By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune Managing Editor
COV200 organizers revealed plans for the Bank of Kentucky Summer Celebration Thursday morning at Covington Landing.
With the Cincinnati skyline as a backdrop and facing the Roebling Murals, COV200 chair Norm Desmarais unveiled the lineup for the six-day celebration.
“I am proud to be here today to announce some exciting events and activities that we are going to be holding here during All-Star week in Cincinnati,” Desmarais said. “We started this celebration over a year ago in order to basically put a spotlight on Covington…and all of the wonderful activity that’s going here that started 200 years ago, but is still going on here in 2015.”
The events will coincide with Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, which takes place at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati Tuesday, July 14. Activities begin on Thursday, July 9 and run through Tuesday evening.
A giant Ferris wheel, food trucks, live music and activities for children will all be part of the more than sixty events and activities taking place July 9-14 along the banks of the Ohio River in Covington.
Festivities also include a 125-foot fun slide at Covington Landing, as well as the Duke Energy Kids Activity Tent which will include games and activities for children of all ages along Riverside Boulevard. Circus Mojo will also perform daily and ORSANCO’s mobile “Life Below the Waterline” aquarium, which recreates life in the Ohio River, will be on site.
More than 20 live music acts, including the Turkeys, Rusty Griswold’s, Ricky Nye and the Leroy Ellington Band will perform on the Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell Stage. The Braxton Brewing Acoustic Plaza will also feature live music daily.
The celebration will take part over six days, hosted on the Covington Landing and in the RiverCenter Blvd block area between Scott Blvd and Madison Ave.
COV200 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the city, which officially occurred on Feb 8, 2015. The Covington Bicentennial Activity has organized events throughout the year to celebrate the city’s history.
“For more than 25 years, The Bank of Kentucky has taken pride in our community and in investing in it,” said Norm Desmarais, COV200 Chair. “We are very excited about their support to make this an event that will showcase our community and bring people together in celebration.”
Highlights of The Bank of Kentucky Summer Celebration include:
Riverfront Festivities: A 50 ft. Ferris wheel located on the former Covington Landing. The Ferris wheel will give riders a one of a kind view of the Cincinnati skyline and Ohio River. Families can also take a ride on a giant 125-foot fun slide.
Duke Energy Kids Activity Tent: Over 20 Covington organizations including Baker Hunt, The Carnegie, the Kenton County Public Library, Children’s Inc., Home Depot, and more will be providing free games and activities for children of all ages along Riverside Boulevard. Circus Mojo will be performing daily and ORSANCO’s Mobile “Life Below the Waterline” Aquarium will also be on site.
The Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell Stage: Over 20 live music acts will take place throughout the Summer Celebration. Bands include folk rock group The Turkeys, School of Rock Mason, Rusty Griswolds, Ricky Nye, Leroy Ellington Band and The Dan Varner Band. A full list of performers and dates and times are available at www.cov200.com/summercelebration.
Food: Attendees will enjoy a wide variety of food options including The Gruff, Red Sesame Food Truck, Kona Ice, Streetpops, Mick Noll’s Covington Haus.
Official Sponsors: The Bank of Kentucky, Gateway Community and Technical College, Corporex, Duke Energy, Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell, TiER1 Performance, UpTech, Braxton Brewing, WCPO Insider
“We are proud to lend our support to a historic year of celebration by being the title sponsor of the Summer Celebration for the community,” said Andy Hawking, Executive Vice President, The Bank of Kentucky.
Adding to the festivities, COV200 is partnering with community groups on a variety of special events. Highlights include historic home tours hosted by the Historic Licking Riverside Civic Association (Saturday, July 11); RoeblingFest will host historical neighborhood tours and Roebling Mural tours (Saturday, July 11), neighborhood groups will host celebrations throughout the city, giving residents and residential groups the chance to meet their neighbors (Saturday, July 11); a family-friendly “Bike-Centennial” bike ride through Covington neighborhoods presented by Renaissance Covington (Sunday, July 12); and a Bark-centennial dog parade and contest hosted by the MainStrasse Village Association at George Rogers Clark Park (Sunday, July 12).
Covington Mayor Sherry Carran said the events, which has been 18 months in the making, will celebrate the city’s history as it continues to plan for the future.
“This summer, leading up to All-Star Game is just going to be so exciting and seeing you all here to help us kick this off means a lot,” Carran said. “I wish we had our riverfront completed, but that not the case. Hopefully this time next year, you’re going to see a riverfront that we can all be proud of.”
The Bank of Kentucky Summer Celebration hours are 6-10 p.m. Thursday, July 9; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, July 10 – Tuesday, July 14. For additional information including event maps, schedules and more, visit www.cov200.com, contact us at (859) 415-1230, or email askcov200@gmail.com.