CINCINNATI — Cincinnati has several street festivals older than Second Sunday on Main, but few are as proud or full of community support.
What You Need To Know
- Second Sunday on Main returns June 11 for its 19th year
- Events and activities for this first Second Sunday will have a Pride theme
- The festival aims to bring attention to vendors and existing Main Street businesses
Now in its 19th year, Second Sunday is bringing a mix of vendors, musical acts and artists to Main Street between 12th and Liberty Streets. As one would expect, the event takes place on the second Sunday of every month from June to September.
The 2023 season kicks off June 11 with a PRIDE on Main theme. The festival looks to showcase Cincinnati’s support of the local LGBTQ+ community and its pride in its OTR neighborhood, according to producer Megyn Norbut.
Events include a drag show run by Brooklyn Steele-Tate and The Cincinnati Sisters. Attendees can expect performances by Tracy Walker, Jess Lamb and The Factory featuring Siri Imani.
Warmth Culture, a Black and queer femme-led music series based in Cincinnati, will program the 12th Street stage. Their sound is a mixture of R&B, hip hop and house music genres.
The event goes from noon to 5 p.m. each Sunday.
“We are honored to be part of Second Sunday on Main,” Warmth Culture’s Alexander Stallings said. “Warmth is going to bring nothing but good vibes that will make Main Street want to dance.”
City Council member Reggie Harris said festivals like Second Sunday on Main “demonstrate the vibrant and versatile qualities of our city, and our city’s willingness to celebrate the LGBTQIA community.”
“Cincinnati is an inclusive, affirming, and family-friendly city, said Harris, who is gay. “Hope to see you there.”
Two decades of highlighting OTR’s Main Street
The block party-style setup of Second Sunday invites guests to enjoy free concerts at multiple stages, try foods from Main Street eateries, and enjoy a beer (or two) in the biergarten. There’s even a “water bark” set up for patrons’ four-legged friends.
The Cincinnati Music Accelerator is setting up its Mobile Stage Trailer near 12th for live performances throughout the day.
While the fun is nice, the festival’s heart is the businesses — both pop-ups and permanent — who rely on them.
The Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce produces the street fair originally started by local property and business owners in 2004. They viewed Second Sunday on Main to drive more daytime traffic to what was then known as the Main St. Entertainment District, Norbut said.
Main Street is known for its litany of bars and restaurants, but there are other coffee shops, stores and service businesses up and down the six-block stretch of roadway.
Laura Switzer, a bartender at Mr. Pitiful’s for the past seven years, called Second Sunday “a very good day for business.” One of the musical stages is set up outside its door, which draws “new people and old friends” inside.
“Second Sunday, just brings the neighborhood together,” she added.
Over the years, Second Sunday has grown into a business accelerator of sorts for aspiring entrepreneurs as well. On Sunday, more than 100 vendors will set up shop to sell products ranging from artisanal soaps and greeting cards to jewelry and clothing.
Norbut described the festival as serving as a platform for vendors to get a glimpse of what it would be like to own a business on Main Street.
“When the Chamber recruits vendors for Second Sunday, they look specifically for entrepreneurs who hope to eventually open in brick-and-mortar spaces in OTR,” said Norbut, who works for No Standing, the event producer. She said there’s a special emphasis on vendors from underrepresented populations.
Brown Bear Bakery and The Bagelry are two examples of small businesses that used Second Sunday as a stepping to expand their customer base and eventually put down roots in a permanent space.
Chaske Haverkos, co-owner of Brown Bear Bakery, called Second Sunday a “key platform” for their development. The bakery — now located a block from Main Street on 13th Street — used the festival as a low-cost proof of concept, Haverkos said. It allowed them to “share our story, and learn what worked and didn’t.”
He credited those experiences and connections with encouraging his team to choose OTR as the home of its first permanent bakery.
“(We’re) thrilled to see it continue onwards into the future helping small businesses further grow and continuing to support the community while bringing people together,” Haverkos added.
Tenant recruitment can expect to go up this year, Norbut said, thanks in part to the Main Street Pop-up Program. The new initiative from the City of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) aims to fill the 26 currently vacant Main Street storefronts. Businesses get short-term leases and support with things like space build-out and marketing to test their concept on a larger scale.
Representatives from 3CDC, Model Group, Urban Sites and will be on hand Sunday and throughout the summer to answer questions.
“Whether you’re a longtime resident, aspiring artist, business owners, or visiting OTR for the first, Second Sunday has something for everyone,” Norbut said.
Future Second Sunday on Main dates and themes
- July 9: Music City on Main
- Aug. 13: Second Line Sunday on Main
- Sept. 10: Sustain on Main