p.m.; October 31 at 2 p.m.; November 7 at 4 p.m. (plus playoffs).

WHY: To rally fans together for a united grand arrival at TQL Stadium via The March.

VIBE: Following an open house-style fete at Washington Park featuring kid-friendly activities and food trucks, decked-out fans assemble to embark together toward TQL Stadium. Drums, chants, ﬂags, and blue-and-orange smoke guns guide the mob in a tradition that feels just as much battle procession as fan parade. Fans continue their synchronized shenanigans throughout the match at The Bailey with a vigor on par with Europe’s famous football fandom.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY (TOP) BEN WRIGHT / (ALL OTHERS) CAROLINE EYER

tailgating tips > GET DECKED OUT Nobody wants to be the plainclothes party pooper. If you don’t have any team memorabilia, wear a shirt or hat with matching colors.

I C O N B Y E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O

Purple People Partiers It’s a family affair at our local version of Friday Night Lights. —JOHN FOX WHAT:

Elder Panthers at The Pit WHO: Alumni who like to hang with their old friends, multiple generations of west side families, and current Elder students and their parents.

WHEN: Remaining home games are at 7 p.m. September 4 (East Central, Indiana); September 11 (LaSalle); September 18 (Louisville St. Xavier); September 25 (St. Xavier); October 16 (Indianapolis Bishop Chatard); October 23 (Mt. Zion Prep, Maryland); plus possible playoffs.

WHY: High school football is king in this part of the Midwest, and some of the best local rivalries are in the Greater Catholic League (Elder, LaSalle, Moeller, St. X). The Pit is the city’s most revered high school stadium, opening in 1947 and holding 10,000 fans.

VIBE: Family-friendly pregame activities happen in the school parking lots at Elder and neighboring Seton High School, while more casual eating, drinking, and reliving of glory days are hosted at businesses along Glenway Avenue. Activities kick off two hours before game time and usually feature an appearance by the marching band, The Spirit of Elder, which includes Seton students. Wear purple!

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAROLINE EYER

Show Your Spirit Turn the tailgate into a runway with colorful team gear. —BRIANNA CONNOCK WAYMAN

Chic and Honey Boutique From dresses and shoes to headbands and earrings, this Anderson Township shop has everything a girl needs to complete the perfect Bengals game day ﬁt. Chic and Honey is size-inclusive and dedicated to helping you ﬁnd items you love, both in-store and online. • 7466 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Twp., chic andhoney.com

Cincy Shirts

tailgating tips > KNOW YOUR STUFF This is a pregame, after all. Look up some basic stats and news about the home team and the game you’ll be attending so you can socialize with fellow tailgaters. I C O N B Y E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O

With a name like Cincy Shirts, it’s no surprise that you can ﬁnd the perfect shirt here for any sports occasion. Shop by sport (football, soccer, hockey, you name it) or by team (collegiate or pro) online, stop in the Ft. Mitchell store, I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y J I M T U C K E R

or look for Cincy Shirts in select shops around the city. • 2501 Dixie Hwy, Ft. Mitchell, (859) 331-0520, cincy shirts.com

Koch’s Sporting Goods Cincinnati’s oldest sporting goods store carries the gear you need to wear to your next tailgate. Visit the downtown Cincinnati location or shop online to peruse items repping every sports team in the city, even high school and youth sports teams. • 131 W. Fourth St., downtown, (513) 621-2352, koch sports.com

Rivertown Inkery This local brand has unique, vintageinspired T-shirt, sweatshirt, and hat designs

for every Queen City team. Shop the collections in person at the Oakley or Findlay Market locations or online with a $6 ﬂat rate for shipping. • 3096 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 401-5086; 1808 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 278-7826; river towninkery.com

Slow Ride Vintage Shop curated collections for every Cincinnati team at this Northern Kentucky shop, which does frequent “drops” of vintage Reds, Bearcats, and Bengals clothing items. Follow @slowridevintage on Instagram to ﬁnd out when the next collection hits the racks. • 307 Fairﬁeld Ave., Bellevue

tailgating tips > EXPLORE THE LOT Take a walk around and check out other people’s tailgates, too. It’ll help you socialize and give you inspiration for your next pregame. Just don’t eat other people’s food without permission. I C O N B Y E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O

Bengal Jim Earns His Stripes Jimmie Foster and his friends have been celebrating the Bengals and raising money for charity since 1993. —CLAIRE LEFTON

When you think of tailgates in the Queen City, it’s hard to picture anything but the iconic Before the Roar Tailgate hosted by Bengal Jim and friends. The party has grown to take up half of Smale Park and keeps getting bigger. We sat down with Jimmie Foster (a.k.a. Bengal Jim, holding the mic below) to learn what goes into throwing the city’s longest-running continuous tailgate.

HOW DID BEFORE THE ROAR START AND GROW TO WHERE IT IS NOW? Starting out in 1993, it was nothing more than me and my buddies with a charcoal grill and a cooler. We’ve not missed a tailgate since. A decade later, my friend James Coppola told me to turn my bucket hat sideways and took a picture of it. At the next game, he had this little silhouette of my head on a banner that said, “Welcome to Bengal Jim’s Tailgate.” He goes, “Jim, we’re going to market this,” and I was like, “No, I don’t want my name on it.” They went ahead and did it anyway, and it just PHOTOGRAPHS BY GRANT MOXLEY

kept getting bigger. We get anywhere between 2,500 to 5,000 people in attendance now. We always use it to help charities; this season we’re going to hit $1 million raised since 2019.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TAILGATE EXPERIENCE? It’s a destination that’s become part of the Bengals game-day experience, and a lot of local businesses are involved. David Fulcher and Ickey Woods set up in the park with us to promote their foundations. There’s a full-blown stage, a DJ, a sound system, and a 20-foot-tall inﬂatable Joe Burrow. The experience is like none other, not just in Cincinnati. I’ve been to every NFL city. There’s just nothing like it. You’ve got people from all walks of life here, and none of that matters on game day. We’re all Bengals fans coming together.

WHAT’S THE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE FOR AN EVENT OF THIS SIZE? It’s evolved over the years.

We used to have grills, but it was a pain bringing food as the tailgate got bigger. Luckily, a lot of Bengals sponsors want to be part of what we’re doing. My buddy Steve Messel owns the Norwood Skyline Chili location, and he brings his Skyline food truck down. They’ll give away the ﬁrst 500 coneys for free. Donatos gives away free pizza slices. Everything Bagel brings down hundreds of bagels and cream cheese and bagel chips.

ANY UNIQUE MEMORIES FROM PAST TAILGATES? We’ve had multiple engagements and multiple weddings. We randomly get some big names that show up like Emilio Estevez and Jonathan India, lots of former Bengals players and families of current players who show up and have fun. This is not just Bengal Jim and friends. There are four other people running it with me, but there are dozens of others who make it happen. It’s a labor of love for all of us. Instagram @bengal jims_btr

HORSING AROUND An annual day-long event in Indian Hill takes tailgating to a new level with competitions and prizes. —ELIZABETH A. LOWRY

WHAT:

The Camargo Hunter Trials WHO: This come-as-you-are event is open to both amateur foodies and foxhunting enthusiasts/horse people.

WHEN: All day Saturday, October 3 at Clippinger Field, Indian Hill. Admission is $10 per adult, $5 for 12 and under.

WHY: Established in 1925, the Camargo Hunter Trials is one of the oldest horse riding and jumping competitions around, evaluating a horse’s bravery, stamina, and level-headedness on terrain that mimics foxhunting ﬁelds, all set within the rolling Indian Hill countryside.

VIBE: Old-school-faux-foxhunt-meets-epicureanfeast-slash-competition where tailgaters and spectators mingle alongside horses, riders, trailers, dogs, tables, tents, and lots of quintessential equestrian decor. Amateur foodies can enter specialty dishes and craft cocktails to be judged by award-winning chefs, a sommelier, and local celebrities. Ribbons and a silver trophy are awarded in several tailgate categories, including a grand prize, best bite, and best entrée.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAROLINE EYER

tailgating tips > THANK THE HOST It takes effort and planning to show up early with supplies and host a tailgate for friends and fellow fans. Make sure to thank the person who put in all the work before heading into the game.

THE

The Bengals went all in to acquire Dexter Lawrence as their defensive anchor. He’s convinced the team is headed back to the Super Bowl.

