News

Mambo, Monet & mummy wrappings

COVINGTON, Ky. – We’re ’bout ready to walk across the street to Hierophany & Hedge, purchase a beautiful hand-whittled magic wand, and cast out this dreadful heat.

So, if this weekend proves to be sunny, with temps in the upper ’70s and an occasional gentle breeze, well, you’re most welcome.

Regardless of the temperature, there’s plenty to do this weekend – some of it in the comfort of air conditioning (just in case), some that will leave you more talented than when you arrived, and some that will stir up their own heat (as in sizzling Latino sounds).

And here’s a beautiful thing: there’s a recycling drop-off event where you can bring some big electronic items, behemoth volumes of documents that have practically altered the integrity of your floor, and bags of Styrofoam™ peanuts that you’ve been aiming to purge for some time. And get this – there will be folks on hand to help with the big lifting. Do not miss out.

‘Pardon My Partum’

Sometimes, words alone do not suffice to tell a story.

Laila Hameen knows this. She could simply tell you about how she navigated the arduous journey of post-partum depression, but odds are you’ll understand it better when she delivers that narrative surrounded by boxes that symbolize being stuck inside the bondage of depression.

Tonight, Hameen will perform heartfelt monologues and reflections in her solo performance, “Pardon My Partum” at Pique art gallery. She’s aiming to effectively communicate what many new mothers experience and, in so doing, promote solidarity and comfort.

Rock that taco

The second annual FedEx Ground Rockin’ Taco Festival starts Friday and runs through Sunday at Covington Plaza.

So, get ready to get your Rumba, Samba, Bamba, and Mambo on because there are going to be FREE performances from local Latin bands, dance groups, and DJs as this splash of Latino culture ignites on the banks of the Ohio River.

There’ll be dance contests, a Selena costume contest, and plenty of food – seriously good stuff like elotes, pozole, churros, quesadillas, chalupas, tacos, tostadas, queso, nachos, and more.

The festival is for the whole family, with inflatables for kids, dance lessons, and plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options.

Unplug & pitch (responsibly)

Do people say your computer makes them feel young again because it looks like a Microsoft PC-DOS 1.0?

Maybe your television closely resembles a 1997 Sony?

Do you have reams of sensitive documents that you need to keep out of the hands of a double-knot spy (or maybe just your spouse)?

Still have the Styrofoam™ that your computer and flat screen were packed in, with the best of intentions to dispose of it the right way, instead of getting those pesky pieces get stuck all over everything from your sofa to your lawn?

The day has come to let go of the old, the burdensome, the special-secret-documents, and those awkward pieces of Styrofoam™ (Seriously, why were you saving those?).

On Saturday, the 2022 Recycling Drop Off Event at Holmes High School will have professional certified recyclers on hand to help get rid of those hard-to-dispose-of items.

Keep Covington Beautiful, The Center for Great Neighborhoods, and the City work together to make it happen, and the gracious hockey players from the Covington Street Hockey League quite literally pitch in. But you, residents of Covington, earn the applause because with each recycling event, more of you are recycling (cue the crowd roar!). Back in 2020 (the last event) a total of 398 vehicles dropped off 42,989 pounds of materials for recycling. Betcha we can top those numbers this Saturday.

Get your twirl on

Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew how to make those fancy, swirling paper designs that you see on pricey greeting cards, jewelry, wall art, and keepsakes? Think of the money you’d save and the accolades you’d receive in recognition of your creativity.

Well, get ready for praise because on Saturday, local artist Diana Groneck Daniels is teaching a Quilled Paper Art Class at Purple Paisley, Local Artisan Shop.

You’ll learn how to make a variety of paper rolls and scrolls, pinching them into shapes to create flowers, leaves, hearts, butterflies, and whatever your imagination can conjure. There’s a fee that provides materials.

Mummy wrappings & Viking vestments

We’re not talking about the tall tales your 12-year-old niece spins, we’re talking about actually spinning your very own yarn.

Local fiber artist Anna Makela will teach the basics of the ancient art of hand spinning wool. She’ll do this with a drop spindle, which has been used for almost 9,000 years for such essentials as mummy wrappings, wool for Viking clothes, tapestries, and ropes and sails for ships. (And here you were just looking to knit a pair of socks).

Intro to Hand Spinning Yarn happens at Purple Paisley, Local Artisan Shop on Saturday, and Makela will show how to choose and prepare wool, spinning techniques, how to ply the yarn, and how to finish it to use it in knitting, crochet, and weaving projects. 

Tune it up

If you’ve been trying to create a little breeze by biking through The Cov and elsewhere, the good folks at Tri-State Trails, MoBo Bicycle Co-op, Queen City Bike, and Ride the COV want to make sure your bike is safe and comfy.

On Saturday, they’ll have volunteers at the Covington Farmers Market Pop-up Bike Shop to help inflate tires, check tubes, tighten brakes and shift cables, and offer wise counsel for any problems they can’t fix.

They’re also bringing solid resources for new riders as well as some experienced commuters to share stories and answer questions.

Is that a Monet?

No, it’s a (your name here), because you will be the one taking credit for painting a strikingly, spot-on replica of Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies.”

At Local Studio 325 on Saturday, Jim Conroy, a local artist (how can one city have so much dang talent, right?), is teaching Painting Series: Claude Monet – “Water Lilies” 1897, a workshop designed to show you how to create your very own version of the artist’s beloved flower garden.

There’s a fee, but all materials are provided.

Sip and sup with your pup

Sunday is the perfect day for you and your best friend in all the world to have a day together, soaking up the sun in the Hotel Covington courtyard.

Puppies & Pours will feature cocktails and light bites for those with thumbs, while the pups can enjoy handmade treats tailored just for their palate, made by Pet Cakes.

A frosty June stroll

After the oppressive, incapacitating, back-of-your-hand-to-your-forehead-and-drop-dramatically-on-a-chaise heat we’ve suffered lately, doesn’t a frosty stroll sound so darn good?

Seriously, more than a few folks went beyond their usual gentle mist of perspiration to a full-blown, unsightly, armpit-soaked sweat over the last two weeks.

So, of course we are lured simply by the name Frosty Roebling Art Walk, which happens on Sunday and is a John A. Roebling-themed stroll among the art in The Cov. True to its name, the walk finishes with a cool down at Frosthaus for a chilly boozy (or non-boozy) frozen beverage.

Live music

Tonight: Sgt. Pepper Spray at Behringer-Crawford Museum … Open Mic Night with Mara Moon at Pandemonium … The Chuck Brisbin Trio at Smoke Justis … Kyle English at Keystone Bar & Grill.

Friday: The Recreational at The Rooftop at The Madison … Dr. Hue at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant.

Saturday: The Bluebirds at Smoke Justis … The Mutant League Records 10 Year Tour at Madison Live … Lunar Lizard, Maria Keck, Sarah Gorak & Coy Comer at Pandemonium … Riverside Rooftop Party at The Rooftop at The Madison.

Sunday: Rooftop Sessions at Braxton Brewing Co.

Miscellaneous

And then there’s …. “A Thought is a River” exhibit at The Carnegie from Thursday through Saturday … Youth Book Club at the NKY Pride Center on Friday … MainStrasse Village Food Tour on Saturday … Covington Farmers Market on Saturday … Jim Beam Tasting on Saturday at DEPS … Scarlet Begonia’s Flower Truck at Golden Gelato on Sunday … MainStrasse Village Flea at the 6th St. Promenade on Sunday.

 

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