CINCINNATI — There are many ways to know Spring has sprung in Cincinnati. But one of the most beautiful, and musical, is the return of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s Tunes and Blooms concert series.
What You Need To Know
- Tunes and Blooms is a free concert series at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
- The free event gives zoo guests a chance to hear local music while checking out some of the 100,000 tulips in bloom across the park
- COVID-19 canceled the concerts in 2020 and 2021, and fans are glad to have them back
- The zoo will use the events to raise awareness for their rain barrel auction
Each Thursday night in April, the Cincinnati Zoo comes to life with sounds of music from some of the region’s most popular acts.
The event goes from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The music won't start until 6 p.m., but free admission starts at 5 p.m. Guests should arrive a little early to find a seat and tour the zoo’s garden and see Zoo Blooms, a collection of more than 100,000 tulips that have opened for the season.
On-site parking is $10.
“The cold weather slowed down the blooming process a bit, but the tulips are starting to open all around the zoo,” said Thane Maynard, the zoo’s director.
Every concert will feature two acts or musical groups. Each group has its own unique style, but most of them are acoustic and have a funky, bluegrass sound.
Concert lineup:
April 7: Highly Likely | Loopman Dan
April 14: Whiskey Bent Valley Boys | Plan
April 21: The Cliftones | Emily Parker Trio
April 28: Restless Leg String Band | Matt Cowherd
Many of these acts are well-known to local music buffs. But for those who may be less familiar with them, the zoo created a Spotify playlist of their tunes. Additional details are available on the zoo’s website.
“April is the time to see our garden at its best, especially when more than 100,000 tulips are in bloom,” Maynard added. “Add live music, food, and beverages to that and you’ve got a perfect evening, if the weather cooperates.”
For many residents of greater Cincinnati, the Tunes and Blooms concerts have become an annual tradition. The shows help bring people back to the zoo following the cold winter months.
Adam Hyland and his family live in Clifton, not far from the Cincinnati Zoo. They can actually hear some of the zoo’s animals from their home. “The kids get a kick out of that in the mornings,” the father of three said.
The Hyland family has season passes, so they go to the zoo pretty often. But special events like these concerts offer a unique way to take in the park.
“Much like the Festival of Lights in the winter, Tunes and Blooms allows us to experience the zoo’s space in new and different ways,” he said. “On top of the great music and beautiful flowers, it’s fun to be at the zoo after usual closing hours with our kids.”
Jill Gibboney is a huge fan of live music, but when her son was younger, she couldn’t always get away to attend shows because they’re usually late at night or expensive.
Tunes and Blooms provided an alternative.
Gibboney attended her first Tunes and Blooms in 2012. She wanted to see Magnolia Mountain, who were friends of her and her husband, Mike. Gibboney also got to bring along her son Graham, then 12.
“We met up with a big group of my old friends who also have kids around the same age, and the memories from that show have stayed with all of us, even though our kids are in college and adulthood now,” Gibboney said. “It was a little chilly that day but so nice to hear wonderful music, for free, surrounded by familiar faces and gorgeous flowers. We went back every year we could.”
Because of COVID-19, Tunes and Blooms hasn’t taken place since 2019. They offered a Spotify playlist of local artists and also a walking garden tour the past two years.
“It was nice,” Gibboney said. But it just wasn’t the same.
“To go to a free show at the zoo, see friends, hear some local music, walk around the zoo and see the gorgeous flowers—it’s such an easy and fun option for an otherwise mundane weeknight,” she added.
April doesn’t just bring flowers in Cincinnati. It also brings a lot of rain. To play off that theme, the zoo plans to use the concert series to promote the auction of a variety of hand-painted rain barrels.
Proceeds will support the zoo and conservation efforts by Save Local Waters, a regional collaborative composed of storm water districts, municipalities, and soil and water conservation districts in southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.
The barrels will be on display on the Swan Lake bridge. If one catches your eye, you can bid starting April 11. The auction runs through April 21.
For more information, visit www.cincinnatizoo.org.