By Robert Weintraub

LINK 48

#97

DEXTER Bengals LAWRENCE II

Cincinnati

I I am already grateful to the newest Bengals superstar, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, before he ever plays a down in stripes. Thanks to him, I’ve learned an important geographical distinction that saved me several hours in driving time. It seems that Wake Forest, North Carolina, is a quiet suburb in the pine forests north of Raleigh and nowhere near Wake Forest University, which is in Winston-Salem, a couple of hours west. This distinction is critical. Wake Forest, home of the high school Cougars, is where Lawrence first made his name on a football field. I have come here (and not to the ACC college campus) to meet the 6-foot-5, 350-pound behemoth who has dominated the line of scrimmage as well as anyone in the NFL over seven seasons with the New York Giants. Thanks to the stunning trade the Bengals made in April, in which they swapped their first-round draft pick for Lawrence, he is now poised to do the same in Cincinnati. Today is also, not coincidentally, the Dexter Lawrence 7-on-7 Football Tournament. “Seven-on,” as it’s commonly called, is a competitive version of the passing drills common to every football practice that removes linemen, blocking, and tackling from the equation. The tournament predates Lawrence, but as his high school coach, Reggie Lucas, who runs the event, says, “We wanted Dexter to be a part of this, and he was anxious as part of the local community to get involved.” Upon lending his name, Lawrence asked, “Where’s the beef?” So a big boy component was added, competitive one-on-one pass rushing drills, a challenge closer to his heart. Eight local high schools teams are here on a punishingly hot and humid Thursday afternoon at Wake Forest High. Lawrence arrives alone, with no entourage or handlers. He wears a purple paisley shirt that may be visible from space, but he quickly blends in by changing into black shorts and a black T-shirt emblazoned with “Cougar Football.” Up close, his immensity is mind-bending. When he’s at midfield, I expect the goalposts at either end to bend in toward him. Lawrence gives Lucas an enormous bearhug in his small, stifling office. “Sorry the air-conditioning isn’t too useful,” the coach says. Incredible as it is to conceive, Wake Forest High, while very good during Lawrence’s time as a Cougar, reeled off three straight state titles immediately after he graduated. The Cougars lost in the Region 4AA championship game twice while Lawrence was

tossing poor high school linemen around like potato sacks, but couldn’t win it all. I choose not to see this history lesson as an ill omen for the Bengals. “It was just one of those things, I guess,” says Lucas, a scintilla of sadness in his voice. “Dexter certainly elevated our program to the point we could compete for titles, but we just didn’t win them.” Dexter’s younger (and much smaller) brother, Devon, played running back for the Cougars and had a strong college career at North Carolina. Skill-player brash to Dexter’s lineman humble, Devon has a simpler, tongue-in-cheek explanation: “I needed to be the man in charge of the offense. Once I was, we won the titles. Had nothing to do with Dexter.” Despite that particular disappointment, Lawrence remembers his high school years as “the most fun I’ve ever had in football.” That’s evident when he talks with the current Wake Forest players before they take the field. “Everybody here looks up to you, on the low, so enjoy the moment, all of it, even going to class,” he tells the team with a smile as they cluster around him like tiny moons orbiting Jupiter. “Grind every day, and ask yourself, ‘How can I help somebody else? How can I make the guy next to me better?’ Don’t be selfish out there. Don’t be haters. This is the best of it. You get to play together and hang out together after the game. There’s nothing better than that.” The greatest NFL defensive tackles—Mean Joe Green, Bob Lilly, Aaron Donald, and the man who wore No. 97 in Cincinnati before Lawrence, Geno Atkins—were largely penetrators with exceptional quickness and a blazing first step. They mostly played the “three-technique” spot, lining up outside the offensive guard in the “B gap,” and often prized getting to the quarterback above run defense. This isn’t what Lawrence does. He largely plays nose tackle, straight up on the center, controlling the “A gap” mere inches from the quarterback’s face when the QB isn’t in shotgun formation. Nose tackles are traditionally much slower and heavier, if more powerful. Atkins, for example, played at right around 300 pounds, some 50 pounds lighter than Lawrence. Their primary concern is stopping the enemy run game in its tracks. What makes Lawrence so special is that he combines the best of the two positions. His ox-like strength allows him not only to stand up double-teams and anchor the point of attack to defeat run plays but also to bull-rush centers and plant them in the quarterback’s lap before any play can develop. Beyond power, he also possesses rare quickness and initial burst, incredible for a man of his size and bulk. Tackles who weigh 310 pounds and have elite movement can disrupt a play or a drive; Lawrence doing it at 350 pounds can fundamentally alter offensive game plans. Lawrence, who turns 29 in November, is the kind of player the Bengals have been missing on the interior since Atkins retired. The dubious defenses of recent seasons have mainly lacked power and disruption at tackle, and opposing offenses have run roughshod over them as a result—part of the reason Cincinnati has

P H OTO G R A P H S C O U R T E SY ( TO P ) R O B E R T W E I N T R AU B / ( O P E N E R A N D B OT TO M ) C I N C I N N AT I B E N G A L S

missed the playoffs three straight years. Still, the trade was a stunner. The Bengals prize draft picks so much that the last time they went without a first-rounder was 1989. Before this deal, one prominent commentator wondered if the team even had a phone in its draft war room. But Lawrence is sui generis, even by NFL standards, the sort of unique player who was worth the 10th overall pick in the draft, an asset ordinarily so prized in Bengaldom it may as well reside at nearby Ft. Knox. The team also took on more financial commitment than it’s generally comfortable with, though not as much as originally feared by some. The team added one year to Lawrence’s existing deal, which will pay him $28 million in 2028, when he turns 31. Cincinnati is thus responsible for $70 million over the next three years. Tennessee’s All-Pro tackle Jeffery Simmons received $105.8 million for the next three years in a recent contract extension. By contrast, Lawrence is a bargain. Between giving up the high draft choice and dedicating the money, the move was an “all-in” detonation of Cincinnati’s usual conservative operational tempo. It was also an important signal to Bengals standard-bearer Joe Burrow that the team recognizes the time to win is now and is willing to do whatever it takes to reach the promised land while Joey Franchise is in his prime. That, of course, is a lot to put on one player, even one with such an immense frame. “The Bengals were my first choice of teams to be traded to, really my only choice,” Lawrence says. “The community in Cincinnati has shown me nothing but love, but I know I’m here to do a job.” When I ask what that job is, specifically, Lawrence has a simple answer: “To be Dex!” At the tournament, Lawrence dutifully watches some of the 7-on7 action, but the endless passing gets C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 8 4

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS The Bengals traded their ﬁrst round pick in the 2026 draft for Dexter Lawrence II, who looms large during summer training (above) and at his high school football camp in North Carolina (top).

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P H OTO G R A P H S BY J O N AT H A N W I L L I S

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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 5 3

THE FIRST ESSAY Melanie Moon read in Race and the City:

Work, Community, and Protest in Cincinnati, 1820–1970 explored what seemed to be a paradox. In the face of rapidly accelerating professional opportunities in Cincinnati in the latter half of the 19th century, why had Black Cincinnatians been left out? The inability to access lucrative new work opportunities made no sense to Moon. The stifling Black Laws, designed to discourage free Blacks from settling in Ohio, had been repealed. And yet, as jobs exploded in areas like plumbing, electrical, manufacturing, and clerical work, the occupational status of Black people in Cincinnati actually worsened. Census data tells the story: Black people would not gain widespread access to these professions until the 1940s, at which time the jobs were increasingly obsolete. “Chapter 5 is the first one I read when I got the book,” Moon recalls of Nancy Bertaux’s “Structural Economic Change and Occupational Decline Among Black Workers in Nineteenth-Century Cincinnati.” “It suddenly became very clear to me how the wealth gap originated.” A retired librarian and SilverSneakers instructor, Moon first encountered Race

and the City while researching the history of housing in Cincinnati for her volunteer work on a 10-year plan for Evanston. She learned not only the history of Evanston— that it became a predominantly Black neighborhood as the result of planned population shifts that most directly impacted Avondale—but also Cincinnati’s role as a national pioneer in residential zoning that kept Black people from the wealth-building potential of home ownership. How had she not known this before, she wondered. Published in 1993 as a part of the Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial History Series and now out of print, Race and the City relied on archival research and U.S. Census data to document the experience of Black residents across generations. “The conceptual framework is that the city does not stand still,” explains editor and historian Henry Louis Taylor Jr. “[The city] moves through time and space, and the process of its moving is what drives the challenges that are facing Black people. And those challenges shift as the city moves, but what never changes is the deplorable conditions under which Black residents live. So, in Cincinnati and elsewhere, in every single stage in the process of building the city, Black people are living in the most deplorable, undesirable, and unhealthy places in the urban environment.” Race and the City features 10 chapters by different writers, including one by Taylor himself in addition to his introduction. The project was a joint venture of the Cincinnati Historical Society and the University of Cincinnati’s history department. For Moon, Race and the City was a jawdropping explanation of the city she’d lived

in her entire life. She quickly felt informed and mobilized.“I was determined that every Cincinnatian needed to read that book,” she says, and her words became a rallying cry. Taylor, who became aware of her efforts, regards Moon with appreciation and awe. “Her efforts represented the essence of everything I’d ever dreamed about and hoped might happen,” he says. “She has shown the possibility and potential power that ﬂow from people taking knowledge related to the world in which they live and making that knowledge their own so that they can use it in their own creative ways.” Moon’s journey began with a question that was on her mind as soon as she ﬁnished the chapter on the economy: How do I get this information out to people?

