BLINK 2024: Road closures, transportation options and what to know before you go

CINCINNATI — BLINK is finally back!

The immersive light and art show takes to streets in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky from Oct. 17 through Oct. 20.

Because of the festival, navigating parts of the region can get tricky — for both those trying to attend the festivities and those who just want to get somewhere else located in BLINK territory.

The list of roadways that will be closed while thousands of people peruse exhibits spread throughout Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky is quite long, but it's important to remember that driving into the city isn't the only option available for those who want to participate.

Metro, TANK and the Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) are all offering free public transportation to BLINK this year.

Metro and TANK will have fare-free rides starting at 6 p.m. each night of BLINK, while BCRTA is offering shuttle services from further north.

All three public transportation options also have multiple Park and Ride options, with drop-off at Riverfront Transit Center downtown, that run between 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. each night:

Once you're down in the thick of things, the Connector streetcar can shuttle you throughout downtown, the Banks and Over-the-Rhine for free.RELATED: BLINK Festival unveils map spanning more than 30 city blocks

RELATED: Here's a look at the four-day festival's entertainment lineup

Here's a breakdown of which roads will be closed throughout the week, and how you can get around.

These roads will be closed ahead of the festival itself:

The event kicks off with the BLINK parade on Thursday night, which will prompt several more street closures (closures happen at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted):

Once the parade is over, these roads will close each night of BLINK between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.:

NORTH-SOUTH Streets

EAST-WEST Streets

In Covington, these roads will be closed from Monday, Oct. 14 through the morning of Oct. 21 for BLINK:

These Covington streets will be closed between Oct. 17 through Sunday, Oct 20:

More than 80 artists are set to participate in this year's festival, which stretches dozens of city blocks — from zones in Over-the-Rhine and The Banks all the way to Covington and the newly included Newport.

Alongside the art installations throughout the massive festival, BLINK also will have a full entertainment lineup at various stages and locations, including Findlay Market and the Cincinnati Music Walk of Fame.

Each day of music kicks off at 6 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. On Saturday, the festivals ticketed after-party, "Afterglow," at MegaCorp Pavilion goes until 1 a.m. You can click here to buy tickets to Afterglow.

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