Events

Urban Stead Cheesemakers, East Walnut Hills
Hosted by Andrea Siefring-Robbins and Scott Robbins, Owners, and Gregg and Shelly Fogel

Urban Stead Cheese is an urban cheesemaker located on the border of Evanston and East Walnut Hills. Owners Andrea and Scott Robbins will describe their cheesemaking process— converting more than 5,000 (!) pounds of milk per week to cheese curd and then to cheese. These grandchildren of dairy farmers make the weekly trek to Sardinia, Ohio, to pick up milk from a third generation family-owned farm. This beautiful Bohls Jerseys milk is the beginning of all their cheeses…cloth-bound cheddar, cheddar cheese curds, tome, quark, and Camembert. Hear their story about contributing to the Greater Cincinnati food community through their vision and work, creating a “local food narrative” that involves other local farmers and supplies cheese for Allez Bakery and Nine Giant Brewery. Andrea and Scott’s story is truly farm to table—our farms to our tables.

Join us for a delicious brunch featuring Urban Stead’s cheeses.

Bryce Carlson, Ph.D., Seven Hills School faculty member, strength and conditioning coach, and endurance athlete
Hosted by Beth Wayne, North Avondale

The out-of-office email message read, “I’m away from my computer having the adventure of a lifetime, attempting to become the first American to row alone across the North Atlantic Ocean.” That is just what Bryce Carlson did by rowing a record-breaking 2000 miles in 38 days, 6 hours, 49 minutes. He is the fi rst American to complete a North Atlantic West to East, Newfoundland to England, solo, unsupported row. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Carlson and Lucille, the custommade boat named for his grandmother. He withstood the remnants of a hurricane, a lost anchor, a busted oar, the breakdown of his water desalinator, an unreliable navigation system, 13 capsizes, and consistent fog. This salon will be your opportunity to hear firsthand the story of his trip-of-a-lifetime, what he now tells his science students about the ocean and marine life, and what he learned about himself.

Beth Wayne’s family is only the third to occupy this 1918 home. They have worked to maintain its historic charm while introducing the upgrades and improvements that make it so livable. Enjoy sweets and treats at the Wayne home, not the freeze dried delights or “just add water” wonders that Bryce will describe.

Annette Januzzi Wick, Writer and Blogger
Hosted by Gail Fisher Forberg, Downtown

“We have 52 neighborhoods?” The affirmative response sent writer Annette Januzzi Wick on an odyssey, the experience of getting to know her adopted city in all its variety and “creating links, rooting people to place” through her words, in an effort to “bring us closer to the core of humanity.” Beginning in 2016, she walked the perimeter of each neighborhood, visited many points inside, and recorded her observations on Gettin’ My City On (www.gettingmycityon.wordpress.com). At this salon, Annette will share her observations as she anticipates and answers your questions: “How many miles did you cover?” “What was your favorite neighborhood?” “Were you afraid?” “What will you do now?”

There’s much to delight the eye in Gail Fisher Forberg’s Adams Landing condo, with sweeping views of the Ohio River, the city, and the hills of Mt. Adams outside and, inside, a collection of paintings, prints, and ceramics. Enjoy sweets and savories, with wine and other beverages in this lovely setting.

Katelyn Jarvis, Founder and President, Peace Stamps
Hosted by Linda and Ed Neenan, Symmes Township

What’s a young woman to do if visions of travel keep dancing in her head? If you are Katelyn Jarvis, you quit your job, pack your curiosity and determination, and head out to feed your sense of adventure. Katelyn’s transformative journey has led her to 123 countries (so far), increasing her appreciation of different cultures and shattering stereotypes. Volunteering in schools, with social and religious agencies, and working for agricultural and ecological initiatives gave her insights into how problems can be addressed. Inspiration continually came from the acceptance and spirit of the captivating locals and fellow travelers. Tales of her experiences are heartwarming, unexpected, scary, and hilarious! Katelyn continues to feed her wanderlust and wants to inspire all of us to do the same.

The Neenans’ home, designed by a Michigan architect, was built in 1987 to accommodate the couple’s floor plants, a feature of their home. Ed, who was raised on a farm, thinks of them as his back 40. The home is traditional in décor and contains several pieces of art that are personally meaningful to the owners, including a 1923 portrait by Linda’s second cousin, Italian artist Rocco Fodale, and three sculptures by Linda’s mother. Enjoy cheesy canapes, Swedish meatballs, crab tartlets, and other assorted sweets and savories, served with a wine punch, wine, and beer.

Hi-Bred, Shawna Marie, Owner, East Walnut Hills
Hosted by Sara and John Neyer, Clifton

Whether the memories they inspire are of old movies or scenes from your own past, the beautiful vintage clothes from Shawna Marie Guip’s shop, Hi-Bred, will delight your sense of sight and touch. Enjoy this fashion show from the past and the insights Shawna will share about garments whose lines, fabrics, and fit represent the feminine image from an earlier era. Ragtime jazz music provided by J. T. Thigpen will add to the festive nature of this salon.

