A 4,000-square-foot barn just outside Cincinnati is getting a Hollywood-inspired makeover tonight, as organizers transform The Venue On Lake Grant in Mount Orab into a juke joint modeled after Ryan Coogler's hit film Sinners. The Cinners Juke Joint runs from 8 p.m. Friday until 1 a.m. Saturday at 13257 U.S. 68, featuring live music, DJs, a full bar, a soul food menu, card games, activities and a photo booth.
The event was dreamed up by John Thomas and Xiana Quinn, who based it directly on Coogler's film, according to Cincinnati CityBeat. In Sinners, two main characters played by Michael B. Jordan buy an abandoned sawmill and turn it into a juke joint — a setup Thomas and Quinn wanted to bring to life outside the theater. Thomas, who works as an IT professional and organizes events part-time, told the outlet that he and Quinn were obsessed with the movie for months before the idea outgrew their original plan. What started as a backyard movie night, he said, eventually became a full barn event.
From Sawmill to Soul Food
A juke joint, as CityBeat describes it, is historically a venue built around live music, food and drinking, designed for Black patrons. That spirit carries through The Cinners Juke Joint's lineup: Thomas and Quinn set out to recreate the film's live music performances, booking Flame Fontayne and TheBandTaryn alongside DJ sets from DJ Queen Celine and DJ Chrispy. Attendees are also encouraged to show up in fashion representing their culture, adding a style component to the night beyond the planned costume contest, which allevents.in notes will award prizes from local Black-owned businesses.
Food duties are split between two vendors. Sunday Dinner Tribe is catering the main spread, while Guac Goddess is providing vegan options for the night, per the same CityBeat report. The listing on allevents.in separately describes the main caterer as local outfit Sunday Dinner, offering a full soul food menu for purchase alongside a full bar stocked with themed drinks.
Sponsors and a Charitable Cut
The event carries backing from Cinsei, which sponsors the costume contest, along with Esoteric Brewing and Shea Candle Company, both listed as event sponsors by CityBeat. Ten percent of all ticket and bar sales will go to the National Commission for Black Arts & Entertainment, according to allevents.in — a detail Thomas and Quinn built into the event's structure from the start.
Thomas told CityBeat that music was the first priority in putting the night together, and that local Black-owned businesses and community members helped create the event alongside him and Quinn. He also said the organizers did not use artificial intelligence during their promotion efforts, pointing instead to the community partnerships behind the event's marketing and planning.
A Nod to the Film's Bigger Conversation
Sinners went on to win four Oscars, and Thomas and Quinn told CityBeat the film celebrated African American culture and its intersectionality in a way that sparked an important conversation. Thomas said he hopes The Cinners Juke Joint keeps that conversation going locally while also spotlighting Cincinnati's own music scene. He added that he hopes the event inspires others to host similar gatherings across the city in the future.
Listings for the event circulated ahead of Friday night, including a Fox19 video segment describing Juke Joint Cincy as the host behind the Sinners-inspired gathering, and an event page on allevents.in that named Smoke & Stack as the organizer. Updates and photos from the night have also been shared on the event's Instagram account, @jukejointcincy.
