ALCON 2026 Special Events Descriptions
Wednesday - August 12th
Welcome Dinner and Social at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub
7:00PM - 11:00PM
112 E 4th St, Covington, KY 41011
Join us in kicking off ALCON 2026 week at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub in Covington Wednesday night before the first day of the conference. Molly Malone’s Irish Pub is mere blocks from the Marriott Cincinnati Rivercenter making it an easy walk for out of town guests without transportation.
We have reserved an entire floor of the venue for this event. Meet and greet fellow conference attendees and mingle with members of the Cincinnati Astronomical Society as we welcome our early arrivals for the week. Music. Food. Revelry.
For more about Molly Malone’s Irish Pub visit:
https://mollymalonesirishpub.com/covington/
Optional Event
Cost: $40.00 per person
Includes: Buffet selections (See below for details)
Transportation: Walkable from Marriott, or one stop on the free South Shore Trolley or surface parking across the street.
Capacity: 125 people maximum
Not included: Alcoholic beverages (cash bar).
Entertainment: Music, darts, pool table.
Menu
Fish and Chips Bites
Caprese Skewers
Mini Meatballs
Hummus
Shepherds Pie Bites
Bread Pudding
Unlimited soda, iced tea, and coffee
Thursday - August 13th
ALCON 2026 “Soft Start”
10:00AM - 12:00PM
Marriott RiverCenter Atrium
Get our first day going at the conference “soft-start” with a pair of activities in the Marriott Atrium. A Meet & Greet Brunch and a historical presentation.
Meet & Greet Brunch
10:00AM - 11:00AM
Cost: $48.00 per person
Includes: Buffet selections (see below for details)
Transportation: None needed (in the hotel - Atrium 2nd level)
Capacity: 120 people maximum
Menu
Fresh fruit salad
Assorted pastries
Pearl Sugar Waffles with triple berry compote, bourbon maple syrup, and whipped cream
Scrambled eggs
Maple sausage links
Applewood smoked bacon
Seasoned potato cubes
Freshly brewed coffee (regular, decaffeinated)
Hot tea
Juice (orange, apple, cranberry)
Presentation: The Mystery of the Stolen Lens by John E. Ventre
11:00AM - 12:00PM
Immediately following brunch, enjoy a light hearted historical story about how CAS historian John Ventre devoted nearly 20 years to finding and recovering the objective lens from the CAS 1880 Alvan Clark refractor which was stolen in 1980.
Cost: Included with conference
Transportation: None needed (in the hotel)
Capacity: 120 people maximum (seated).
Thursday - August 13th
ALCON 2026 Official Start
1:00PM
The official start of ALCON 2026 with opening remarks by Astronomical League president Chuck Allen and Cincinnati Astronomical Society president Bryan Simpson.
Thursday - August 13th
StarBQ
6:00PM - 10:00PM
Cincinnati Museum Center
1301 Western Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45203
Join us for this annual conference favorite, the ALCON StarBQ. Our venue this year will be one of the most classic and well known examples of art deco architecture in the United States; the Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC), also known as Union Terminal. This historic venue is one of Cincinnati’s most popular destinations. The gorgeous rotunda with the largest half-dome in the western hemisphere and tall Winold Reiss mosaics that tell the story of Cincinnati, is always a favorite of visitors.
Our StarBQ will be a strolling reception held in the CMC’s Museum of Natural History & Science and ending in the Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery. Mingle with ALCON 2026 attendees, listen to music, enjoy the dinner menu.
As part of the StarBQ, up to 225 attendees may attend a showing at the Museum Center’s OMNIMAX theater. Because seating is limited to 225 people for the OMNIMAX showing, StarBQ attendees should purchase their tickets for this event ASAP.
The IMAX selection is Deep Sky, a film about JWST. See the trailer for the film on YouTube HERE.
Optional Event
Cost: $65.00 per person
Includes: Buffet selections (See below for details)
Transportation: Bus from hotel and back - $20.00 per person. For guests with cars, It’s an easy drive and parking at the CMC is free.
Capacity: No maximum for the event
Capacity for OMNIMAX film: 225 (first come first served for tickets)
Not included: Alcoholic beverages (cash bar)
Entertainment: Music and OMNIMAX film
Menu
Charred Tomato Bruchetta (VG)
Fresh Vegetable Spring Roll (V)
Bacon Wrapped Date
Pretzel Bar
Slider Bar
Dessert bar TBD
Friday - August 14th
Explore Cincinnati
1:00PM - 7:00PM
Multiple Locations
Friday afternoon we will offer a window of opportunity for attendees to get out of the conference hall and explore Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Attendees may explore on their own, in a pre-paid tour organized by ALCON (see Option #1 and Option #2 below), or in an informal group hosted by CAS Ambassadors (see Option #3 below). Both lunch and dinner will be on your own.
