Axios Cincinnati
September 14, 2026
1 bug thing: Lanternflies aren't on the menu
Cincinnati's spotted lanternfly invasion has spawned an unlikely local theory: Are our famous Lazarus lizards fighting back?
Why it matters: Some locals swear they're seeing more of our little wall lizards just as invasive spotted lanternflies are exploding in number.
- It's a delightful theory, but the science is pretty shaky.
Reality check: "I've never seen one eat a lanternfly," Gene Kritsky, professor emeritus of biology at Mount St. Joseph University, tells Axios.
The intrigue: Smaller lanternfly nymphs could conceivably become lizard lunch, Kritsky says.
- But adult lanternflies are bigger than the lizards' heads — and they're fast.
- Lanternflies jump so quickly that Kritsky doubts a Lazarus lizard could simply "saunter up and grab one."
Between the lines: What looks like a predator-prey boom may be two unrelated Cincinnati invasions colliding.
- Lazarus lizards have expanded their territory for decades, spreading from around Downtown to neighborhoods east and west — and even as far north as Dayton, Kritsky says.
- Meanwhile, spotted lanternflies have become dramatically more noticeable here in just the past few years.
Translation: If you're outside hunting lanternflies, you're probably paying more attention to all the other tiny creatures scurrying around, too.
Zoom in: The lanternflies are worth watching. They suck sap from plants and excrete a sticky substance called honeydew that can leave decks looking perpetually wet — and even attract honeybees.
What to watch: Adults will die once cold weather arrives, but their egg masses survive to hatch next spring. Kritsky says they can look like someone smeared putty on a tree.
The bottom line: Cincinnati's Lazarus lizards probably aren't our tiny reptilian lanternfly defense force.
- However, we're choosing to believe they're doing their part.
2. 🐉 The monster at the end of this book crawl
For one weekend each fall, Snapdragon Books & Gifts' whimsical West Side home gets absolutely devoured.
Why it matters: Owner Bill MacFarland calls the Cincy Bookstore Crawl the "Super Bowl weekend for bookstores."
- The annual crawl, Oct. 2-4, will send readers crisscrossing Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to 27 independent bookstores — including some shops and neighborhoods they might otherwise never visit.
- For Snapdragon, that's especially meaningful: The shop fills what its owners call a bookstore void in the neighborhood.
Zoom in: Snapdragon itself feels a little like stepping inside a storybook.
- Bill and his wife, Andrea MacFarland, transformed a 1932 home on Bridgetown Road — most recently used as a computer repair business — into a room-by-room literary adventure.
- There's a colorful children's room, a horror/sci-fi/fantasy room and a basement "dungeon" complete with a dragon cave that Bill and his daughters helped build.
Adding to the lore: Bill says tunnels running through the basement, now home to the dragon, date to the house's bootlegging days.
Flashback: The couple had no bookstore or business experience when Bill floated the idea in early 2024. He was an elementary school teacher, while Andrea studied photography.
- They toured 14 locations before finding the property and opened Snapdragon in July 2025.
The plot twist: The not-yet-open bookstore managed to snag a spot in last year's crawl anyway — and the weekend changed his perspective on the business.
- Readers poured in from across the region, leaving shelves looking, as MacFarland puts it, "like a herd of locusts came through."
- More importantly, the crawl brought people to the West Side who might not otherwise have ventured there.
- "It's not a dead zone," he says. "We've got stuff going on here."
3. Roebling Report: What's lurkin' around town
4. 🎯 "Cricket," anyone?
👋 Casey here. Flight Club had me enamored on social media long before I made it through its downtown door. High-tech darts, cocktails and a wild Victorian vibe? I was intrigued.
Now that I've tried it, I'm glad I did.
The vibe: Think English pub meets Victorian fairground, GM Alex Uehlein tells Axios.
- Dark wood, green walls, floral wallpaper, vintage curiosities and, naturally, a carousel horse.
State of play: Rent one of 10 semi-private dart booths, called oches (pronounced "ockeys"), and pick from seven games.
- Oches run $15-$17 per person for 90 minutes, depending on the time of day.
- The tech keeps score and sends you photos and videos afterward.
It's like duckpin bowling or Topgolf. Sporty, but not cutthroat.
- Pro tip: OK, so there's no actual Cricket or 301/501 games, but games like Shanghai and Demolition are similar.
More than darts: The menu is upscale bar fare with flatbreads, wings, tacos, truffle fries and even a weekend brunch.
- I had the meatballs ($16) and calamari ($13).
The cocktails have more swagger, with options like the $13 Jungle Bird, made with Appleton Estate rum, Goslings Black Seal rum, pineapple and Aperol.
- The $17 Espresso Old Fashioned is the signature drink, which might tell you everything you need to know about the place.
The bottom line: Flight Club is less neighborhood dart bar, more night-out activity.
If you go: 125 W. 5th St. Open daily; hours vary. Menu.
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5. 🐅 Almost caught us. Almost.
Axios Cincinnati
