Kroger Unites Brands for Cincinnati Wellness Festival

Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., will again host a two-day wellness festival this year in downtown Cincinnati, bringing together brand partners and sponsors on Sept. 22-23 to offer a slew of activities promoting overall health, including panel discussions, cooking demos, exhibitions, celebrity appearances and live activations/sampling.

The Kroger Wellness Festival is presented in partnership with PepsiCo and Gatorade this year and will feature more than 100 experiences and food offerings focused on six core pillars of transformation: balance, move, breathe, care, uplift and play, according to a media release. The goal of the event is to promote and celebrate “physical, mental and emotional health for the whole family,” and highlight healthier and better-for-you products available at Kroger.

The event takes place at The Banks, a mixed-use development and entertainment district in Cincinnati. Attendees can engage with the more than 175 event sponsors and experience fitness activities and classes, panel discussions, cooking/food demos, exhibitions, classes and live music across six stages (namely, the Kenvue Stage, BodyArmor Stage, Gatorade Stage, Campbell's Food as Medicine Stage, American Greetings Stage and Saratoga Stage).

More than 7,000 parking spots are available in and around The Banks, signifying the turnout Kroger is anticipating. The retail giant also launched an updated dedicated Kroger Wellness Festival mobile app to push festival alerts and give attendees another way to browse programing and explore the map.

The festival has secured celebrity appearances from professional athletes, including WWE Champion and actor John Cena, as well as actress Cameron Diaz, Food Network chef Amanda Freitag, Cincinnati Bengals legend Chad Johnson, TV host of "The Talk" Amanda Kloots, Super Bowl champions Eli and Peyton Manning, Peloton instructor Alex Toussaint and professional tennis player Venus Williams.

Musical performances from the Barenaked Ladies, presented by General Mills on the BodyArmor stage, will take place on Sept. 22, and from Flo Rida, presented by Smartwater on the Kenvue stage, on Sept. 23.

Other festival programming highlights include:

• Kroger’s “Race to Vaccine” racecare will be on-site with the retailer’s medical providers to administer flu vaccines both days.
• Cincinnati sports broadcaster Marty Brennaman and his wife, Amanda, will share comfort meal recipes from the Campbell's Cookbook and Laura's Lean on the Campbell’s Food as Medicine stage.
• Entrepreneur and former contestant on ABC’s “The Bachelor,” Dylan Barbour, will discuss the shifting employer landscape and future of workforce on the American Greetings stage.
• Chef Christian Gill will lead two chefs in making Cincinnati recipes with a “healthy, surprise twist” during the Culinary Creator Challenge on the Campbell’s stage.
• Venus Williams will lead a fireside chat on leadership and resilience, presented by PepsiCo, on the Gatorade stage.
• Bengals legend Chad Johnson and FC Cincinnati soccer club player Michael Millay and team will lead a workout session, presented by BodyArmor.
• Actor Cameron Diaz will share her favorite organic recipes that support longevity and healthy aging.
• Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky mascots, including the Krojis, will join a TikTok dance routine led by Jess Evans from Dance Factory Fitness and radio station KISS 107's Jon Jon.
• Food Network Chef Amanda Freitag will explore plant-based meals during this cooking demonstration, presented by Blue Diamond Almond Flour.
• Bartender Molly Wellmann will lead a demonstration and tasting of a spectrum of tequila spirits.

Online, a dedicated event landing page within Kroger.com highlights the event details as well as wellness tips and advice, recipes and products that will be available at this year’s festival. A “View More” button links to a page listing a slew of products from brand sponsors/partners.