MOON KNEW that the academic language and hard-copy scarcity of Race and the City would deter most Cincinnatians. She decided to go old school: She would read the book aloud. She enlisted her son to help her set up a YouTube channel and started recording. Her voice snaps with authority and conﬁdence as she delivers lines like these, which detail the establishment of the West End in the 1920s: “The residential options of Black Cincinnatians were severely limited by their low incomes. Much of the new owner-occupied and rental housing units were beyond their economic reach. The residential landrent structure, then, forced the majority of African Americans to search for housing in the low-rent district, located in the West End of the basin. By 1930 more than 30,000 Black people, comprising 67 percent of the African American population, lived here.” Moon’s vision was for the channel to become an online book club where people could engage with each other, but that didn’t really happen. Comments were enthusiastic but sporadic, so she used the readings as a foundation for programming that would bring people together in a different way. She designed the course “Race and the City: Cincinnati, 1820–Present” and ran it on Zoom in fall 2020. She’s now teaching it in as little as a single three-hour

session for UC’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) as well as a weekly course spread across several months. I encountered Moon in spring 2025 when I took the course through the Harriet Beecher Stowe House via 12 two-hour sessions. Whatever amount of time she has to work with, she focuses on the chapters that are most pertinent to what’s going on today, which in her mind are housing and the economy. Moon includes what she calls “enhancements” that allow classmates to connect with each other to explore a topic related to the reading. “I was trying to think of ways to keep students engaged,” she says. “I started with enhancements—not calling it homework, but ways to enhance your knowledge. And so it just started to blossom.” In one enhancement, a partner and I signed up to learn more about Covert, Michigan, after reading Chapter 4, which traces census data from 1850 to explore housing patterns that ultimately demonstrate how Cincinnati was more racially integrated than people tend to think today. Covert, founded in 1860, has been racially integrated for ﬁve generations, including civic functions, schools, and graveyards. Moon provided us with a podcast, a slide deck, a news article and—this was the part that amazed me—a recent interview she’d completed with a Covert resident about changes to the town since 2016. Her interview questions had been developed by previous Race and the City students.

Another way Moon encourages students to get involved is by serving as “chapter champions,” summarizing the content of a given chapter for others. Her ﬁrst champions included her adult children and her friends, including Carol Wade. “Melanie just has a lot of credibility in my mind,” says Wade, smiling. “There’s something about her that just always makes me want to do what she asks me to do.” Wade grew up in Springfield, Ohio, which is smaller and more racially integrated than Cincinnati, where she moved just after college. “The culture was different,” she recalls. “So it took me a minute to sort of understand where I was.” She championed Chapter 7, “Cincinnati Blacks and the Irony of Low-Income Housing Reform, 1900–1950” by Robert Fairbanks, which details how reform efforts produced housing units that were unavailable to Black residents or displaced Black families, ultimately leaving more than 600 families vulnerable to relocation and predatory lending practices. Moon asked her early chapter champions to record their summaries via video, and there’s now a suite of them. One was Lester Tacy, who grew up in Lexington and didn’t know a lot about Cincinnati history. “At times I’ve felt a little bit like I’m intruding, because I come from the white perspective, but this has been a very welcoming environment because people really want CO N T I N U E D O N PA G E 8 8 to learn,” he

MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN Melanie Moon shares a portion of Cincinnati history through classes and videos explaining Race and the City and its companion book, Race and the City: Art. One of her key historic characters is John Mercer Langston, honored with a sculpted mural near Findlay Market (previous spread).

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OHC At OHC, our search for new treatments is relentless. Our drive to provide superior care runs deep. And our ﬁght against cancer is personal. Our independent, physician-led practice is known for delivering clinical excellence combined with unmatched personal and emotional support in neighborhoods throughout the region. Innovation at OHC means making tomorrow’s cancer care available to patients today—without requiring them to leave their community. Our team combines nationally recognized clinical research, advanced therapies such as cellular therapy and CAR-T treatment, and a multidisciplinary approach that brings specialists together to personalize care for each patient. We continuously evaluate new treatments, technologies, and care models to improve outcomes while surrounding 5 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

patients with the medical, emotional, and practical support they need throughout their cancer journey. At OHC, renowned experts aggressively attack your cancer with every possible strategy. Our nationally recognized cancer research and clinical trials team, SCRI at OHC, is engaged in a passionate search for innovative treatments. And our care navigators help you manage ﬁnances, understand your disease, and gain power over cancer’s impact on your personal life. OHC has been ﬁghting cancer on the front lines for over 40 years. We are the region’s premier source of treatment for nearly every form of adult cancer and complex blood disorder. At its heart, our approach to cancer care is simple—to surround you with everything you need so you can focus on what matters most: beating cancer. 5053 WOOSTER RD., CINCINNATI, OH 45226, (888) 6494800, OHCARE.COM

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HEALTH WATCH 2026 INNOVATION

St. Elizabeth Heart surgery has long been associated with a long, central scar and months of grueling recovery. At St. Elizabeth, we’re changing that narrative. The true revolution in heart surgery isn’t just how the heart is repaired, but how it is accessed. Under the leadership of a globally recognized endoscopic cardiac surgeon, our St. Elizabeth team is highly skilled in treating the most complicated conditions while using the least invasive technique appropriate for the patient. This commitment 6 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

to smaller, targeted pathways represents a signiﬁcant shift from how heart surgery was traditionally performed. By preserving major bones and surrounding structures whenever possible, minimally invasive techniques reduce some of the greatest barriers to recovery without compromising the quality or durability of the repair itself. The usefulness of these approaches is also reﬂected in their ability to expand what’s possible for select patients previously considered too high-risk for surgery. This is complex care reimagined. STELIZABETH.COM/HEART-SURGERY

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HEALTH WATCH 2026 INNOVATION

UC Health UC Health is deeply rooted in the community it serves and unites researchers, clinicians and educators to deliver advanced care while shaping the future of medicine and improving health across Greater Cincinnati and beyond. As the region’s academic health system, we have a 200-year legacy of transforming health through research. From discovering Benadryl to the world’s ﬁrst ischemic stroke treatment, we turn bold ideas into cutting-edge treatments. Today, UC Health has more ﬁrsts and more clinical trials than any adult health system in the region. That’s anything from cancer vaccines to robotic surgery for faster recovery, the region’s only adult proton therapy center to DNA-guided pain management. We continue a legacy of innovation by delivering unrivaled care patients trust from experts in every health condition—no matter how common or rare. From the region’s only Oncology Rapid Diagnostic Clinic helping pa6 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

tients get answers sooner, to the Osher Wellness Suite empowering patients to thrive, care is built around you. That means more treatment options. More thriving. More life ahead. And when the stakes are highest, patients and providers across the region choose us. With thousands of transfers in each year because we treat what others can’t, UC Health is the region’s most preferred health system. Our commitment to empowering life extends beyond our walls. Through community-based programs like Cincinnati Street Medicine, mobile outreach and partnerships that address barriers to care, we meet patients where they are and improve access for those who need it most. Our passion for transforming health and improving life is what guides our care every day. 3188 BELLEVUE AVE., CINCINNATI, OH 45219, (513) 475-8000, WWW.UCHEALTH.COM

Innovating today for your best tomorrow

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H AT E G R I T Y

Ategrity Specialty Insurance Company, carrier of the Heartland, is proud to sponsor Cincinnati Magazine’s Discover Local Spotlight and champion the small businesses that power Cincinnati and the Midwest. Reach out to your agent for an Ategrity insurance quote for your business and let us protect what you’re building!

PRESENTED BY

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I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H AT E G R I T Y

D RES S STO R E

RUNNING SPECIALTY STORE

BAKERY

The Queen’s Lace

Fleet Feet

A dress boutique focused on mothers-of-the-bride / groom.

Cincinnati’s local running specialty store since ’01.

320b W. Benson St., Reading https://thequeenslace.com

Breadsmith

9525 Kenwood Rd., Blue Ash https://fleetfeetcincy.com

Breadsmith produces artisan, preservative-free bread from scratch, daily. 3500 Michigan Ave., Hyde Park 315 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue https://www.breadsmith.com/cincinnati/

S EN I O R LIVIN G

CHI L DCARE

St. Theresa Village Senior Living

Mini Miracles Learning Center

Brew House

Providing safe, quality low-income housing and aﬀordable resident services for seniors in need.

