No one residing in or visiting this great city should miss out on the Final Friday Art Walk. It's a free event held on (you guessed it!) the final friday of every month, organized to encourage visits to the Pendleton Art Gallery or the small, myriad and ever-changing galleries and shops dotting Main Street.

My sister Jenny and I kicked off our weekend with happy hour at Japp's on Main Street. Revived and re-envisioned by local celebrity mixologist Molly Wellman, this speak-easy serves craft beers and cocktails from the 1700's to the 1950's which showcase Molly's homemade juices and extracts. Not only will you be served a unique drink, you may just get a history lesson along the way. We wish they taught this back when we were in school!

As a nod to the crisp fall weather, the bar was anchored by a giant vat of delicious mulled wine. After being served some cups of the piping hot autumn brew, we were joined by our friend Kenneth, a gallery curator, my husband Nick, Jenny's boyfriend Joe, and our friend Andrew. We grabbed a cozy table to enjoy our drinks, and then we asked Molly to shake up some of her specialties, like 'Molly's Cresta' and 'The Bronx'. Energized by our delicious drinks, we were ready to hit the pavement.

You really have two choices for the Art Walk. One is to explore the Pendleton Art Gallery (8 floors worth!) or you can peruse the galleries on Main Street and beyond. It's a great time to socialize, meet new people and even ask questions to the actual artist showing their work. The large crowd is comprised of people of all ages and styles, and the art is equally as varied: canvas, furniture, fashion, photography and sculpture.

We popped in as many locations as we could, most galleries served drinks and/or included live DJs spinning their diverse mix for patrons. One storefront had kitschy artwork in the style of Hello Kitty, another had graphic prints decorating the walls, the next door down featured a yoga demonstration, and yet another storefront belonged to one of Cincinnati's premiere fashion designers, Lindsey Lusignolo, who was kind enough to show us her newly renovated studio.

As the 10 o'clock closing hour drew near, we marched forward to MOTR on North Main, where we spent the rest of the evening listening to the latest Indie band and mingling with fellow art lovers.


Details:
When: every final Friday of the month, from 6pm-10pm
Where: mainly North Main Street in Over-the-Rhine in Downtown Cincinnati (anywhere from Main to Vine between Central and Liberty)
Parking: local paid lots or free street parking
Cost: FREE!