I love the fireworks at Riverfest – what a great way to end the summer, with most of the region down on the river on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, partying, shouting back and forth across the water, oohing and aahing at the show.
And I am always looking for a new spot to watch. Son Brian watched from the 7th Street viaduct this year – said it was great. I’ll remember that next year. I’d never watched from my own neighborhood til last year, when my friend Nancy had a political fundraising and all us members of the Cincinnati Women’s Political Caucus showed up to work the crowd and watch the fireworks. She lives right across the street, so that was easy.
This year, I checked out all the little streets here in Walnut Hills that deadend on the cliffs over the river. The one that looked best to me was Ingleside. Salutaris would have been great, but was very overgrown. The others either weren’t public, or just didn’t get out far enough to get the view.
So about 8:15 yesterday, I walked up the hill to Ingleside, getting there earlier than I had planned – and a good thing I did! There were not many folk there at 8:30, and there were no parking places for blocks, from my house on up. I propped myself up on a no parking sign, and started conversations with the folk who had been there a while, with their folding chairs and all. Great mix of folk, lots of fun.
Tons of parties going on above us, in the highrise condos (not so high, actually – maybe 6 stories). One tree blocking part of the view, but I was well off to its left. A toddler, getting fussy waiting for the fireworks, was mesmerized once they began. People flocked in once it was nearly nine, but those of us in place held firm.
Excellent shouting across the river, excellent fireworks, excellent music. Some new and innovative displays off the bridges, where normally it’s firework waterfalls. Another great end-of-summer evening. Keep it up, Cincinnati!