Where every child is a miracle worth nurturing.

A friendly neighborhood bar with good burgers.

1832 E. Seymour Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45237 Minimiracles710@yahoo.com

1047 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati, OH 45206 https://www.brewhouse.com/

6783 Siebern Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45236 https://www.mercyhousing.org/southeast/

BAR/RESTAURANT

F LOW ER SH O P

Emerald La Fleur Premium ﬂoral studio for weddings, events, gi's

THIS COULD BE YOUR BUSINESS.

6852 Main St., Cincinnati, OH 45244 https://emeraldlafleur.com

YO U R BU S I N ESS CATEGO RY

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ILLUSTRRATION BY MATTHEW SPOLETI

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Miami Valley Christian Academy Open House: All academy open house Saturday, November 7, 2026, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Private tours daily by appointment. Schedule today via email: Admissions@mvca-oh.com At Miami Valley Christian Academy, we believe every student is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), uniquely created by God with purpose and potential. From Preschool through grade 12, our faculty and staff cultivate a nurturing, Christ-centered environment where students are known, challenged, and prepared to impact the world for Christ. The MVCA experience is built on four pillars: Faith, Academics, Fine Arts, and Athletics. Together, these pillars support the development of the whole student and provide opportunities to grow spiritually, intellectually, creatively, physically, and socially. FAITH: Biblical truth shapes classroom instruction, relationships, leadership, and service. Across the Academy, weekly chapel services are designed for different age groups. Students also participate in Bible instruction, worship, discipleship opportunities, prayer, and service-learning. Through partnerships with families and churches, students are encouraged to develop a personal faith, strong character, and a desire to use their gifts for God’s purposes. ACADEMICS: Our college-preparatory curriculum serves learners

at every stage of development. Younger students build strong foundations in literacy, mathematics, science, history, and the arts. 1MHHPI 7GLSSP WXYHIRXW KEMR GSRƼHIRGI ERH MRHITIRHIRGI [LMPI strengthening critical-thinking skills. High School students analyze ideas, communicate effectively, explore electives, and pursue Traditional, Honors, Advanced Placement, and College Credit Plus GSYVWIW %GEHIQMG WYTTSVX LIPTW WXYHIRXW HIZIPST GSRƼHIRGI ERH reach their potential. FINE ARTS: Students explore and develop their God-given creativity through visual art, music, band, choir, theatre, and performance opportunities. Fine Arts experiences encourage expression, discipline, GSPPEFSVEXMSR ERH GSRƼHIRGI [LMPI EPPS[MRK WXYHIRXW XS WLEVI XLIMV talents with the school and broader community. ATHLETICS: MVCA athletics develops more than physical ability. Through team competition, students learn discipline, perseverance, sportsmanship, leadership, and how to honor Christ in both success and adversity. Opportunities are offered across grade levels as students grow in skill, character, and teamwork.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1996 GRADES SERVED: Preschool–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,250 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $8,078–$12,022 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: ASCI fully accredited • COGNIA fully accredited • Top Work Places 2026 • 7XEXI UYEPMƼIVW 4S[IV SJ XLI 4IR • 7XEXI ERH 'SRJIVIRGI UYEPMƼIVW MR QYPXMTPI WTSVXW • 'SPPIKI &SEVH %4 7GLSSP ,SRSV 6SPP (IWMKREXMSR • 7XYHIRXW REQIH EW 2EXMSREP 1IVMX *MREPMWXW %4 7GLSPEVW [MXL ,SRSV ERH (MWXMRGXMSR 4VI%'8 6MWMRK 7XEVW ERH 'SPPIKI &SEVH 2EXMSREP %[EVH 6IGMTMIRXW 6830 School St., Cincinnati, OH 45244 • (513) 272-6822 • www.mvca-oh.com

6 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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The Seven Hills School Walk & Talk Group Tours: Pre-K and kindergarten: Sept. 22–Nov. 5 on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays • Grades 1–5: Oct. 6 and 14 • Grades 6–8: Oct. 28 • Grades 9–12: Sept. 17; Oct. 6, 15, 22; Nov. 3 and 17. Questions & Conversations Virtual Admission Events: Pre-k through Grade 5: Oct. 20 • Grades 6–12: Oct. 28 and Jan. 21, 2027 Seven Hills is the top-ranked private school in Ohio for students EKIW XLVSYKL KVEHI &I]SRH XLI VEROMRKW ]SYƅPP ƼRH XIEGLIVW who know their students well and students who feel supported to take risks and discover who they are. Engaging Hearts, Minds, & the Community Each day, our learners experience a range of dynamic, exciting activities designed to engage the heart, the mind, and the community. Over time, students explore every aspect of themselves; they learn who they are, what they love, and what they may want to do with their lives. And, in the end, students are ready to explore a wide new world SJ STTSVXYRMX] EW GSRƼHIRX TEWWMSREXI ERH IRKEKIH ]SYRK TISTPI

Our Teachers Are the Difference Trained in some of the nation’s best universities and recruited from all over the country, Seven Hills teachers are experts in their subjects and the grade levels they teach. In an environment that encourages them to take risks, students gain more from their time at Seven Hills and are supported along the way by their teachers. Affordable, Flexible Tuition Seven Hills is committed to providing access to as many students as possible. As part of our Affordability Initiative, we offer two options, the Flexible Tuition Program and Seven Hills Scholar Awards, both designed to provide families from many walks of life the advantage of a Seven Hills education.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1906 GRADES SERVED: Pre-K (2-year-olds) through Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,000 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 9:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: $9,750–$36,340 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Ranked #1 Private K–12 School in Ohio and #1 Private High School in Ohio for 2026 by Niche • Ranked #1 High School for STEM in Cincinnati by Niche • Ranked #1 Private College Prep High School in Greater Cincinnati eight years by Niche: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 • 15% of the Class of 2025 recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program • 226 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 2025 • Advanced Placement School Honor Roll with Platinum Distinction 5400 Red Bank Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45227 • (513) 728-2400 • www.7hills.org

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Archbishop Moeller High School Open House: Sunday, November 8, 2026 High School Placement Test: Saturday, November 21, 2026 Application Due: Monday, November 30, 2026 At Archbishop Moeller High School, a Catholic school in the Marianist tradition, we know young men learn differently. Our educational philosophy of REALearning— Relational. E xperiential. Authentic.— challenges our students to think critically, act purposefully, and grow authentically. ;LIXLIV MR XLI GPEWWVSSQ SR XLI ƼIPH SV MR the community, Moeller prepares young men to lead with integrity, empathy, and strength.

Our nationally-recognized House System and signature academic programs—Chaminade Global Scholars, Mercalde Family StudentRun Endowment , mole cular biology research, entrepreneurship, prototyping, and multimedia production—enrich students’ understanding and empower them to be GSRƼHIRX EHETXMZI GLERKI QEOIVW 8LMW MW what makes Moeller the leader in educating young men.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1960 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 900 STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO: 12:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: $18,900 TOP AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: 2024 & 2025 Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll Platinum Distinction • Member of the International Boys’ School Coalition • 40 State Championships 9001 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242 • (513) 791-1680 • www.moeller.org

Bethany School Open House: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 2–4 p.m. &IXLER] 7GLSSP MW E [EVQ ERH HMZIVWI GSQQYRMX] XLEX LEW WIVZIH 3LMS JEQMPMIW JSV SZIV ]IEVW ;I FIPMIZI MR XLI NS] of learning. Our small class sizes and curriculum spark curiosity, encourage play, ERH QEOI HMWGSZIV] ER I\GMXMRK NSYVRI] 3YV XL KVEHI KVEHYEXIW GSRXMRYI XS EGLMIZI academic success in Cincinnati’s premier high schools. Bethany School’s students experience a ZMFVERX EVVE] SJ EGXMZMXMIW MRGPYHMRK [IIOP] GLETIP ƼRI EVXW EXLPIXMGW ƼIPH XVMTW ERH GSQQYRMX] WIVZMGI 3YV FIEYXMJYP REXYVI

ƼPPIH EGVI GEQTYW MR +PIRHEPI JIEXYVIW two LEED Platinum certified buildings offering an eco-friendly learning space. Choose Bethany School for your child’s IRVMGLMRK IHYGEXMSREP NSYVRI] ƈ8LI WQEPP GPEWW WM^IW GEVMRK JEGYPX] GVIEXIH E TSWMXMZI IRZMVSRQIRX JSV Q] OMHW and the focus on academics, spiritual/ GLEVEGXIV HIZIPSTQIRX ERH HMZIVWMX] LIPTIH them grow into the amazing people they were created to be.” —Bethany Parent Bethany School: Empowering students to XLVMZI MR E HMZIVWI [SVPH