Enjoy a high tea, complete with tea sandwiches, bite- sized desserts, and scones with clotted cream, in the Neyer’s stately Clifton home. Designed by renowned architect William Tinsley and built in 1865 for Henry Probasco, this gracious house has played host to an array of interesting guests, including Oscar Wilde, who stayed in an upstairs room while visiting Cincinnati, and an elephant who was once the featured guest at a birthday party for one of the Probasco children.

Liz Tilton, Ph.D., Owner, TwoHoneys Bee Co.
Hosted by Judi Cettel and Jim Raphael, Mt. Adams

Can beekeeping be a humble act? Maybe. Ask Liz Tilton. On a gray Cincinnati day in February 2010, the universe surprised her with an encounter resulting in ownership of some banged-up beekeeping equipment. That encounter changed her life forever, and she remains over-the-moon obsessed with honeybees. For this salon, Liz will don her beekeeping garb and describe how the decline in the honeybee population has echoes in the decline of butterflies, other beneficial insects, birds, and on up the food chain until it eventually taps each one of us on the shoulder. Do honeybees live through the winter? Find out what goes on in a honeybee hive during an Ohio winter. Knowing what’s happening in the hive can help us understand how our lives are intimately intertwined with the honeybees. Come hear the latest buzz! Liz is now the delighted owner of TwoHoneys Bee Co, a business that operates wherever the bees fl y near Cincinnati, Ohio. Learn more at CincinnatiBees.com.

Perched on the edge of downtown and at the foot of historic Mt. Adams, the contemporary condominium of Judi Cettel and Jim Raphael is the creation of award-winning architect John Senhauser. A glass jewel box, with spectacular views of the river and downtown, this home is the perfect place to lift and warm your spirits on a gloomy, wintery Sunday afternoon. Wine, beer, and soft drinks accompany a selection of hors d’oeuvres and sweets.

Tamara Harkavy, CEO and Artistic Director, Artworks; BLINK Leadership Team and
Andrew Salzbrun, Managing Partner, AGAR; Partner/Creative Director, BLINK
Hosted by Tamara Schwarting, Garfield Park, Downtown

Wonder-lit, art-fueled and awe-inspiring, BLINK is unique, innovative, and reaches beyond Cincinnati to a national and international audience. Back for an encore in October 2019, BLINK Future City will be sky-high light spectacles, street art, murals, and live performances, with parties along the way. It will cover 20 blocks, from The Banks, through Downtown and OTR to Findlay Market. And this time lights will span the Roebling Bridge into Covington. BLINK will bring emerging and renowned artists to Cincinnati to collaborate with the talented creatives who call this city home. Buildings will be painted with light through projection mapping. Murals will dazzle and street installations will amaze. Hear Andrew Salzbrun, the mastermind behind BLINK, and Tamara Harkavy, who plays a significant role in reviewing proposals and selecting the participating artists.

Completed in 1923, The Doctors’ Building features an eight-story façade covered in tile and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Renovated by Tamara Schwarting, this Garfield Place treasure houses 1628 Ltd., a co-working space and a gallery with exhibits that change quarterly. View an exhibit of work from Cincinnati women artists while enjoying brunch and mimosas.

Tracy Brumfield, Executive Director, Rise Up News
Hosted by Christy Backley and Phil Crabtree, East Walnut Hills

Tracy Brumfield knows about hitting bottom. She suffered through addiction, incarceration, and homelessness before a support network helped her recover, secure a job, and find a place to live. Remembering her own struggles, she began to provide peer support to women in the recovery housing unit but found she was able to affect just a few of the 1,400 people who are incarcerated in the Hamilton County jail on any given day. To reach that larger population, Tracy envisioned a newspaper that would provide information on re-entry and social service resources, plus articles about hope and second chances. In 2017, a People’s Liberty Haile Fellowship gave her and her “big idea” a one-year fellowship grant of $100,000. In her first year, she published six issues of RISE, Re-enter into Society Empowered, a four-page newspaper piloted inside the Hamilton County Justice Center. Having demonstrated that this important need, linking people to resources, was not being met, she was funded to continue as a nonprofit organization, Rise Up News.

Sample savory and sweet treats, sip some wine, and enjoy panoramic views of Downtown, Mt. Adams, the Northern Kentucky hills, and the beautiful Ohio River from Christy and Phil’s East Walnut Hills condo. The contemporary white building, one of the neighborhood’s first river view condos, is nestled into a tree-covered hillside that belies its urban surroundings. Maybe you’ve seen it as you’ve traveled Columbia Parkway and wondered how to get there. Now you can find out.