Cincinnati Public Radio Celebrates Anniversary with Open House

You’re invited! This time last year marked a very important milestone for Cincinnati Public Radio. After years of planning, we moved into our brand-new building and headquarters on Dana Avenue in Evanston and opened our doors to you for the very first time with a weekend of music, guest speakers and community. To mark one year of success in this space, we extend the official invite to celebrate our “first birthday” on Saturday, April 25th.

“Our new building is turning out to be a truly valuable part of the Greater Cincinnati community, and we’re grateful for the support that made it possible,” notes Rich Eiswerth, President, General Manager and CEO.

That’s exactly what the open house aims to highlight: a year in review and the connections we’ve made and strengthened in that time. “Our first year has been about opening our doors, not only to Evanston, but to the entire Greater Cincinnati community. From tours to first-time visitors, we’ve welcomed people in to experience what public radio can be,” said Vice President of Content, Jenell Walton.

“Our first anniversary party is a chance to celebrate that connection and show how Cincinnati Public Radio values and supports its listeners, inviting people to experience everything we offer, from classical music to trusted local news and storytelling from national broadcast partners like NPR and the BBC,” she explains.

Festivities at our new address, 2117 Dana Ave, will take place from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. As a guest, you can meet the voices you hear on-air on both WVXU and WGUC, get to know the behind-the-scenes staff, and tour the building and facilities. Music performances of all genres will span the day, and food trucks and fun for kids will be on site.

Events and Volunteer Coordinator, Rodney Lear, dives into the details. “We are especially excited about our longtime partners from our local arts community, including live performances from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Cincinnati Opera,” he says.

“Kid-friendly stage shows featuring Madcap Puppets and Peraza Music Workshop, along with local live music favorites Jake Speed & The Freddies, ANNIE D and Wild Carrot. Plus, food trucks and fun activities for kids,” says Lear.

Solo performances will feature the talents of violinist, Preston Charles III and pianist, Trinity Lê. Activities available that day include a dance class featuring the music of KPop Demon Hunters from Roni’s Dance Company, Classics for Kids funzone, temporary tattoo area, Antonio’s Violins’ instrument petting zoo and a spinoff of Bill Rhinehart’s OKI Wanna Know:the game show OK Whaddya Know.

Food trucks in attendance will be Fosters Foodies, El Cardenal Taqueria, Marty’s Waffles and Cream + Sugar Coffeehouse. Afull schedule of performances and list of businesses and organizations is available on our website.

Eiswerth looks back on the year for Cincinnati Public Radio. “We’ve had professional recordings in our performance studio, including Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s new Mrs. Dalloway album, and live broadcasts with the Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Song Initiative,” he says.

Performances and studio sessions have included the likes of Foxy Shazam, violinist Randall Goosby, Wussy, cellist Miriam K. Smith, White Lighter and Rick Sowash. A new partnership with Broadway in Cincinnati has also been featured, recording members and songs of tours like The Notebook, Hamilton, Hell’s Kitchen and The Wiz. Extended interviews with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra have graced our spaces,spotlighting poet laureate Rita Dove, CSO music director laureate Louis Langrée, violinist Esther Yoo, pianist Daniil Trifonov and current CSO music director Cristian Măcelaru, among others.

As mentioned by Eiswerth, the new building’s hosting capabilities have been a great success as well. The Gathering Space has been home to live broadcasts of Cincinnati Edition, including a gardening show, pet show and Hamilton County Commission candidate debates. WVXU-affiliated journalism talks, conferences and awards ceremonies have also been featured here at Dana Ave, including NPR’s Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep.

Eiswerth continues, “Our free public podcast booth now has a steady stream of users. We’re excited to offer our gathering space to companies, nonprofit organizations and everyday people who rent it for private events. We’re exceptionally proud of what we’re now able to offer to the community at our new headquarters,” he states.

Come join us in celebrating this first-year anniversary together! For more information on our open house and the festivities, schedules and directions, please visit our website.