What You Need to Know About Snow Banks at The Banks

Cincinnati weather can be unpredictable, especially in the winter.

We never know if we’ll have real snow in January, but Snow Banks at The Banks promises to be “Greatest Show in Snow in Cincinnati”

I’m sharing tips and what you need to know before you go to help you make the most out of your time at Snow Banks at the Banks.

This article contains affliate links.

Enjoy the Snow “Blizzard” Every 30 Minutes

Make sure that you are on Freedom way at the top of every hour and on half hours for a snow shower. I would suggest arriving near the snow machines a few minutes before the “blizzard” so that you don’t miss it.

Warm-Up By a Firepit

You’ll find several cozy seating sections where you can warm up by a fire on Freedom Way. You are surrounded by restaurants and bars on both sides. There are drink vendors on the streets too.

Watch an Ice Carving Demo

Check the Snow Banks schedule for the times to watch a live ice carving demo. The finished sculptures will remain on display that evening.

Snow Tubing and Snow Sledding

There are two areas for snow tubing and snow sledding. Older guests will enjoy Frisch’s Big Boy 50-foot long snow tube ramp at SkyStar Wheel Snow Park. (There are mini snow tubes for younger guests)

Younger guests will enjoy Joe’s Snow Ride, a Snow Sledding Hill on Joe Nuxhall Way.

Sleds and snow tubes are provided to use during the event. The sledding area also has helmets available upon request.

Admission to Snow Banks at The Banks

Friday nights are FREE

Saturdays and Sundays require a $5 wristband to participate in the activities.

(sledding area, snow tube run, snowmaking village, carriage rides)

*The SkyStar Wheel is NOT included with the wristband activities and requires an additional fee.

Hours, Dates, and Event Schedule for Snow Banks at The Banks

Snow much fun every weekend in January!

Fridays 5-9 PM – January 3, 10, 17, 24

Freedom Way between Joe Nuxhall and Walnut Street

*Free with no wristband purchase

The Frontgate Snow Lounge on Freedom Way will feature:

• Firepit lounge seating with snow blizzards on the half-hour
• Cocktails and beer
• Live sing-a-longs featuring songs from WGRR, WARM 98, 96 ROCK and CAT Country from 6-8 p.m.
• Rides on the SkyStar Wheel with purchase
• Ice Bar at Galla Park with a smores bar
• Signature cocktails from the bars at The Banks
• Live snow blizzards on Freedom Way will occur nightly: 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30 and 9 p.m.

Saturday 12-8 PM – January 4, 11, 18, 25

$5 wristband purchase required for all ages

Freedom Way from Joe Nuxhall to Elm Street

• The Frisch’s Big Boy 50-foot long snow tube ramp at SkyStar Wheel Snow Park
• Rides on the SkyStar Wheel with purchase
• Joe’s Snow Ride, a Snow Sledding Hill on Joe Nuxhall Way
• Frontgate Snow Lounge with fire pit lounge seating with snow blizzards on the half-hour
• Horse carriage rides offered courtesy of the Cincinnati Auto Expo (February 5-9, 2020)
• Cincinnati Cyclones Ice Hockey Challenges
• Beer Gardens on Freedom Way
• Snowman Making Village at Great American Ball Park
• Live Ice Sculpture Carvings at Great American Ball Park’s Crosley Terrace
• Snow Blizzards occur on Freedom Way 12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8 p.m.

Live acoustic music performances at the Moerlein Lager House Beer Garden on Saturdays

Tracy Walker-January 4, 2-5 p.m., 

Chandler Carte-January 11, 2-5 p.m.,

John Ford_January 18, 2-5 p.m.,

Tracy Walker-January 25, 2-5 p.m.,

Sunday 12-6 PM – January 5, 12, 19, 26

$5 wristband purchase required for all ages

Freedom Way from Joe Nuxhall to Elm Street

• The Frisch’s Big Boy 50-foot long snow tube ramp at SkyStar Wheel Snow Park
• Rides on the SkyStar Wheel with purchase
• Joe’s Snow Ride, a Snow Sledding Hill on Joe Nuxhall Way
• Frontgate Snow Lounge with fire pit lounge seating with snow blizzards on the half-hour
• Horse carriage rides offered courtesy of the Cincinnati Auto Expo (February 5-9, 2020)
• Cincinnati Cyclones Ice Hockey Challenges
• Beer Gardens on Freedom Way
• Snowman Making Village at Great American Ball Park
• Live Ice Sculpture Carvings at Great American Ball Park’s Crosley Terrace
• Snow Blizzards occur on Freedom Way 12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5, 5:30, 6 p.m.
• Live acoustic music performances at the Moerlein Lager House Beer Garden on Sundays

John Ford- January 5, 2-5 p.m.,

Tracy Walker- January 12, 2-5 p.m.,

Chandler Carter- January 19, 2-5 p.m.,

John Ford- January 26, 2-5 p.m.,

How to Save Time in Line for Tickets for Snow Banks Wristbands

Do NOT get in line for an activity if you don’t have a wristband. You need to have the wristband when you are in line.

*Everyone Participating in the snow activities has to have a waiver. 

(Parents/guardians need to sign for children under 18) to purchase a wrist band and enjoy the snow activities.

*BEFORE You Go – Print and Bring the Snow Banks at the Banks WAIVER

This a BIG way that you can save time in line for your group. Print the Snow Banks at the Banks WAIVER at home and bring it with you. This will also be helpful if you have teenagers who want to attend with another family or without their parents or guardian.

