Are you in town for business or to visit an old friend? Are you just passing by and are looking for something to do? Or are you just bored and want to try something new? Check out this guide HER wrote for you on upcoming events in town.

As the early days of spring pass by and the weather gets warmer, you’ll want to check out some of the outdoor festivities Butler County is holding this spring. It also offers a great nightlife with various bars that offer live music and karaoke nights. So check out our guide and get ready for your next adventure! We promise you won’t get bored during your stay here in Butler County.

THE TAKEOVER on The Square

On Thursday nights, the First Financial Bank holds The Takeover on The Square. Located in Union Centre, The Square features a large, green clock tower provided by First Financial Bank. As you admire the towering structure, feel free to lay out on a towel or blanket on an open patch of grass nearby. On both sides of the tower are diamond shaped water fountains. Next to the tower is a small man-made lake with a small bridge laid across it.

Free concerts are held from Memorial Day through Labor Day. They go from 6 to 9 p.m. Feel free to grab a bite to drink and an adult beverage from one of the vendors inside the park before heading over to watch some live music.

Buckeye BBQ Fest

From May 18-19, the Buckeye BBQ Fest will be held at The Square at Union Center. Featuring two nights of non-stop Blues from top Blues bands, 99 kegs of beer, 15 BBQ vendors, sweet treats, a car show, inflatable bouncy rides, and a petting zoo, you will have a hard time being bored here.

The Rotary Club, the organization holding the BBQ fest, has teamed up with the Cincy Blues Society to ensure the best blues bands in the country perform at the weekend-long festival. This year’s headliner is Noah Wotherspoon. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, performing the blues has been a part of his life since he was a teenager. In 2015, Wotherspoon won the Best Guitarist Award at the International Blues Challenge and his band placed second in the finals.

The BBQ Fest will be offering Budweiser, Bud Light, Yuengling, Kona, and Shock Top. Non-alcoholic beverages will be offered as well. For the car show, classic rides from 1950 to 1970 will be on display. In the kid’s zone, inflatable bouncy rides, games, face painting, caricature drawing, and a kids fire safety house will be offered. From noon-8:30 p.m., a 12 animal petting zoo will be available.

Touch a Truck

From fire trucks to snow plows to rescue boats, the city of West Chester shares all of the amazing trucks that are built to serve the community for Butler County residents once a year. There will even be military vehicles and helicopters there! Visitors can climb behind the wheels of a police vehicle, sit in the shovel of a backhoe, and meet the men and women who operate this machinery every day for work.

This year, the event is scheduled for June 15, 2018, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in The Square @ Union Centre. Admission is free. So, take some time out of your day to admire the vehicles that serve citizens on a daily basis before enjoying lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Food Truck Rally

Once a year, the Union Centre Boulevard Merchant Association organizes a food rally featuring Cincinnati’s best food trucks. As one of Butler County’s Top 5 events, you won’t want to miss out on this food truck rally. In fact, last year’s Union Centre Food Truck Rally had approximately 10,000 diners! Over 30 food trucks were there, offering options such as smoothies, barbeque, mac and cheese, seafood, health-healthy, vegan, sweet treats, Cajun, and Cuban food. Live bands perform throughout the day and alcoholic beverages are offered for adults.

Each year, the Union Centre Boulevard Merchant Association chooses beneficiary to donate their sales to. Beneficiary organizations must have a local mission and serve a large number of people in the community. This year’s beneficiary will be Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County.

So make sure you clear your schedule for Friday, August 10 because you definitely don’t want to miss this event. To stay updated on participating bands and food trucks, check out the event’s Facebook page.

Farmer’s Market

The West Chester Farmers Market is the only farmers and artisan producers open-air market in the area. The Spring Market is set to start on April 7th on Center Pointe Drive by the MidPointe library. Both fresh produce and fruits and home produced products are offered. There is also a specialty prepared foods section, in which Cooper’s Crepes, La Terza Coffee, and Hanover Winery set up shop.

Hopefully, this guide was helpful in helping you plan your next adventure in Butler County.