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1898 GRADES SERVED: K–8 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 190 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 7:1 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $12,406 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Fully accredited by ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) • 4PEXMRYQ 0))( 'IVXMƼIH FYMPHMRKW • Ohio’s only Episcopal school 555 Albion Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45246 • (513) 771-7462 • www.bethanyschool.org 7 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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Bishop Fenwick High School Open House: Sunday, October 18, 2026, 1–4 p.m. Faith, compassion, integrity, service. These values guide the Fenwick experience. Whether it’s on the field, on stage, in the band room, or in the classroom—many of our students explore multiple passions, and we celebrate that. Rooted in faith, and strengthened by a close-knit community, Fenwick offers a wide range of opportunities that encourage students to grow with purpose, build lasting connections, and FIGSQI GSRƼHIRX GSQTEWWMSREXI PIEHIVW Learn with purpose. College preparatory courses, including options for college credit

plus coursework, a variety of electives, like engineering and IT, support their interests and potential. Block scheduling encourages deeper focus and experiential learning. A daily 40-minute “Flock Block” fosters social emotional growth, academics, and faith formation. We’re closer than you think! Our 66-acre campus is conveniently located near I-75 and State Route 741, and welcomes students from 32 zip codes.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1952 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 425+ STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 12:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED: Yes TUITION: $14,280 for the 2026–27 School Year TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: $17.4 Million in college scholarships received by graduates • 66% of our faculty have at least one master’s degree or higher 4855 State Route 122, Franklin, OH 45005 • (513) 428-0525 • www.bishopfenwick.org/admissions

Children’s Meeting House Montessori School Open House: Sunday, October 18, 2026, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Nestled on more than seven acres just outside historic Loveland, Children’s Me eting House se eks to foster the development of the whole child by implementing the philosophy, practices, and curriculum of Dr. Maria Montessori. Children are empowered to learn and develop at a pace inspired by their own instinctive love of discovery. From preschool through eighth grade, students are guided, challenged, and prepared for their futures

using authentic Montessori lessons and materials. Enriched by abundant natural woodlands and working gardens, CMH fosters a high level of academic success within an outdoor setting few schools in Cincinnati can match. Experience Children’s Meeting House for ]SYVWIPJ ERH PIEVR ƼVWXLERH [L] JEQMPMIWƂ and our students—are passionate about our school. Come see where learning happens, naturally.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1972 GRADES SERVED: Preschool–grade 8 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 180 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 12:1 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: $9,300–$15,050 TOP AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Member of the American Montessori Society and the Cincinnati Montessori Society • Voted Best Preschool by the readers of Cincinnati Family Magazine • Voted Hulafrog’s Most Loved K–8 Private School • 'IVXMƼIH EW E ;MPH 7GLSSP 7MXI ERH 1SREVGL &YXXIVƽ] ;E]WXEXMSR 927 O’Bannonville Rd., Loveland, OH 45140 • (513) 683-4757 • www.cmhschool.com S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 1

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Cincinnati Country Day School Apply for admission and tuition aid/scholarship consideration by December 1. Call or visit our website today to arrange a personalized campus tour and meet with our admission team.

Every day, students are known, nurtured, and inspired, both academically and personally. Across our 60-acre campus, th ey build th e c o nf id e n c e to think MRHITIRHIRXP] ƼRH QIERMRK JY P W SPY XMSRW and discover who they are. %X 'SY RXV] (E] GEVI QIERW LIPTMRK W XY HIRXW FIGSQI GETEFPI ,MK L W XERHEVHW EVI ER EGX SJ FIPMIJ 8IGLRSPSK ] MW Y W IH [MXL TY VTSW I RSX F] HIJEY PX 'LEPPIRK I MW RƅX

W SQIXLMRK XS EZSMH %W E XVY P] MRHITIRHIRX school, we have the freedom to do what we FIPMIZI MW VMK LX JSV GLMPHVIR IZIR [LIR MX MW RƅX XLI IEW MIW X TEXL ;I TVITEVI W XY HIRXW RSX SRP] JSV GSPPIK I FY X JSV PMZIW SJ TY VTSW I leadership, and impact. Because students deserve an education that expects more of them, believes more in them, and prepares them for more than school alone.

THE STATS

YEAR FOUNDED: 1926 GRADES SERVED: Early childhood (18 months)–grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 860 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 9:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes, K–grade 4; dress code grades 5–12 TUITION: $10,090–$35,480 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: A Top Private High School, K–12 School, and High School for STEM by Niche • 24% of Class of 2026 attend universities nationally recognized for STEM or research excellence • Award-winning Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam • “Platinum with Access” AP School Honor Roll by College Board • National Merit Recipients, Scholars, and Scholarship winners • Scholastic Art and Writing Award winners • Students matriculate to top colleges nationally and internationally • $6.5 million awarded in need– and merit–based assistance to students in kindergarden through grade 12 6905 Given Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45243 • (513) 979-0220 • www.countryday.net

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Open House: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. In-person tours and shadow visits are also available. Learn more at chca-oh.org/admissions

Every student is called to a life of impact. And EX 'MRGMRREXM ,MPPW 'LVMW XMER %GEHIQ] MXƅW SY V mission to help them discover who they were made to be. %W E PIEVRMRK GSQQY RMX] [I GSQFMRI excellence in education with unique opportunities to equip students for success MR GSPPIK I ERH FI]SRH %W E JEMXL GSQQY RMX] [I GIRXIV IZIV]XLMRK SR 'LVMW X 3Y V W XY HIRXW

EVI IRGSY VEK IH XS EW O XSY K L UY IW XMSRW ERH cultivate a desire to serve as they uncover XLIMV K MJXW ERH LSRI RI[ XEPIRXW )ZIV] experience—from hands-on projects to MRXIVREXMSREP XVEZIPƂMW HIW MK RIH XS W LETI both hearts and minds. ;I GLEPPIRK I W XY HIRXW XS XLMRO HIITIV PIEH K VIEXIV ERH TY VW Y I QSVI W S XLI] GER move the world forward.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1989 GRADES SERVED: Pre-K 2–Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,275 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 12:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes, through Grade 6 TUITION: $4,490–$23,715 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: • 13 MVC Championship titles at the varsity level in 2025–26 • 3 students named Finalists or Semi-Finalists at the Cincinnati Arts Association Overture Awards • 80+ students earned Seal of Biliteracy (since 2022) • Only school in the city offering an Entrepreneurship & Sustainability program with student-run businesses, multiple learning gardens, a 4,000-square-foot greenhouse, and a nationally recognized teaching kitchen. Pre-K 2–Grade 3: Edyth B. Lindner Campus, 11312 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249 • Grades 4–8: Founders’ Campus, 11300 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249 • Grades 9–12: Martha S. Lindner Campus, 11525 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249 • Downtown Cincinnati Pre-K 3/4–Grade 6: Otto Armleder Memorial Education Campus, 140 W. Ninth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 247-0900 • chca-oh.org 7 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6

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Cincinnati Waldorf School Open House: Saturday, November 7, 2026, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. To learn more and to schedule a personal tour, please email: kkelley@cinciwaldorf.org

What if learning began with wonder—not a screen? In a world that moves faster every day, Cincinnati Waldorf School believes children deserve the time, space, and support to experience the fullness of childhood. From Preschool through Grade 12, our close-knit community nurtures students as whole human beings—developing their intellectual abilities alongside their creativity, practical skills, emotional intelligence, and sense of connection to others. At CWS, education is about more than preparing students for the next step. It

is about creating an environment where students are known deeply, challenged thoughtfully, and encouraged to discover their own capacities. As the future presents both extraordinary opportunities and complex challenges, we believe the world needs people who can do more than access information—it needs people who can imagine, discern, collaborate, and lead with purpose. A Waldorf education prepares students not only for college and careers, but for lives of creativity, responsibility, and service.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1973 GRADES SERVED: Preschool–Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 285 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 10:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: Varies by program TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Voted “Best Private School” in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021, and 2020 by CityBeat readers 6743 Chestnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45227 • (513) 541-0220 ext. 2 • www.cincinnatiwaldorfschool.org

