Can't Wait for the hard hitting jousting action of the Ohio Renaissance Festival to return to Harveysburg in September? Well, the History Channel has heard your calls and plans to premiere "Full Metal Jousting," a new reality competition show that pits jousting knights against one another in February.

The show will be hosted by Shane Adams, otherwise known as Sir Shanton of Falcon's Hill to his brotherhood of knights in the Knights of Valour troupe. Shane, originally from Toronto, Ontario began his endeavor in the jousting business at Medieval Times, and eventually created his own travelling show. He now makes his home at the Ohio Renaissance Festival and can be seen year after year taking on other noble knights in front of throngs of shouting fans.

The show that he and his troupe put together feels like you're really in the 1600's watching knights battle for honor and the eye of the fair maidens. They use real chainmail, real barrel helmets and it only takes one viewing to realize the hits are real as well. It's this reality that viewers of the History Channel's series will see on a weekly basis beginning Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. As one competitor puts it, "This ain't no dinner show."

For a sneak peek of the show from the History Channel click here.
For more info regarding the Ohio Renaissance Festival be sure to visit: www.renfestival.com

Kick off the season at Ozone Zipline Adventures with a special 15% discount on tours booked and taken in the month of April!

This discount is good for Extended Tours and Traditional Tours. 

Click here and then simply use the promo code wccvb at checkout for your savings.

This offer is not valid on Tuesdays.

About Ozone Zipline Adventures:
Ozone Zipline Adventures is a full canopy (tree-top) tour consisting of 10 ziplines connected by 9 sky bridges and a 45-foot tall central zipline tower. Soar more than 200 feet above the ground throughout the ravines of the Little Miami River Valley. This high-adventure experience is the largest zipline tour in the Midwest at more than 6,000 feet in length.

Visitors to Kings Island will have an opportunity to step back up to 245 million years in time when the world's largest animatronic dinosaur park debuts May 26, 2011.

More than 60 life-sized dinosaurs will be on display (some as tall as 30 feet high) in Dinosaurs Alive! at Kings Island, including 56 animatronic models, in a spectacular outdoor Jurassic forest setting!

The multi-sensory and interactive dinosaur park brings inspiration, science and technology together at Kings Island where guests will also hear the sounds and see the movements of these animatronic creations made to replicate nearly every feature of the dinosaurs.

Guests will experience 6 main scenes and 6 thematic exhibits as they make their way along a 4,000-foot long path spread throughout nearly 13 wooded acres.

Throughout this Jurassic journey, you'll learn about what the dinosaurs ate, when and where they lived, how they protected themselves, and how they adapted to their prehistoric world.

Adding to the thrill and excitement are the 4 dinosaurs with interactive consoles which allow guests to guide dinosaur movement so they can see how scientists believe each dinosaur moved its arms, tail, mouth and eyes. Other highlights include an excavation site replica, a kids' paleontological dig site where visitors can uncover prehistoric fossils, and a 1,500 square-foot dinosaur-themed gift shop that will feature more than 500 items.

Dinosaurs Alive! at Kings Island will be open daily beginning May 26 from 10:00 a.m. until dusk. The dinosaur park is not included with general park admission or a 2011 season pass.

A separate admission ticket of just $5.00 is required for this major attraction. Guests visiting Kings Island can purchase Dinosaurs Alive! admission tickets at the park or in advance online through the park's website.

On March 10, 2011, in an official announcement, the museum at Fort Ancient was granted accreditation by the American Associations of Museums, one of the most prestigious recognitions granted to a museum.

This high honor places Fort Ancient in esteemed company. Notable museums that have earned the AAM accreditation include the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Chicago's Field Museum.

The accreditation process, which is too lengthy to explain in a blog post, takes more than two year s to complete and involves thorough inspection of the museum and examination of its exhibits. Only about 5% of the museums in the United States have been granted the accreditation after completing this process.

The accreditation isn't the only honor bestowed upon the historic Native American site. Fort Ancient was granted National Historic Landmark status in 1964.

And in recent years, Fort Ancient has been placed on the shortlist for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Receiving this designation would place Fort Ancient on a global scale alongside famous sites such as Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal, the Great Barrier Reef and more.

Many new rides, shows and events will make their debut in 2011. Here is a rundown of all the exciting details so you can mark your calendar and plan your getaway to Ohio's Largest Playground!

WindSeeker at Kings Island debuts April 30th

Kings Island will delight thrill seekers in 2011 with WindSeeker, a 301-foot-tall tower that will spin riders 30 stories above the park at speeds up to 30 mph.

Seated in two-person swings that will allow your feet to dangle, you will slowly begin rotating in a circular motion as the swings ascend the tower. When you reach the top, the swings will reach speeds up to 30 mph, flaring out 45 degrees from the tower! WindSeeker will make its debut when Kings Island opens for the 2011 season in the spring.

Smithsonian Exhibit at the Warren County History Center

The Warren County History Center will host a traveling Smithsonian Exhibit "Beyond Baseball, The Life of Roberto Clemente," August 27 - October 12. In this exhibit, you will learn how in his 38 years, Roberto Clemente became a baseball legend in the United States, but in his homeland and throughout Latin America he became a national and cultural icon.

Western & Southern Open now a combined event

For the first time the best men's and women's tennis players in the world will play throughout the same week at the Western & Southern Open (August 13-21).

