CliftonFest 2026
Explore more CliftonFest Activities Below!
Provided by CRC & Clifton Branch Library
The CliftonFest Activities area will feature a selection of family-friendly games hosted by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) and the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. Designed as a drop-in space for all ages, the area invites festivalgoers to relax, play, and create throughout the day. Activities include lawn games such as cornhole and Connect Four, along with hands-on creative stations like chalk art, large-scale coloring pages, and flag decorating.
Provided by Jolly Crouton Media
Jolly Crouton Media, a Cincinnati-based independent video game studio, will host an interactive booth featuring a selection of their original, self-made video games. Festivalgoers are invited to stop by, play, and experience a showcase of locally developed games created right here in the region.
Provided by Kiriosities
Step into a dynamic, hands-on flow arts space where movement, rhythm, and creativity come together. Throughout the day, short live demonstrations will kick off each hour, offering a glimpse into the artistry and skill behind flow performance before opening the space for participant instruction and exploration.
Festivalgoers are invited to try their hand at a variety of flow props—including silk fans, poi, juggling balls, levi wands, and more—guided by experienced instructors who will be on-site to teach, support, and keep the space accessible for all skill levels.
Provided by Froggie Scream
Inspired by CCAC’s Zines 101 workshop, this drop-in activity invites festivalgoers of all ages to explore the basics of DIY publishing—combining collage, drawing, writing, and simple folding techniques to create their own mini magazines.
No experience is needed, just curiosity. Participants can experiment freely with prompts, materials, and ideas to make something personal, expressive, and completely their own. This interactive table celebrates zines as an accessible art form and a powerful way to share stories, ideas, and perspectives.
Provided by Anisha Kanakia, LLC
Anisha an Art Educator, and has 15+ experience providing Arts Entertainment at local Community events such as Hyde Park Art Show, Vinoklet, Yellow Springs Fest, Operation Pumpkin, Taste of Cincinnati, and Goetta Fest. Her primary services include Caricatures, Face Painting, and Henna Tattoos. Anisha’s goal is to create a connect between the viewers and her work.
Provided by Matt Hart, Samuel Cormac, and Michael Peterson
At this interactive poetry table, festivalgoers collaborate directly with working poets who turn simple prompts into original, typewritten verse in real time.
The table is led by three accomplished Cincinnati-based poets and educators. Samuel Cormac is a poet, visual artist, and educator as well as an adjunct professor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, whose work often blends language and visual practice. Matt Hart is Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Chair of Liberal Arts at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and an established poet known for his energetic, experimental work and wide-ranging publications. Michael Peterson is the Curator of The Elliston Poetry Collection at the University of Cincinnati, one of the nation’s major poetry archives, where he works to preserve and celebrate contemporary and historical poetic voices.
Provided by CCAC
Join a CCAC teaching artist for a hands-on dreamcatcher making station where participants can explore creativity, craft, and personal expression. Using a simple weaving process, festivalgoers of all ages are invited to design and assemble their own dreamcatchers with provided materials, beads, and decorative elements.
Provided by CCAC
Join us in creating a massive, collaborative work of street art on Ludlow Avenue. The 100×100 Chalk Mural invites festivalgoers of all ages to help build a shared work of art, with each person creating within a 10×10 square using sidewalk chalk—adding their own colors, drawings, and designs to a vast collective mural.
As the squares come together, they form a sprawling, evolving communal artwork that transforms the street into a vibrant patchwork of individual expression and collective imagination. The result is both a creative outlet and a moment of connection—an opportunity to leave your mark on CliftonFest and be part of a larger piece of living public art.
Participation is donation-based, with all proceeds supporting the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) and its ongoing arts programming.