Can I purchase Snow Banks tickets online?

Yes, this is another way for you to save time in line at the event. You can purchase tickets from the Eventbrite website.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes, you need to bring your printed ticket to Street Corner Market, 160 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 to redeem for your event wristband.

Can I purchase tickets onsite?

Yes, there are two steps.

You will need to fill out a waiver and then get a ticket. The ticket verifies that you have a waiver filled out.

Next, you take the ticket to the Street Corner Market (located within super close proximity) to purchase the wristband.

Don’t Forget to Take a Map

Make sure that you grab a map after you get your wristband so that you don’t miss any of the Snow Banks sections.  I attended Snow Banks 2 nights in a row and I realized that we had almost overlooked several areas after looking at the map.

Do you need to wear snow pants at Snow Banks?

I would definitely recommend having younger kids wear snow pants, gloves, and snow boots. Snowpants will help them last longer if they get cold easily and keep them dry if they want to play in the snow.

Trust me -You don’t want to deal with a cold and wet kid!

Adults will want to dress warmly too because the temperatures feel way cooler by the water.

Enjoy a Drink Inside an Illuminated Igloo at AC Hotel Upper Deck

135 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, OH

Check out incredible views of downtown Cincinnati from a heated igloo on the rooftop of the AC Hotel.

If the illuminated igloos are already occupied you will find plenty of areas on the Upper Deck that still have great views of the city.

Where to Park for Snow Banks at The Banks

Central Riverfront Garage

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Did you know that the Banks is built on top of one of the nation’s largest contiguous parking facilities?

There are nearly 8,000 parking spacesavailable along the Riverfront underground. The parking is divided into sections so make note of your section and floor.

Entrances for the parking garage are on the following streets

(Many of the streets will be blocked off on Saturday and Sunday which can affect open garage entrances)

Also take note if there is a special event at US Bank Arena when you go which could affect parking prices. We paid $10 to park the night of a Cyclones Game.

Additional Entrances for Central Riverfront Garage

• 182 Race Street GET DIRECTIONS
• 171 Joe Nuxhall Way GET DIRECTIONS
• 124 East Mehring Way GET DIRECTIONS
• 202 East Mehring Way GET DIRECTIONS
• 166 West Mehring Way GET DIRECTIONS

Where to Park inside the Parking Garage

Once you are inside the parking garage you want to park as close the Great America Ballpark (Reds Stadium) as possible. This will make it so that you are close to the action as soon as you take the elevator or stairs to the street level.

Pro Tip: Take a picture of where you parked, “block” section, floor level, and where you take the stairs or the elevator.

The parking garage is very large and it’s easy to get disoriented and forget where you parked.

Where to Eat and Drink at Snow Banks at the Banks

There are plenty of great dining and drinking options within very close proximity to the Banks for every budget. It honestly depends on what type of food and atmosphere you are in the mood for.

If you just want a beer there are also vendors throughout the event. If you want to warm up for a while there are plenty of options that are fun for a group or a date.

Families will find lots of choices ranging from fast-casual to table service.  If you have a larger group or know a specific time that you want to eat, I recommend calling in advance to make a reservation or checking open table for the popular sit down restaurants.

• BURGERFI
• Condado Tacos
• FishBowl
• Holy Grail Tavern and Grill
• Jefferson Social
• Jimmy John’s
• Joella’s Hot Chicken
• Moerlein Lager House
• Pies & Pints
• Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
• Smoothie King
• Street Corner Market
• Taste of Belgium
• The Stretch
• Tin Roof
• Yardhouse

You can read about my previous visits to Condado Taco,  Taste of Belgium, and YardHouse by clicking their links.

Take Advantage of Special Food & Drink Specials at The Banks

There are lots of great food and drink specials at several restaurants and bars at the Banks during Snow Banks.

If you are taking advantage of the special at Moerlein Lager House you’ll want to get your tickets ASAP.

Ribs & Brews

Saturdays & Sundays 1:30pm or 4:00pm seatings
*Advance purchase only*

Warm-up with a Ribs & Brews special while listening to live acoustic.

Get a 1/2 rack of BBQ ribs, macaroni & cheese, coleslaw, and one 16oz Moerlein beer for $20.

Tickets without beer available for $16. Tickets: http://bit.ly/MLHRibsBrews

Where to Stay Downtown for Snow Banks

Ideally, you only want to park once if you are coming in town just for the Snow Banks Event. If you stay at a downtown hotel you can walk to the event or use the streetcar.

How to Save on a Hotel in Downtown Cincinnati

For the best deals on hotels in Cincinnati check out the following options in the map below.

Booking.com

Downtown Transporation at The Banks

The streetcar is only $2 for an all-day pass and also takes you to other popular areas of downtown Cincinnati.

Popular destinations between these points include:

• Paul Brown Stadium
• Great American Ball Park
• U.S. Bank Arena
• Government Square
• Fountain Square
• Contemporary Arts Center
• Public Library
• Aronoff Center
• Jacks Casino
• Gateway Quarter
• School for the Creative and Performing Arts
• Music Hall
• Washington Park

Cincinnati Bell Connector /Street Car Stations

There are 18 stations along the route. Most feature covered shelters and steel benches. All stations have a real-time next streetcar arrival screen and a ticket vending machine to purchase Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar passes. I suggest downloading the app to purchase your tickets to avoid waiting at the ticket vending machine.

The streetcar stop for the Banks is located in front of Planet Fitness.

Snow Banks is a great way to experience winter fun. Don’t miss out!

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