In one trip to the Lindner Family Tennis Center you see stars from both the WTA and the ATP tours playing on courts right next to each other. Imagine seeing a day of highly energized, competitive matches featuring Andy Roddick, Rafeal Nadal and Venus Williams in the afternoon then watching Roger Federer and Serena Williams that night!

Night Hunters exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo

Night Hunters, a new exhibit about nocturnal predators and prey at the Cincinnati Zoo merges the best of the Zoo's Nocturnal House and Cat House (opening May 2011). The new indoor interactive experience will feature many diverse species such as a bearcat, aardvark, fishing cat, clouded leopard and much more! But don't worry, all your favorite big cats - lions, tigers and cheetahs - will still be roaming about in their outdoor homes.

Warren County Civil War Trail

In conjunction with the 150 year anniversary of the start of the Civil War, you can now explore Warren County's "Civil War Trail" by visiting the Warren County Genealogical Society and the county's other museums and historical societies.

Along the trail, you will discover how Ohio played an important role in the winning of the American Civil War. Learn about daring Confederate raids performed by Morgan's Raiders, how Ohio produced the generals (Grant and Sherman) who helped win the war for the Union and much more!

Wes Cowan, owner of Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati will be at the Lebanon Antique Show on Saturday morning, January 15, 2011 beginning at 10:00 am.

Mr. Cowan who holds a PHD in Anthropology is well known across the country for his knowledge of American antiques, collectibles and Americana. For the last several years he has lent his expertise to television shows "Antiques Roadshow" and "History Detectives". Mr. Cowan will be happy to visit with show patrons and sign autographs. He will NOT be providing appraisals.

The Lebanon Antiques Show takes place Saturday and Sunday, January 15 and 16 at Bowman Primary School, 825 Hart Road, Lebanon, OH. Hours are Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00pm. Admission is $8.00 and is good for both days. Parking is free. Call 513-932-1817 for more information.

A few good recipes are needed for a soon-to-be published cookbook celebrating the culinary culture in Lebanon.

Historic Downtown Lebanon Inc. is looking for homemade family recipes to be published in an upcoming cookbook "Favorite Recipes of Historic Lebanon."

The cookbook will be unveiled at HDLI's Feb. 26 fundraiser entitled Let's W(h)ine About Winter at the Lebanon Convention and Banquet Center in the old post office on South Broadway Street, next to the Warren County Historical Society museum.

Many of the submitted recipes will be prepared and served at the fundraiser, with attendees choosing their favorites.

Recipes can be submitted to the HDLI office at 47 E. Mulberry St., Lebanon or by e-mailing HDLI-Director@zoomtown.com. Call Candace Lee at (513) 228-2322.

Submitters do not have to live in Lebanon to be considered for publication. Organizers want to receive recipes before January.

HDLI, one of 37 Ohio Main Street Communities, is dedicated to preserving and promoting Lebanon's historic downtown. Tickets for "Let's W(h)ine About Winter" will go on sale in January.

Content courtesy of The Western Star.

The oldest U.S. professional tennis tournament still played in its original city has been renamed the Western & Southern Open and will be held August 13-21, 2011 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

Formerly named the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women's Open, the new Cincinnati tennis event will become a combined event, meaning the men and women will compete during the same week.

"The combined tournament coming in August 2011 will be the best product we've ever put on the courts in our 110-year history," said Paul Flory, tournament chairman. "The new logo and tournament name are necessary to represent the formation of this new event."

Information courtesy of CincyTennis.com.

To celebrate National Tourism Month, we have teamed up with Family Friendly Cincinnati (FFC) to give away 31 Prizes in 31 Days this May!

Register to win online at FamilyFriendlyCincinnati.com. And check back each day to see that day's prize.

Prizes include everything from tickets to Kings Island, Ozone Zipline Adventures and The Beach Waterpark to golfing canoeing, dining and more!

Plus, as an extra incentive, you can be registered into a grand prize drawing for a 1-night stay at Great Wolf Lodge if you do either or all of the following:

1. "LIke" Warren County on Facebook and leave a comment on the FFC blog saying you did so
2. Follow Warren County on Twitter and leave a comment on the FFC blog saying you did so
3. Leave a comment on the FFC blog about any of the prize giveaways.

Winners will be announced inside the 31 Prizes tab on our Facebook page and on Twitter. You can also follow the contest on Twitter by searching the hashtag #31Prizes31Days.

Great Wolf Lodge at Kings Island announced that it will be opening a new waterslide in March of 2010, just in time for Spring Break!

Named, The Triple Twist™, this new ride features a high speed, five-story drop into a huge funnel followed by twists and turns and two more funnels. And at night, The Triple Twist takes it up a notch as you are immersed in a full-sensory LED lighting experience. The Triple Twist will be the first waterslide of its kind in the world!

To celebrate the unveiling of the new ride, Great Wolf is launching its "First Family" Sweepstakes. The "First Family" will receive:

• The opportunity to be the first guests to ride the new waterslide on Grand Opening Day
• The winner's surname on the new ride
• The winner's photo and commemorative plaque placed in the Grand Lobby of the resort
• One of the hotel suites to be named after the winner (with a photo and plaque outside the room)
• Two overnight stays in 2010

The sweepstakes begins at 12:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, January 18, 2010, and ends at 5:00 p.m., Central Standard Time, February 26, 2010.