Leapin Lizard Gallery

My wife and I got married at this lovely joint in November. The Lizard is so much more than just a wedding venue. This place provided the perfect whimsical/​quirky backdrop for our colorful wedding. Richard was a total joy to work with. Felt like working with an old friend. I still look back in disbelief at how perfect the night was. So many compliments, even my wife’s Grandma said, «you two should get married every weekend, that was so fun!»
Highly recommend!

We had our wedding reception here Saturday and we could NOT be happier with our experience!!! Richard is the best!!! Anything I thought up he was okay with and he most certainly went above and beyond to ensure our guests were happy!!! We partied all night and loved the friendly staff here at the Leapin Lizard!!! My whole family talked about how nice and attentive everyone here was!!! 5 stars!!! We highly recommend you reach out to the lovely and amazing folks at the Leapin Lizard for any event you may have!!!

This place is a hidden gem tucked into the heart of Covington’s eclectic Main Strauss Village. It’s an old converted church. The owners, Richard and Sara Kern are some of the kindest, most genuine and professional venue owners out there. They generously donated their space for two fund raisers that I had. They are both so quick to help, and are try stand-​up human beings.
The inside of the venue is gorgeous. The first floor is Alice-​in-​Wonderland-​esque, with fun and one-​of-​a-​kind art that decorates the place. The old DJ booth is perfect for VIP.
The second floor is equally as beautiful, with the old church organ still decorating the grand room. Such a beautiful and wonderful spot.
The outside is like the Secret Garden, and is tucked away behind the building with tons of privacy.
All in all, if you are looking for an absolutely breath-​taking space, with amazing and extremely professional owners, Sara and Richard are your people! Anything from music concerts to weddings to bar mitzvahs, call the Leapin Lizard!

I have gone to The Leapin’ Lizard several times for an event we call «Tribal Night». It is a bellydance party we call a hafla, where dancers from the Cincinnati area and beyond come to share their art with each other. We also have open dance, where everyone can participate. The folks at The Leapin’ Lizard always have the venue beautifully arranged and ready to go. The sound system is rockin’ and Richard usually has a tasty drink special to fit the theme of the night. The other bartenders are super friendly as well. I always look forward to the great time I know I’m going to have at this unique, eclectic venue! It is hard to find a place to park, but I think that applies to every venue in the Mainstrasse area.

I would give the Leapin’ Lizard negative stars if possible.
My fiancé and I were married in June this year at the Madison Event Center in Covington. We were looking for a laid back, fun place for our rehearsal dinner. While plenty of places in Covington would fit that description, we were limited due to the size of our party and the fact we needed a place that was wheelchair accessible. We were beyond thrilled when we found the Leapin’ Lizard. It was exactly what we were looking for and was wheelchair accessible to boot!
When we went to check out the venue in person, we actually beat the owner, Richard, there. I began to frantically pace around when I did not see a single entrance that appeared to be wheelchair accessible. When Richard arrived we immediately asked this question and he assured us that they had a portable ramp that would be ready to go the night of our event.
Fast forward to the eve of our wedding. As we arrived at the Leapin’ Lizard for our dinner, it was a bit chaotic. It was raining heavily and there wasn’t a lot of parking to be found. As I walk up to the entrance, I don’t see a ramp anywhere. My husband, who got there before me, informs me that Richard has told him we were supposed to remind him we needed the ramp, and now it is too late to get one because they rent it from another company and it was after regular business hours. They offered to use a flimsy piece of plywood up an extraordinarily steep set of stairs to try to get my brother and his 300 pound wheelchair into the building. This obviously was not even feasible, but an extraordinarily idiotic decision.
Because we did not have a ramp, my step mother and little brother had to go home and could not attend our rehearsal dinner. It was devastating and infuriating. Richard offered us extra drink tickets, and it was offensive that he seemed to think that would make up for my family not being able to attend our rehearsal dinner. My little brother cried the entire way home. Further. for Richard to say we were supposed to remind him about the ramp is deplorable. We discussed with him multiple times on different dates about the ramp and were never told we needed to remind him. That was not our job, that was his job as the business owner and for him to pin that on us is pathetic.
We attempted to contact him after the event to ask for our refund for our rental fee for not upholding the contract, but we never heard back.
Do not give Leapin’ Lizard your business. We will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and we will also be filing a complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as the business is not compliant with the law.

This isn’t the largest venue in town, but it is an interesting place. Think unique, intimate and interesting when you book this place. If you have an event that fits that criteria, then this could be just the place for you.
Downside, parking can be difficult that close to Mainstrasse.

I recently attended a Unilocal event here and was amazed that I didn’t know this space existed. The walls were painted vibrant colors and the artwork was great for starting conversations. I appreciated the large open space as well as the upstairs lofts with tables for those who wanted something a bit more secluded. The next time I need an event space the Leapin Lizard will be first on my list!

