By Abby Knox, Newswire Intern
On Sunday, the annual Cincinnati Coffee Festival was held at Music Hall, drawing thousands of coffee lovers into the heart of downtown Cincinnati.
From roasted nuts to any coffee or tea flavor your heart desires, the Cincinnati Coffee Festival had it all. This event exuded cozy vibes with a kick of caffeine. The warm lighting, live music, visitors in chunky knit sweaters, and chilly weather outside only added to the fall atmosphere.
“The Cincinnati Coffee Festival was a great experience! I talked to a lot of cool and friendly people about coffee and tea. I had so much fun trying different drinks and taking notes of cafes I should visit,”first-year history major, Caroline Staffa, said.
Starting in 2017, the Cincinnati Coffee Festival has established itself as the leading coffee festival in the Midwest. This two-day event has grown to attract thousands of visitors, all looking to support small businesses and find the perfect drink or a newfound snack.
The Cincinnati Coffee Festival is a fundraiser for the Ohio River Foundation, which is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit. Their goal is to provide education, habitat restoration and advocacy efforts focused on protecting and enhancing the water quality and ecology of the Ohio River.
At the Coffee Festival, there was a table educating passersby about the clean water crisis. Statistics were posted throughout the festival, including one that read, “Only 1% of water worldwide is drinkable.” This event’s tagline was, “Without Great Water, You Can’t Have Great Coffee.”
At the table, visitors were informed about the endangerment of mussels and how this is detrimental to our environment as well as our accessibility to clean water.
The Cincinnati Coffee Festival took place in the Cincinnati Music Hall located, off of Washington Park in Over-The-Rhine.
“Overall they had a variety of options to try, with a little something for everyone,” first year computer science major, Emily Conneely said.
Cake pops, pound cake, roasted nuts, cheese spreads, hand-painted truffle bars and gourmet popcorn are just a few of the food items that were available for tasting at this event. From iced lattes and chai to hibiscus sorrel non-alcoholic wine and coffee supplements that are derived from figs and caffeine-free, there truly was a drink for everyone.
Not only was this an event for food and drink vendors, but for those who love handcrafted items. Multiple vendors where selling pottery products like butter bells, spoon rests and coasters. There was also handcrafted jewelry, including geometric earrings made of polymer clay.