Rock n’ roll, trading cards & polka > City of Covington, KY

Jul 25, 2023

COVINGTON, Ky. – This weekend you’ll find plenty of fun at an evening park event, a summer festival, and cool concerts. (Polka is cool, right?)

And if you’re wondering how to quit your day job so that every day feels like a weekend, there’s a trading card show where you just might learn how to make a living with all those baseball and Pokémon cards in the shoeboxes in your closets.

Lots of fun stuff with kittens too.

Fun in the dark

Friday fun begins when the sun goes down. That’s when Covington Parks & Rec’s Park at Dark event begins.

Kids (and grownups) will play games and create art in black light and glow in the dark at Austinburg Park. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

A Pikachu for your Steph Curry?

Remember when a stick of bubble gum came with major league sports trading cards? These days, you can make serious cash trading sports cards. Well, actually it’s not only sports cards – Pokémon and others that we’re too out of the loop of trading card coolness to know about are bringing in big bucks.

For instance, did you know that an Alifabolaget Pele Rookie soccer card sold for $1.33 million? A Steph Curry rookie card went for $5.9 million? And a Pikachufor Illustrator Pokémon card scored $5.2 million? (Who in the wide world of sports is buying these cards?)

Odds are the folks at Hit Seekers Sports Cards know who’s shelling out the big bucks for cardboard these days.

With a brick-and-mortar presence just up the hill in Fort Mitchell, Hit Seekers Sports Cards is all about collecting, selling, and trading cards – and having a good time while doing it. Hit Seekers is coming to Braxton Brewing Co. on Saturday for its Hit Seekers Sports Cards & Memorabilia Show (its very first).

So pull the lid off of that dusty old Chuck Taylor Converse shoe box and see if you’ve got a Tiger Woods 2001 SP Authentic Stars Autograph Gold/100 PSA 10, valued at $336,000. (You could send your kid to college on that card.)

Rock on, young ones

If you were at the Covington Pride Parade last month, then you’re well aware that the School of Rock Northern Kentucky produces seriously good talent. The group of young musicians on that float were bringing down the, well, streets.

On Saturday they’re performing at the Devou Park Bandshell for the School of Rock Northern Kentucky Season 6 Final Show. Relax and rock out in the sun with them so that one day you’ll be able to say, “I knew them when …”

Polka in the park

Inclement weather might have halted them once, but The Polka Warriors are making another valiant effort to bring their sweet polka sounds to The Cov for Covington Parks & Rec’s Summer Concert in the Park with The Polka Warriors at the Devou Park Bandshell on Sunday.

The Warriors, a Cincinnati-based brass band that celebrates German/Bavarian heritage through music, brings the real-deal polka sounds, so grab your polka partner and head to Devou, where you’re sure to hear the hits of Frankie Yankovic, the Six Fat Dutchmen, and other polka hits.

Festival time

The Holy Cross Parish Summer Festival starts Friday and runs through Saturday, featuring fun for all ages.

Expect no shortage of activities. There will be a kiddieland, cornhole, ring toss, a raffle, split the pot, a silent auction, putt putt golf, food, drinks (you’ll need an ID bracelet for beer), and live music. This festival has it all.

Live music

Tonight: Acoustic Happy Hour with Ris Seremet at Juniper’s … The Missy Werner Band at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant … The Chuck Brisbin Trio at Smoke Justis.

Friday: Leroy Ellington at Smoke Justis … Jazz Fest Live at Kenton County Public Library … Kyla at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant … Summer Birthday Bash Vol. 2 at Madison Live … Greg Chako Trio at Juniper’s.

Saturday: Kenny Cowden at Smoke Justis … Cincy Rhythm Kings at Cock & Bull Public House … Luther Ray and The Flood at Wunderbar … Lost Henry with Los Chicos at Pandemonium … … HardWyred at Strasse Haus … DJ Identity at Braxton Brewing Co. … Moonbeau “These Games” Single Release Show at The Rooftop at Madison Theater … Cat & Becky’s Birthday Bash at Madison Live.

Sunday: Billy Brown at Zazou Grill & Pub.

Miscellaneous

Tonight: Purr, Paint, Sip with Kittens at Purrfect Day Cat Café … SWET DanceFit at Kenton County Public Library … Dynamics of Flow at The Carnegie … The Art of Fashion: Fay Applegarth Maddux at Behringer-Crawford Museum.

Friday: Dynamics of Flow at The Carnegie … The Art of Fashion: Fay Applegarth Maddux at Behringer-Crawford Museum … Devou Night Rides at Devou Park.

Saturday: Covington Farmers Market at 3rd & Court Streets … MainStrasse Village Food Tour … Dynamics of Flow at The Carnegie … The Art of Fashion: Fay Applegarth Maddux at Behringer-Crawford Museum … Live Art with Andrea Eisert at Purple Paisley, Local Artisan Shop … MEOWgaritaville Summer Fun with Kittens at Purrfect Day Cat Café.

Sunday: MainStrasse Village Flea at the 6th Street Promenade … Fresh Floral Design Class Plus Kittens at Purrfect Day Cat Café … Kitten Yoga with Damon at Purrfect Day Cat Café.

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