BLINK Illuminated by ArtsWave, the nation’s largest public art event, captivated Cincinnati, Covington, and Newport on October 17-20. The weather and street atmosphere provided a beautiful fall weekend for exploring the urban core.
BLINK 2024 attracted more than 2 million visitors, according to estimates from the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s Center for Data and Research. The Chamber produced the event in partnership with the Haile Foundation, AGAR, Cincy Nice, ish, and ArtWorks.
The event footprint expanded again this year, encompassing Newport for the first time with art and light activations at Newport on the Levee, Ovation, and nearby locations. More than 80 individual installations stretched 30 blocks from Newport and Covington up to northern Over-the-Rhine above Findlay Market.
Thursday’s opening night parade, organized again by the community engagement organization ish, featured more than 3,000 participants, including over 100 bands, walking clubs, floats, and other groups.
BLINK’s ongoing legacy includes the creation of permanent outdoor murals, which contribute to Cincinnati’s notoriety as one of the country’s most exciting cities for public art. This year’s event was responsible for 15 new murals that can be enjoyed daily while awaiting BLINK’s return in 2026.
Photograph by Zak Kauth