Wednesday, December 11, 2024

BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati: A Festival of Light, Art, and Community Across the Ohio River

BLINK, the nation’s largest light and art event presented by ArtsWave, returned to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Northern Kentucky, once again lighting up the night with dazzling displays. This artistic celebration aims to deepen community connections and foster unity through public art in the Cincinnati area. 

Entrepreneurs, local artists, art enthusiasts, and arts supporters join forces to create a truly unforgettable experience. Starting at 7 p.m. and continuing until 11 p.m., over 80 installations illuminate more than 30 blocks across Over-the-Rhine, downtown Cincinnati, The Banks, Newport, and Covington.

We started off our first day at BLINK in the Covington area of Northern Kentucky. In this zone, there are five light installations and five projections. Our parking garage even had an alien installation that was perfect for photos.

Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Loophole by Calidos at 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Flux by Ksawery Komputery at 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Opening Night Parade: A Spectacular Kickoff to BLINK

We made our way across the walking bridge for the official start of the festival of lights. The opening ceremony of Day 1 began with a parade at around 8 p.m. starting on West Mehring Way on the Cincinnati side of the river and continuing along the riverfront to Barry Larkin Way, ending by Great American Ball Park. The roads were lit up by lighted costumes, parade participants carrying lighted props, puppets, and luminous sculptures. The parade seemed long this time around due to extended breaks inside the procession between groups.

BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Groups like the Cincinnati Shakers, Chinese Culture and Arts representatives, Dance Flash Fusion, and competitive jump roping team the Comet Skippers paraded around the tri-state area. Each group involved had their own unique aspect of light in their costumes or props. The Dance Flash Fusion had purple and green lights wrapped around their cowgirl costumes and the Comet Skippers had light-up jump ropes. Others wore illuminated capes and masks, marching bands had drums lined with lights, and a man rode a bicycle glowing with colored lights.

BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Opening parade for 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Interactive Art at Crescendo: Turning Music Into Light

Near Lytle Tower, we found one of the coolest art installations called Crescendo by Kyle Eli Ebersole and Ian Molitors. The display features a piano that sits under a large tree decorated with lights. As the piano is played, it transforms sound into light, making the dangling lights in the tree above it dance with color. Anyone willing to manipulate sound into light is invited to hop onto the piano bench and watch the magic happen. This was overall one of my favorite exhibits of the entire weekend.

BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Crescendo by Kyle Eli Ebersole and Ian Molitors at 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Dome of Reflection by Organic with Joel Masters at 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Another new feature this year is Supernova, a 100-foot bridge of light connecting the two sides of the Ohio River, stretching from Covington Landing to Sawyer Point on Cincinnati’s riverfront. The laser lights bring color to the night sky parallel to the iconic Roebling Suspension Bridge, linking the two cities together and creating a sense of unity. 

BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
Supernova Light Bridge by VTPro Design at 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky on October 20, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

The Mystic Eye Drone Show: A Sky-Filled Spectacle

We ended our night watching The Mystic Eye drone show that runs at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. over the Ohio River. It was beautiful as we watched lights flutter around the sky from the Kentucky side with the Cincinnati skyline in the background. The lighted drones soar through the sky in intricate patterns, changing colors and forming shapes and designs in the darkness. The entire drone show is visible from the banks of the Ohio River in Ohio and Kentucky. 

BLINK 2024 Returns to Cincinnati
The Mystic Eye Drone Show by Durham Studio and Sky Elements at 2024 BLINK, the nation’s largest art, light, and projection mapping festival, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky on October 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Words by Emily Cigan @emily.cigan and Amy Harris @thetraveladdictig

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Amy Harris
Amy Harris is a writer and photographer who has been traveling for 20 years and flown over 2 million miles to visit over 80 countries on 6 continents. She is a freelance photographer for Invision by Associated Press, AP Images and Rex/Shutterstock. Her work can be seen in various publications and websites including: Rolling Stone, AP Images, National Geographic Books, Fodor’s Travel Guides, Forbes.com, Lonely Planet Travel Guides, JetStar magazine, and Delta Sky Magazine.

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