I was hired by a sorority at UC to cater a 90’s formal for them here. This place is really neat, the «kitchen» area is small and really doesn’t have any good cooking equipment, but I knew that going in so I was prepared.
The main floor is really neat with the bar set up in the back and the dance floor and the dance stage and the DJ booth was up above the dance stage. I also went up to the second floor and checked it out and was also very neat and kept going with the church theme.

The Leapin’ Lizard is one of the most unique and versatile event spaces in the Greater Cincinnati area. The building is a converted Methodist church, and it’s perfect for couples searching for an interesting, colorful venue for a more nontraditional wedding. The downstairs is an eclectic mixture of color and art while the upstairs retains much of the flavor of a church, with gorgeous stained glass and a huge working organ. Original works of art give the entire space a contemporary feel.
There are fully stocked bars on both floors as well as restrooms on each floor and a complete sound system.
The space may be utilized one floor at a time for smaller events, such as concerts, parties, stand up comedy acts, theater productions, etc.
Every event I have attended at the Leapin’ Lizard has been outstandingly memorable, primarily due to the amazing surroundings that greatly enhance any performance or party.

I’m not 100% sure what to make of this place honestly, but in a very very good way.
The only times I’ve been here have been for events, most recently a wedding. They have 2 floors and they couldn’t be more different. The top floor is reminiscent of the old church that now houses the gallery. more laid back, softer artwork on the walls. Hard wood floors, the old pipe organ pipes in the back, and the stained glass windows up front. They even have the old confessionals there! Although it is a bit weird as they’ve been converted into bathrooms, and theirs a DJ booth on top, but still cool!
Downstairs has that more eclectic funky vibe. Theirs a lounge area up a set of stairs behind the bar, and a few tables and couches spread throughout the space. Again, another DJ booth set up above the crowd and above the restrooms, but this ones not as noticeable. There’s also a pretty decently stocked bar on the first floor. It’s darker and feels a little more hip/​artsy/​edgy with more of that modern art vibe.
The art, including the furniture, is all for sale, and there’s a little something for everyone. There’s no real parking, so that’s kind of a pain, but they have events going on every week! It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re down on Main Strauss.

I have to give an extra star for all the hard work they are doing to keep this place on the map in terms of every kind of entertainment you can imagine. They have salsa dancing with a live band, DJ nights, burlesque training, drag shows, fashion shows, art/​craft fairs, world music performances, and the list goes on.
Not to mention they have lots of local artisan jewelry and home décor for sale. The selection is impressive.

The fact that there are only two other reviews for perhaps the most eclectic venue in Cincinnati highlights Leapin’ Lizard’s biggest problem: Not enough people know this hidden gem exists.
A former church that later became an art gallery, LL is currently an event space that features concerts, drag shows, stand-​up and improv comedy, and private events like weddings. LL is divided into a ground floor bar and an upstairs performance/​reception area, each with a dramatically different vibe.
Every time I enter LL’s bar, I feel like I’m stepping into an alternate universe version of Pee Wee’s Playhouse where Cowboy Curtis runs a weekly drag night with drink specials on Pinnacle Vodka. Since I regularly perform at LL’s stand-​up comedy open mics, I can vouch that their quirky and intimate ground floor is one of the coziest rooms in town to watch and/​or perform on a show. It’s hard not to love a venue that features disco balls, folk art and painted lower halves of mannequins as decorations.
LL’s upstairs area, which hosts wedding receptions and larger concerts like Cincy’s World Music Fest, is a spacious, high-​ceilinged room with a non-​working pipe organ on one end and a massive stained glass window on the other. I usually can’t say that a venue’s restrooms are my favorite part of visiting there. Then again, until visiting LL, I’d never used a restroom that was built out of a church confessional booth. (In case you’re wondering: Yes, the red «occupied confessional» light turns on when you walk in.)
The only reason I didn’t give Leapin’ Lizard five stars is their unfortunate inability to get the word out about what an awesome place they are. Their website suffers from a severe identity crisis and they don’t do much in the line of advertising save for their Facebook page. On the basis of sheer coolness alone, LL should be Covington’s answer to The Southgate House. Come on, guys… You’ve got one of the coolest venues in town. Don’t be afraid to let people know about it!

This contemporary art gallery is filled with fabulous furnishings, home and garden dcor, fine art and jewelry. Nestled in the heart of Covington’s MainStrasse’s entertainment and shopping district, the Leapin Lizzard specializes in high-​quality one-​of-​a-​kind creations for the discerning collector.
Located in a renovated 1880’s church, the gallery is an integral part of the revitalized local arts community. With over 150 hand-​made works, Leapin Lizard features national and regional artists whose productions include paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, collage and assemblage, wire, glass, and more.
During my recent visit, I was awestruck by the fantastical ceramics of nationally renowned artist Todd Warner. His whimsical wildlife sculptures are cartoonish, yet capture the idiosyncratic character of each animal he depicts. My favorites were «Whopper» and «I’ll Do the Driving» in his Something’s Fishy collection. Other highlights were the Twisp River Glass platters and Jeff Freeman floor lamps.
Leapin Lizard is an ideal art gallery for aesthetes looking for fine art with flair. Check out their website for upcoming exhibitions and events.