Cincinnati Coffee Festival Supporting Independent Coffee and Fighting Food Insecurity

A view of the Taylor-Southgate bridge, connecting Newport, Kentucky, to downtown Cincinnati over the Ohio River.

Organizers of the Cincinnati Coffee Festival have teamed up with local coffee purveyors for a seasonal benefit to improve local water quality and help address local food insecurity.

The fundraiser, called Fill the Cup, comes in lieu of the annual in-person coffee festival, which was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year. That festival is produced by, and is a major fundraiser for, the Ohio River Foundation. It also promotes local coffee shops and appreciation for specialty coffee at large.

Running through the month of December with requested donations of $20, the Fill the Cup drive is also benefitting Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank.

Supporters of the drive can then use access codes for a number of free drinks or discounts in-person or online at more than a dozen Cincinnati-area coffee shops, including event sponsors Mad Llama, Deeper Roots Coffee and Carabello Coffee Roasters.

“In this time of COVID-19, food needs have exploded around our region, which sparked the decision to partner with Freestore Foodbank for ‘Fill the Cup,’” Ohio River Foundation Executive Director Rich Cogen said in an announcement of the effort. “We also want to support local coffee shops, which have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.”

The Cincinnati Coffee Festival is currently expected to return in October 2021.