For those who braved the rain for the Pride Month Brady Block Party, you were lucky enough to witness one of the most special collabs Cincinnati has put together: Thorgy Thor with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. An NYC-based drag performance artist (who you may know from RuPaul’s Drag Race) and accomplished violinist, Thorgy Thor combined her love for drag and classical music with CSO’s first-ever community Pride concert. Taking place at the ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park, Thorgy Thor strutted out in a hot pink blazer and her iconic larger-than-life wig, complete with an industrial-strength fan for hair-blowing-in-the-wind realness. The program spanned classical favorites with plenty of modern renditions blended in, from Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” all proclaiming the reason for the season: love is love. cincinnatisymphony.org.
The May Festival celebrated its 150th anniversary with “25 For 25,” a brilliant tribute to the Festival’s history of commissioning new works that saw 25 commissions written by young female, non-binary or gender non-conforming composers, all alumni of Luna Composition Lab. Each piece was written for a specific choral group and the conductors worked closely with their respective composers. The March concert showcased the composers’ remarkable skills in setting texts and creating challenging, exciting choral sounds. The energy was palpable and gave another reason to celebrate a city that sings. mayfestival.com.
Creative House of Art and Design (or CHAD, named after the owner) is an art store in Mainstrasse that sells a lot of gay-themed art, like stickers and Pride flags, but in the back they have a small bar and patio. During the summer, they offer very strong boozy slushies. Sip on one while shopping for penis coasters. creativehousead.com.
One of the most beloved breweries and most beloved bakeries in town working together on a special brew? Yes, please. Covington’s Braxton Brewing Co.’s Opera Cream Stout was inspired by The BonBonerie’s iconic Opera Cream Torte. The beer features chocolate and caramel malts and is finished with The BonBonerie’s opera cream coffee, roasted by Seven Hills Coffee Roasters. With flavors of milk chocolate, sweet cream and vanilla, this indulgent milk stout is almost more dessert than beverage. What a sweet way to celebrate Cincinnati. braxtonbrewing.com & bonbonerie.com.