Creative Tots Mason Open House Carnival: Friday, August 21, 2026, 5–6:30 p.m. Open House Totstober Halloween: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 5–6:30 p.m. For two decades, Creative Tots has welcomed families in and around the Mason area into a bright, imaginative early-learning environment where curiosity and creativity lead the way. Children explore cheerful classrooms and playful SYXHSSV WTEGIW XLEX MRWTMVI GSRƼHIRGI independence, and a genuine love of learning. Our nurturing educators guide toddlers through kindergarten readiness with hands-on experiences that spark

wonder and support growth at each child’s unique pace. We intentionally stay small, because we deeply value relationships with our children, their families, and one another. Families value our strong community, engaging curriculum, and the joyful traditions that have shaped Creative Tots for 20 years. Experience the warmth, creativity, and connection that families have trusted for two decades. Tours now available.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 2006 GRADES SERVED: Toddler–Kindergarten CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 85–100 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 1:7 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: $3,200–$15,000 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Voted #1 Best of Cincinnati for Best Preschool/Daycare 2026 • Top Preschool in Warren County 2025 & 2026- Google Award • Best of Mason: #1 in Preschool Category by the Mason Award Program 6408 Thomberry Ct., Suite 110, Mason, Ohio 45040 • (513) 770-6776 • www.creativetotsmason.com

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Elder High School Open House: Thursday, November 12, 2026, 4–8 p.m. Shadow Days for current 8th grade boys and prospective transfer students: September 11, 18, 25, 30; October 2, 7, 9, 23; November 6, 24; December 4; January 8

It Starts with One Decision. Few decisions have a greater impact on your son’s future than where he spends his high school years. At Elder, he’ll be challenged in the classroom, supported by teachers and coaches, and surrounded by classmates who challenge him to be his best. Whatever path he chooses, he’ll graduate with the knowledge, confidence, and work ethic to succeed. More importantly, through

meaningful relationships and experiences beyond the classroom, he’ll discover not just what he wants to do—but who he wants to become. That’s what makes Elder different. It’s not just the academics, opportunities, or outcomes. It’s a community that helps young men grow into leaders of character, purpose, and compassion. Every success story starts somewhere. His starts here.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1922 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 854 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 13:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $16,230 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: The Class of 2026 earned more than 856 scholarships worth over $30 million from 90 colleges and universities. They also completed more than 18,000 service hours and earned 1,768 college credit hours before graduation. 3900 Vincent Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205 • (513) 921-3744 • www.elderhs.org

Great Oaks Career Campuses Great Oaks is a public career-technical school district serving 36 school districts in southwest Ohio. Each year, thousands of area high school students prepare for a career at a Great Oaks Career Campus—Diamond Oaks in Dent, Laurel Oaks in Wilmington, Live Oaks in Milford, or Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville. 4VSJIWWMSREP GIVXMƼGEXMSR MW EZEMPEFPI in a wide range of career fields, from health care to high-tech manufacturing

to cybersecurity to construction trades, culinary arts, agriculture, cosmetology, and more. Great Oaks offers over 30 different programs on campus as well as satellite TVSKVEQW MR SJ XLI VIKMSRƅW EƾPMEXIH school districts. Care er training , ES OL , HS E , and personal enrichment programs are also available for adults. Par tnerships with local business, education, and community agencies help shape the programs offered.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1970 GRADES SERVED: 11–12 and adults on campus; middle and high school satellite programs in partner schools CURRENT ENROLLMENT: Around 3,000 students on campus; over 18,000 in 100+ satellite programs throughout 36 school districts UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: Tuition is free for high school students; adult program tuition varies TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: *MZI 7XEV VEXIH WGLSSP HMWXVMGX WMKRMƼGERXP] exceeding state standards • Ohio ACTE 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award • Ohio ACTE 2026 Business Image Award • Two 2026 National BPA Award Winners 110 Great Oaks Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45241 • (513) 771-8840 • www.greatoaks.com

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Seton High School Open House: Thursday, November 19, 2026, 4–7:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. In the tradition of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and founded by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Seton High School develops a diverse population of young women for a life of faith, service, and leadership and engages them in achieving academic excellence in a college-preparatory environment. Our strong Catholic faith is intertwined in every aspect of the school. The young women at Seton High School are challenged to be critical thinkers in an individualized, suppor tive, and experiential learning

environment. Seton offers an Honors Program, a variety of both AP and dual college credit courses, and an inclusive and collaborative support services program. Our students are leaders in the classroom, SR E WTSVXW ƼIPH MR I\XVEGYVVMGYPEV GPYFW ERH activities, on stage, and in their communities. The mission and values of Seton High School, strong academics, and a true sense of spirit and sisterhood are why thousands of young women have chosen to become a Seton Saint.

THE STATS

YEAR FOUNDED: 1927 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 726 STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO: 18:1 TUITION: $13,500 (plus $2,200 in fees) TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: 99% of Seton High School graduates continue onto post-secondary programs with 84% of students receiving college scholarships. • Students have the exclusive opportunity to take part in the Seton-TriHealth paid Summer Internship. • Through a combination of dual credit and Advanced Placement courses, students can earn up to 78 semester hours of college credit. • Seton offers a ƽI\MFPI QSHMƼIH FPSGO WGLIHYPI • 7IXSR MW XLI ƼVWX WGLSSP MR XLI 8VM 7XEXI VIKMSR XS LEZI ER EPP KMVPW WTSVXW GSQTPI\ 3901 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205 • (513) 471-2600 • www.setoncincinnati.org

Springer School and Center Contact us today to arrange a personal tour or register for an open house. At Springer, students with ADHD, dyslexia and executive function challenges learn skills and strategies to achieve their goals. Students tackle rigorous academics in our supportive environment with educators who specialize in learning differences. Students in Lower School (grades 1–5), Middle School (grades 6–8), and High S chool learn in small classes and par ticipate in co -curriculars and extracurriculars in the arts, sciences,

and athletics. In our community, student trajectories change as our young people build an academic and social foundation. Building on strengths and tackling challenges with the right tools, students establish a roadmap to a successful adulthood. 7TVMRKIV WXYHIRXW KVS[ MRXS GSRƼHIRX empathetic leaders prepared for college, career and life beyond.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1971 GRADES SERVED: 1–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: About 235 STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO: 6:1 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: SJ JEQMPMIW VIGIMZIH ƼRERGMEP EMH PEWX ]IEV [MXL QSVI XLER QMPPMSR E[EVHIH .SR 4IXIVWSR 7GLSPEVWLMT ERH WGLSSP ƼRERGMEP EMH EZEMPEFPI JSV UYEPMJ]MRK WXYHIRXW 7TIEO [MXL admissions to learn more. TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Accredited by Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Springer is a Jon Peterson Scholarship provider • Educators are trained in the Wilson Reading Program • International Dyslexia Association Accreditation Plus 2121 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-6080 • www.springer-LD.org

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A History Of Doing Good We consider Cincinnati the best place to live, work and celebrate life. Committed to doing good for our community, we play an active role in preserving its traditions, helping businesses thrive, enriching cultural experiences and supporting its people in many ways. Our strong belief in giving back is deeply rooted in who we are and all we do.

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or one woman, the journey began with a breast cancer diagnosis. Before she had even begun to process what that meant, Angelika received another devastating blow just months later when she learned she was also diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Suddenly, she found herself navigating two cancer diagnoses, countless questions, and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. “I felt scared, overwhelmed, and incredibly alone,” she recalls. Like many patients, Angelika quickly discovered that cancer is more than a medical diagnosis—it is an emotional and physical journey. Even with the support of family and friends, the weight of making treatment decisions can feel isolating.

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Then a friend suggested she contact Cincinnati Cancer Advisors. Within days, a nurse practitioner reached out and scheduled an appointment. Working alongside her oncology team, the physicians and advanced practice providers at Cincinnati Cancer Advisors reviewed her medical history, evaluated her treatment plan, and provided a comprehensive second opinion—at no cost. “For the ﬁrst time since my diagnoses, I felt like someone was standing beside me,” she says. What made the experience so meaningful wasn’t just the clinical expertise. It was the time, compassion, and personal attention she received. CONTINUED ON P. 82

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ANGELIKA

“Dr. Mohammad Jahanzeb and the Cancer Advisor team took the time to truly know me. They listened to every question, explained things in ways I could understand, and gave me confidence that I was making the best decisions for my future.” For patients facing cancer, confidence in a treatment plan can be just as important as the treatment itself. A second opinion doesn’t necessarily mean changing physicians or starting over—it can provide reassurance, uncover additional options, and help patients move forward with greater clarity. For this patient, that reassurance proved invaluable. “The Cancer Advisors team gave me something I didn’t realize I needed so desperately: hope, guidance, and the reassurance that I didn’t have to face it alone. I finally felt like, ‘I’ve got this. I can do this.’ ” Today, Angelika reflects on her experience with gratitude—not only for the medical guidance she received, but for the advocacy, resources, and compassion that helped her navigate one of life’s most difficult chapters.

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“My experience changed my life and my treatment trajectory. I will always be grateful for the peace of mind they offered.” “No one should have to face cancer alone. Through expert second opinions, patient advocacy, and compassionate guidance, Cincinnati Cancer Advisors helps patients and families navigate cancer with greater conﬁdence, knowledge, and hope—because every patient deserves to know they have someone in their corner,” says Dr. Mohammad Jahanzeb.

