The Macy’s Arts Sampler, presented by ArtsWave, returns February 27 and 28, celebrating its 30^th year connecting people to the amazing arts opportunities in Greater Cincinnati.

The free annual festival will showcase the talents of 87 arts organizations and allow thousands of Greater Cincinnati families to experience arts activities and performances in their neighborhood and beyond. Generously sponsored by Macy’s, the Arts Sampler will bring events to more than 30 venues across the region on Saturday and fill Music Hall with performances and hands-on programs for all ages on Sunday.

Find a complete schedule of events at www.theartswave.org/sampler or on CincyArtsGuide.com. You also can download the Macy’s Arts Sampler 2016 app at https://macysartssampler.quickmobile.mobi/

“The arts are a vibrant part of our culture here in Cincinnati, and the free Macy’s Arts Sampler, which we’re honored to support, is an outstanding opportunity to learn more about what our diverse arts organizations have to offer,” said Jenna McHugh, Macy’s vice president for corporate giving. “We encourage everyone to enjoy the festival and celebrate our region’s amazing arts.”

WHAT'S HAPPENING SATURDAY

Macy’s Arts Sampler starts Saturday with Art All Around, a chance for people to enjoy arts in their own neighborhood and explore new venues across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. United Dairy Farmers sponsors this day of art across the region, bringing unique performances and activities to more than 30 locations. Enjoy Madcap Puppets at the Cincinnati Art Museum, try belly dancing at the Art Academy of Cincinnati or try some opera at the MYCincinnati Firehouse. Community arts centers in Hamilton (The Fitton Center), Oxford, Kennedy Heights, Clifton and Wyoming will feature live music, dance and more opportunities for families to try something new.

SUNDAY AT MUSIC HALL

On Sunday, Macy’s Arts Sampler will bring people together for a region-wide celebration of the arts at Cincinnati Music Hall. The historic building will be filled with performances and activities for all ages – you can dance in the main lobby, craft in the ballroom, or see talented young performers in Corbett Tower – and tours will give people a chance to explore Music Hall before it closes for renovations this summer. The open house ends with “Be the Hero!”, a special collaborative concert sponsored by Dewey’s Pizza. “Be the Hero!” features the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera and the May Festival Chorus performing a variety of family-friendly music. There’ll be a dance set to Star Wars music and a Frozen singalong, and kids are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite hero.

SUPPORTING THE ARTS
The arts have the power to enliven neighborhoods, bridge cultural divides, deepen roots in our community, and fuel creativity and learning. Macy’s Arts Sampler is just one way ArtsWave engages people with Greater Cincinnati’s thriving arts organizations. ArtsWave presents arts performances and activities in a variety of venues year-round – for example, at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport – and in 2015, launched CincyArtsGuide.com, a comprehensive, searchable online calendar of the region’s arts events.

As the nation’s oldest and largest public arts fund, ArtsWave also supports the work of more than 100 arts organizations in Greater Cincinnati, providing impact-based grants and other resources. The 2016 ArtsWave Community Campaign is ongoing and aims to raise $12.4 million for arts making an impact in Greater Cincinnati.

For more information about ArtsWave and the 2016 Community Campaign, visit www.theartswave.org.