From the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center – where you can learn how escaped slaves were smuggled to “free states” via a secret network of safe houses – to the original Sin City of Newport, Kentucky, there is something for everyone in the CINCY Region. The CINCY Region is where Ohio’s Midwest friendliness and Kentucky’s Southern charm are connected by the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge. It’s where urban art and street food meet green spaces and waterways. Now there’s a direct British Airways flight to the region, here are some great reasons to recommend a visit.
Explore CINCY Region
CINCY Region is “where the North meets the South” and “where beer meets bourbon.” The North literally meets the South in Cincinnati, with the Ohio River as the dividing line between Kentucky (South) and Ohio (North). The region was a prominent stop on the Underground Railroad as enslaved peoples made their way from the South to full freedom in Canada, and it hosted the iconic abolitionist Lane Seminary Debates, where Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) — a Cincinnati resident — was in attendance.
CINCY Region - What's Going On
It’s a great place to relax, have fun and enjoy great food with a cool vibe, all washed down with a glass of something local, whether it’s bourbon (Northern Kentucky is the start of the famous Bourbon Trail) or beer (Cincinnati is home to numerous craft breweries). In fact, relaxing over chili (the Cincinnati spelling) and a beer is a way of life in Cincinnati. Chili parlours serve delicious spicy sauce over spaghetti or as a topping for the local “Coney” hotdogs with a mound of grated cheese. Another local specialty is Goetta – patties of meat, oats and herbs, which can be enjoyed for breakfast or as street food – which are so popular there’s even a Summer Goetta Festival.
CINCY Region Beer Brewing & Oktoberfest
Germans brought German brewing heritage with them and in the mid-1880s, 36 breweries made more than 30 million gallons of beer per year, most of which was fermented and chilled in underground lagering tunnels 30 feet below street level. So, Cincinnati was literally built on top of beer. This boozy history also edged into Prohibition, when the CINCY Region played host to famous rumrunners and The Great Gatsby’s famed local bootlegger George Remus is said to have been the inspiration behind Jay Gatsby.
You might be surprised to learn the CINCY Region has the biggest Oktoberfest outside of Munich. It also boasts the largest light experience in the United States, Blink (next up October 2026), when Cincinnati hosts colourful and eyecatching illuminations.
CINCY Region History
Where beer meets bourbon plays into the history of pork packing and German immigrants. By 1850, Cincinnati was the sixth largest city in America (Chicago wasn’t even on the list until 1860), again thanks to its location on the Ohio River, making it a massive trading crossroads.
If the you fancy delving into local history, what better starting point than over the river in Northern Kentucky and a “gangster tour” in Newport, where you can relive the days of 1920s Prohibition, when speakeasies masquerading as outwardly legal restaurants and corruption were the norm.
Over time, the bootleggers turned to gambling, running casinos, horse tracks and country clubs with slot machines, attracting celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, not to mention legendary gangster Al Capone.
CINCY Region Attractions
The Cincinnati Art Museum includes works by Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso and there are giant murals from today’s cutting-edge artists throughout Downtown, while designs in neon dazzle at the American Sign Museum. Alternatively, there’s family-friendly fun to be had at Cincinnati Zoo, Newport Aquarium and Kings Island theme park or on relaxed Ohio River cruises. And, of course, catching a Cincinnati Reds baseball game is a must.
CINCY Region Fun Facts
- Bootlegger George Remus and his team opened up some of the country’s first carpeted casinos as well as the first casino in America where you opened the door and walked right onto the gaming floor. That design is known as the “Newport Model” and was used to build Las Vegas’ grand casinos of today.
- The original Flamingo Casino and Tropicana Casinos were built in Newport, then the names moved to Las Vegas as they were shut down.
- Newport lost approximately 40% of its population to Las Vegas.
- In writing The Godfather, Mario Puzo is said to have taken about 90% of his source material from the Newport mobs, then changed the setting to New York.
Discover CINCY Region in 2024 or 2025