To learn more about our expert second opinion services, visit cincinnaticanceradvisors.org or call (513) 731-CARE (2273). Cincinnati Cancer Advisors is powered by the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation, Inc., whose mission is to minimize the suffering and mortality associated with cancer by improving access to expert guidance, clinical excellence, research, education, and community engagement.

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THE MISSING LINK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

THE

The B e n g a ls we n t a ll in to a c quire De xte r La wre n c e a s the ir de fe n s ive a n c hor. He’s c on vin c e d the te a m is he a de d ba c k to the Supe r B owl.

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LINK 48

DEXTER Bengals LAWRENCE II

Cincinnati

boring quickly, so we make for a worn, browning practice ﬁeld off in the woods— where the lineman challenge is going on. It has a simple appeal: A pass rusher attempts to get past a blocker and “sack” a tackling dummy. A referee/judge than declares a winner for each rep, yelling out “offense!” or “defense!” The line with the most wins is the champ. As rushers from his alma mater go up against linemen from other schools, Lawrence focuses in, doling out tips and advice not just to the interior players but the guys on the edge. “Focus on the man,

short ribs has been laid out. “Now I’m happy!” Lawrence says with a broad smile. “We can break bread now.” DEXTER LAWRENCE IS A JUNIOR, AS THE II on the back of his uniform attests. The athletic genes are easy to discern. His father was a collegiate linebacker at Arkansas State, and his mother, Julia Parker, a track star at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The family spent time in larger cities like Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Raleigh when Dexter was young but moved to the quieter countryside when he was ready for middle school. He already topped six feet, too big for local youth football leagues. No problem, because North Carolina is basketball country, and young Dex ﬁt right in. “That was my ﬁrst love,” he says of hoops. He played a mean pivot, idolizing former Columbus prep star and Ohio State center Jared Sullinger, a name that appeals to Bengals/ Buckeyes crossover fans, along with the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon. But reality in-

“MY HIGH SCHOOL COACH KNOWS I’D DO ANYTHING FOR HIM,” SAYS DEXTER LAWRENCE. “HE TAUGHT ME DISCIPLINE, EFFORT, INTENSITY. HE MEANT THE WORLD TO ME.” not the bag!” he yells as several rushers go wide and lunge at the dummy. His urge to jump into the fray and demolish a blocker is palpable, rolling off him in waves. He shows one Cougar a better hand placement for seizing and tossing his man, and sure enough he wins his next rep. “Oh goodness!” Lawrence yelps as a Cougar edge rusher scores a sack. “He can move! We got some players this year!” Anyone of Lawrence’s mammoth size is going to feel the heat more than us mere mortals—he has more surface area, after all—and the Appalachian sun is unrelenting. Sweat pours off him in Niagara-sized sheets. “Anyone got a towel?” he asks plaintively. Mercifully, someone suggests heading up to a suite at the top of Trentini Stadium, where air-conditioning and cold water await. The sight upon entry warms his heart, as a beautiful spread of crab legs and

tervened. “I was killing it,” Lawrence says, “but then I grew wider, not taller.” Devon explains the enormous size differential between him and his brother. “Where I had one plate, he had two or three. And when I went for seconds, Dex would eat that, too.” Unsurprisingly, Coach Lucas took one gander at the big fella on the local basketball courts and imagined him destroying offenses across Wake County. “We’d had big kids before, but nothing like Dexter,” he recalls. But Lawrence wasn’t too keen on the effort football required, especially in the summertime. “We started workouts, and Dexter wasn’t there for the ﬁrst three days,” says Lucas. “My defensive line coach, Blake Brooks [father of former NFL player and current scout Bucky Brooks], said, ‘You absolutely need to call him.’ His mother told

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me firmly, ‘He will be there in the morning.’ He did not want to be there, but he feared his mother more than the hot weather.” Lucas credits most of Lawrence’s notable kindness and humility to Julia, an educator in the county school system. “She demanded respect and that Dexter represent the family name with class, effort, and dignity. She did a great job raising him.” Lawrence’s coaches worked him hard as well, instilling an ethic he repays with his loyalty to the school and its football program. “Coach knows I’d do anything for him,” says Lawrence. “He taught me discipline, effort, intensity. He meant the world to me.” Lawrence became one of the great defensive players in North Carolina prep football history. “I haven’t ever coached anyone as talented or as dominant as Dexter,” says Lucas. His senior season was incredible: 13 sacks and 91 tackles, 21 of them for loss. “He even blocked a punt,” says Lucas with an admiring shake of his head. “I was like, ‘How in the hell did he get there so quick?’ ” In one game, Lucas recalls, a pulling guard tried to lead his running back around the corner. “Dexter just flew through the opening and demolished the ball carrier. The other coach upbraided his player. ‘You can’t pull with that guy across from you!’ The poor guard yelled back, ‘Coach, there’s no one in North Carolina who can pull with him there.’ ” Lawrence was the second-ranked high school prospect in the nation in 2016, and after an intense recruiting battle he chose Clemson for college ball. That’s where his patented “Sexy Dexy Dance” began. “College is a mood, you know?” Lawrence says. “I was dancing everywhere, just not on the field, really, because it was against the rules. When I got to the pros, though, I would let go on the sideline, and Saquon [Barkley, the then-Giants star running back] told me I needed to do it after sacks.” The dance didn’t figure to be used very often, as NFL nose tackles seldom put up big sack numbers. But Lawrence is the exception. He has logged 30.5 sacks in his seven-year career as well as 139 quarterback pressures, miles more than any other nose tackle. These are numbers that made

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THE MISSING LINK Lawrence a no-brainer of an acquisition when the Giants made him available for trade. Lawrence is the biggest—figuratively and literally—newcomer in an offseason spent remodeling Cincinnati’s horrific defense, which set new standards for ineptitude at times in 2025. The Bengals brought in another accomplished, if older, tackle in Jonathan Allen, signed edge rusher Boye Mafe from the Super Bowl–champion Seahawks, and replaced missed tackle machine Geno Stone at safety with former UC Bearcat Bryan Cook, who has missed about as many tackles in his four years in the NFL as Stone missed just last season with the Bengals. The team also drafted twitchy edge rusher Cashius Howell, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, from Texas A&M, and a long and fleet cornerback, Tacario Davis, from Washington. But Lawrence is the central figure, one capable of changing a defensive outlook on his own. “He’s 350 pounds of sunshine,” says Dan Hoard, the radio play-by-play voice of the Bengals. “He’s just what the defense needed, not just on the field but off it, too. He’s a leader, he brings people together, and his play speaks for itself.” “WHO BEAT UP THIS PLACE?” LAWRENCE yells as he gets a gander at Wake Forest High School’s weight room. “Y’all been tearing up the walls!” He stops to look at an old framed newspaper clipping. “Oh, this is where Coach said I was the most dominant player in the country,” he says aloud, still glowing from the decade-old compliment. He gets more plaudits from the steady stream of well-wishers who approach, including a gaggle of teenage softball players. “We came here just to meet you,” one exclaims as Lawrence takes a photo with the group. One former teacher gently reminds him of a time before his star turn. “I remember you constantly missing the bus and Coach making you do push-ups in my classroom,” she says, laughing. A fan appears in Giants blue and a New York accent. “It was a sad day when you got traded, not gonna lie. We gonna miss your traits in New York.” The general consensus among everyone, Lawrence included, is that playing with Burrow is going to be an overwhelm-

ingly positive experience. “He’s a real one,” Lawrence tells one friend. Another man enthuses, “When I saw you were going to Cincy, I lost my shit. You finally got a quarterback, son!” While Lawrence is too politic to say it, his brother Devon says he’s happy to be out of New York. “He called me right after the trade, ecstatic,” says Devon. “He’s not used to the losing.” Lawrence’s teams at Clemson went 41–3 in his three seasons and won two national championships. (He was suspended for the second title game after testing positive for a banned substance.) In New York, however, Lawrence was saddled with mediocre coaching and worse quarterback play. Over his seven seasons with the Giants, he played for four different head coaches. He also watched despairingly from the sidelines as a dozen passers—including decline-stage Eli Manning, failed savior Daniel Jones, concussion collector Jaxson Dart, and pigskin punchline Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito—took turns leading the team straight into the ground. New York’s record during Lawrence’s time there was 36–80–1; the team won six or fewer games every year but 2022, the first of his three straight All-Pro seasons. Small wonder Lawrence seemed to quiet quit on the team, especially when they failed to reach agreement on a contract extension. After recording nine sacks in 2024, he had just 0.5 last year. An elbow injury originally sustained in 2024 was also a factor. Another, more subtle reason for his statistical decline may have been that he was a new father. Nella Lawrence was born midseason, and all the sleeplessness and distraction that comes with raising an infant can’t have helped his on-field focus. Lawrence proudly shows off photos and videos of his 10-month-old daughter to everyone who inquires. “She’s moving around so much,” he beams. “Getting ‘Happy Father’s Day’ texts was crazy!” “I wasn’t in a lot of good positions,” Lawrence tells me about his 2025 season. He mentioned at the press conference following his trade that his opponents “got smarter.” I wondered what he meant by that. “[Opposing linemen] tried different techniques, different blocking styles, a lot of combinations I hadn’t seen much before.

