Blink bringing laser bridge, expansion to Northern Kentucky in 2024

Blink, the nation's largest public art, light and projection mapping spectacle, plans to bring more to Northern Kentucky this year.

Blink organizers announced Wednesday that the festival is returning to Covington in 2024 and will expand to Newport for the first time.

From Oct. 17-20, the Covington area will receive the full Blink experience, including a laser bridge display near the Roebling Suspension Bridge. This new installation will cast a 100-foot wide array of light from Covington Landing to Sawyer Point on Cincinnati's riverfront.

Also part of Northern Kentucky's Blink involvement will be Hotel Covington, as well as Newport on the Levee, which will host new projection mapping displays. Attendees can additionally expect an installation near MegaCorp Pavilion and the Fourth Street Bridge.

An investment from MeetNKY, Northern Kentucky's official tourism and convention services bureau, made the expansion into the area possible.

"Increasing Blink's footprint into Newport is about more than the location," Justin Brookhart, Blink's executive director, said in a press release. "Northern Kentucky artists are also part of this expansion, and we are eager to see how they take on these new creative opportunities."

Blink previously occurred in 2017, 2019 and 2022. It attracted over 2.1 million attendees from 29 states during its last iteration, featuring 71 artists. The 2022 festival had a direct economic impact of $126 million for the Cincinnati region.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Laser bridge, expansion coming to NKY for Blink 2024