Many of the area’s top attractions can be reached by walking or taking free public transportation. The ALCON hospitality table will help provide suggestions and details for getting to and from local attractions and areas.
Activity Option #1
Cincinnati Observatory Tour
Visit the historic Cincinnati Observatory. Take a tour of the first professional observatory in the U.S. and see their two telescopes; the 11-inch Merz and Mahler installed as the original telescope at the observatory, and the 16-inch Alvan Clark and Sons refractor, installed after the observatory moved to its current location in the Mt Lookout area of Cincinnati. (Tour duration 1 hour)
Weather permitting there will be solar observing through the Observatory’s Merz & Mahler refractor.
Optional Event
Cost: $25.00 per person
Includes: Tour and transportation
Capacity: 110 people max.
Accessibility: Limited access to some areas, notably the observing rooms with telescopes. Please see the COC’s page regarding accessibility HERE prior to signing up for this event.
For more general information on the Cincinnati Observatory please see: https://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org/home/
Activity Option #2
Hidden Caverns Tour
The tour begins at Northern Row Brewery, a modern-day brewery in the Over The Rhine district. Explore Cincinnati’s historic beer caverns forty feet underground, built in 1855 where 19th century breweries stored and fermented their beer. Also visit Findlay Market, the oldest continuously operating public market in the state of Ohio.
The tour ends at Northern Row Brewery. For guests 21 and over, the tour includes a beer at the end. Guests may choose to dine at Northern Row after the tour is completed.
Read more about Northern Row Brewery please see:
https://www.northernrow.com/
Optional Event
Cost: $52.00 per person
Includes: Tour only
Transportation: Cincinnati Connector, South Shore Trolley
Capacity: 78
Not included: Any food or drink (except complimentary beer at the end of the tour).
Accessibility: The brewery cave tour is not wheelchair accessible and requires a 3/4 mile walk, including steep stairs to access the brewery caves. The tour begins and ends at Northern Row Brewery.
Activity Option #3
Explore with CAS Ambassadors
For guests attendees who choose not to participate in the two scheduled activities either of the two pre-paid tours, you may join CAS Ambassadors who will act as guides to get you to and from select local attractions. A complete list of the locations where the Ambassadors will be available and communicated during the conference and at the ALCON hospitality table.
Cost: Variable depending on activity
Transportation: Walking, Cincinnati Connector, South Shore Trolley
Not included: Any food or drink during these activities.
Accessibility: Depending on venue.
Saturday - August 15th
Pre-banquet Social Hour
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Cincinnati Marriott RiverCenter Atrium (second floor)
All ALCON 2026 attendess will be sure to want to take advantage of the pre-banquet social hour including beer and wine selections compliments of the Marriott RiverCenter. This event is open to all attendees of the conference.
As part of this social hour, there will be music provided by the orchestral duo Simply Strings, Larry and Hildy Bonhaus, members of the Cincinnati Civic Orchestra.
Get in the spirit for the feature event of ALCON 2026; the banquet, keynote and awards ceremony.
Optional Event
Cost: complimentary
Includes: Beer and Wine
Transportation: None needed
Capacity: All ALCON Attendees
Entertainment: Music
Saturday - August 15th
ALCON 2026 Banquet, Keynote, and Awards
6:30PM - 10:00PM
Marriott Rivercenter Covington Ballroom
The pinnacle of the conference is the Saturday night festivities, which include the banquet, awards ceremony, and the keynote presentation. Our keynote this year is being delivered by Dr. Rebecca Williams, a planetary geologist whose studies have focused on Mars via the NASA Curiosity rover. See her full Bio HERE
The event kicks off at 6:30 with the ALCON 2026 Banquet in the Covington Ballroom at the Marriott Rivercenter. The banquet ends at 8:00PM with the start of Dr Williams’ keynote presentation, and the evening concludes after the AL Awards Ceremony which runs from 9PM to 10PM.
(Add some more detail in this description about Dr Williams presentation as well as the awards ceremony)
Optional Event
Cost: $65.00 per person
Includes: Buffet selections (See below for details)
Transportation: None needed
Capacity: 320 maximum
Not included: Alcoholic beverages (cash bar)
Entertainment: Keynote Presentation and Awards
Menu
Simple Green Salad
Vegetarian Lasagna (V)
Red Wine Brazed Short Ribs
Fried Bacon Roasted Brussels (GF)
Garlic Sauteed French Green Beans (GF, V, VG)
Roasted Red Potatoes (GF)
New York Cheesecake
Freshly Brewed Coffee (regular, decaffeinated)
Iced Tea