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And it wasn’t just the players. Offensive coordinators watched me all offseason and did things to mitigate my presence.” “He demands so much attention that a drop off in stats comes with the territory,” says Lucas, his high school coach. “You have to expect other teams and coaching staffs to adjust to him.” So how to counterattack? “It’s about trusting my technique,” Lawrence says. “Don’t let myself get frustrated, and being good when they put a bunch of blockers on me, because that will mean freedom for the other guys.” Lawrence’s former Giants and now Bengals teammate B.J. Hill brought him up to date with his new team before he arrived in Cincinnati. “I know it’s an old-school organization, but it’s very player-friendly,” he says. “New York is New York—it’s hard to beat for the ambience. But for my mental space, I like it quieter. I can sit outside in Cincinnati and just be at peace.” He has embraced his new team and town in the same open manner he treats his people in Wake Forest, immediately moving to Cincinnati and doing things like throwing out a pitch at a Reds game. (“It got over the plate, that’s all that matters,” he says about his effort.) “He arrived for his physical and to sign his contract, and he never left town,” says Hoard. “That shows how committed he is, and the fact the team was willing to give up the 10th pick is meaningful to him.” The last three Bengals seasons have proven that, even when healthy, Burrow and his offense can’t win enough games on their own to get the team back to the Super Bowl. Hence the enormous optimism that accompanied the trade for Lawrence. He welcomes it, as well as the pressure that comes with savior status. “Last year, I wasn’t me,” he says. “Now I have a fresh start to do what I do best.” After five hours, the high school tournament is finally over, and a wrung-out Lawrence is ready to depart. One last round of photos and glad-handing, and he slowly trudges toward his car. Before he gets there, yet another old pal invites Lawrence to bowl a few frames the following night. “Sorry, but I can’t,” Lawrence replies. “I got to fly back to Cincinnati tomorrow afternoon. I got a Super Bowl to win!”

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BY the BOOK

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says. “The experience has made me more aware of my unconscious bias.” Maggie Shreve grew up in Mt. Washington not far from Coney Island and took Moon’s class twice, ﬁrst through OLLI and then through Anderson Hills Church. She championed Chapter 11, which explores the differing strategies of Black organizations such as the Urban League of Cincinnati to desegregate the city in the 1950s. “Growing up in a white neighborhood, I remember people talking about how Black people had dirtied the water at the Coney Island pool and they were never going to get the pool clean,” she says.

David Siders says that after meeting Moon and wanting to contribute to understanding the Black Lives Matter movement as well as upgrade the library’s virtual community connections during the pandemic, he recommended adopting the course. The result was “more rewarding than I could have imagined,” he says, recalling that there were 30 or so participants on Zoom for each event. Siders says the course deepened his previous understanding of the city’s development, which felt as if it had formed in “bits and pieces.” He had a sense of the riverboat era, the development of tenement housing, and the corporate people moving to the northern suburbs. “I now have a much more deep and cohesive understanding and timeline of how systems developed in our city,” he says. He especially appreciated chapters that detailed urban renewal in the 1930s and ’40s and federal government plans for community housing in the West End. As a result of the class, Siders says he’s able to hold deeper conversations with family and friends. “I’m able to engage

“I’M JUST MORE OPEN,” SAYS DAVID SIDERS ABOUT MOON’S CLASS, “AND I FEEL A DEEPER RICHNESS AND GRATITUDE WHEN PEOPLE SHARE THEIR STORIES NOW.” Shreve relays these memories, as well as another memory of a Black child who had managed to get into the pool only to be escorted out, in her chapter video. “When I found this class, I was just blown away,” she says. “And Melanie was very much an enthusiast, a fan, an advocate.” “People don’t want to hear from me all the time,” says Moon about her concept of chapter champions. “The more people I can get involved in reading, discussing, and presenting this information the better. And I want each student to feel welcome, safe, and free to express themselves.” She keeps the Zoom room open after class to answer questions for those who prefer not to ask during class. In spring 2021, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County hosted the Race and the City course in a three-event sequence. Civic Engagement Coordinator

others, hear their stories, and let it kind of assimilate into my own knowledge and understanding,” he says. “I’m just more open, and I feel a deeper richness and gratitude when people share their stories now.” MOON’S COURSE WAS OFF AND ROLLING, and then she discovered another aspect to add to make the book even more accessible. “I had the videos and the chapter champions, but I wanted something else to draw people in,” she says. “And art is universal.” A student in one of her classes suggested Moon reach out to Saad Ghosn, a retired medical doctor who had founded Save Our Souls (SOS) ART Cincinnati, a nonproﬁt whose mission is to promote peace and justice. “I wanted Cincinnati artists because it’s a Cincinnati book,” she says. Published in 2022, Ghosn’s Race and the City: Art book, freely available online,

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features artistic responses to each chapter of Race and the City. The project brought together poets, performance groups, professional visual artists, and student visual artists—more than 60 artists in all. Joan Ferrante, a sociology professor at Northern Kentucky University, is the founder of the nonprofit Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories (MCRC), one of the performance groups. Her team created a gripping seven-minute film about John Mercer Langston (see Chapter 2), who was born to an emancipated slave in 1829 and raised by a white family before coming to Cincinnati at age 10 to be with his older brother Gideon, a barber. A mural commissioned by BLINK in 2019 near Findlay Market honors him. Langston’s identity and life were changed forever by witnessing the Riot of 1841, when a mob of white men attacked and destroyed the neighborhood known as Little Africa. Dozens of Black residents were murdered, and many fled the city, including Langston. He subsequently graduated from Oberlin College, passed the bar to become a defense attorney, was elected a congressman from Virginia, and served as the first dean of law at Howard University. “The two years in Cincinnati qualifies as life-altering, irrevocably shaping all that lies ahead,” says the film’s narrator, local actor Darnell Pierre Benjamin. “We celebrate a man who reinvented himself, who wished for ‘midnight darkness’ skin to separate himself from the worst of whites.” The film concludes with an image of the light-skinned Langston in a barber chair, as a darker-complected hand combs back his hair, an homage to his brother Gideon. “I think Langston’s story puts everything into perspective,” says Ferrante. “It’s really hard to talk broadly about what race did to people. It’s complex. Race was used to divide people, even family. But his is a human story instead of one about structure, and that touches the heart a lot.” Another artist, Kevin Harris, chose old Coney Island postcards as the backdrop for digital collages portraying the themes of Chapter 11, “Behind the Scenes: The Cincinnati Urban League 1948–63.” He recalls reading the chapter multiple times and, when certain portions of the essay stood out, writing down key words and phrases. “I started to look for images that might

be available online from that period, from the protests, from the marches, and that sort of thing,” says Harris. “And for some reason a lot of Coney Island postcards came up, which seemed to have nothing to do with what I was looking for.” Marian Spencer famously led the effort to desegregate Coney Island, working for almost 10 years on lawsuits and public pressure before the park finally admitted Black swimmers in 1961. Two decades later she’d be elected Cincinnati’s first African American female city councilmember. Moon knows that the learning process is slow for uncovering our collective history of race relations and many Cincinnatians will resist it altogether. When readers and students encounter information that’s contrary to what they were taught in school or believe, there can be cognitive dissonance. “Are you going to stay in the learning space, work through it, and figure it out, or are you going to throw it away?” says Moon. “That’s a difficult space for a lot of people.” Shreve notes that Cincinnati’s history on race relations is complicated. “We participated in the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s, but a lot of people in town were opposed to that,” she says. “We had multiple race riots. Cincinnati was really a southern town in many ways, which I think is a hard thing for Cincinnatians to admit.” A review of the Urban League’s latest report on Black life in Cincinnati, Journey to Parity, which relies on data from 2016 through 2023, suggests that disparities highlighted in Bertaux’s chapter in Race and the City still exist. The median income for Black families here was $31,520 versus $70,909 for white families, and Black residents have a lower life expectancy and higher rates of illness than white residents. And yet the report indicates that more Black people regard Cincinnati as inclusive than in 2015, with 71 percent of respondents saying that they’re satisfied by their lives here. Moon has no intention of slowing her quest for every Cincinnatian to read Race and the City, continuing to offer her course and creating new programming for children. “I will enter any doors that open to me,” she says.

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