Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More
Join The Unit for an exciting bootcamp workout that will take you through RiverScape in a whole new way. Whether you’re running the stairs, doing push-ups near the reflecting pools, or stretching along the levee, this effective workout will keep you moving. Combined with the uplifting support of the community members that make up The Unit, this is a workout you will want to make part of your weekly routine. All fitness levels welcome and encouraged!
Join your community on May 1 as Levitt Dayton announces the 2025 Eichelberger Concert season with…a concert!
Cut the ribbon on the new concession stand and pick up your season schedule as early as 6 p.m. and Subterranean takes the stage at 7 p.m.
Subterranean is an improvisational rock band from Dayton, Ohio that is best experienced at a live show. Their infectious grooves and spontaneous yet polished musical ventures create a unique adventure for their audience every time they step onto a stage. The band has been together for over 10 years. Subterranean has played venues all around the region from Michigan to Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and West Virginia. They have played many prestigious festivals such as The Werkout, Resonance, The Mad Tea Party Jam, and Hookahville. They have shared the stage with icons such as Ron Holloway, Bernie Worrell, Johnny Neel, and Doug Wimbish.
At the Levitt Pavilion Dayton you can tailor your experience to you! Whether you bring in your own food, beverage and lawn chair or purchase refreshments and rent a chair, your experience should be easy!
DPAA’s Stained Glass Concert—the Norma Ross Memorial Community Concerts—is part of a series of community outreach efforts in honor of the late Mrs. Norma Ross. The concerts are a wonderful opportunity for local church musicians and choirs to collaborate alongside DPO Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic, as well as other local arts groups.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture from The Marriage of Figaro
Joseph Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1, 1st movement
Franz Schubert Symphony No. 5
Kirk Franklin Hosanna featuring the Grace UMC Choir (Charis Weible, Worship Arts Director)
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the largest Italian Ice concept in the world, is shaking up its flavor lineup once again with a bold new twist on a classic sip: Cola Italian Ice. Inspired by the iconic soda, this new flavor delivers the timeless taste of old-school cola nostalgia in a refreshingly cool, icy form with the perfect balance of sweetness and tang. Rita’s Cola Italian Ice is available at all Rita’s locations for a limited time starting now!
Rita’s is embracing innovation by introducing their new Twisted Cola Blender drink, inspired by the viral social media trend that has taken the internet by storm. Rita’s Twisted Cola Blender combines the bold taste of the new Cola Ice in a refreshing drink form, topped with indulgent CocoLime Cream, to offer a sweet, creamy, coconut-lime flavor twist that pairs perfectly with the Cola Ice. It’s only available for a limited time and is a must-try treat! Rita’s tried-and-true Gelati lovers can also enjoy Cola Ice in their new Cola Float Gelati, made with layers of Cola Ice and Vanilla Frozen Custard.
“Social media has been buzzing with a new wave of beverage experimentation, and we’re thrilled to bring this exciting trend to life, Rita’s style,” said Madalyn Weintraub, Senior Director of Marketing at Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard. “The new Cola Italian Ice lineup embraces timeless flavors and blends them with today’s current trends to create new products like our Twisted Cola Blender with CocoLime Cream. We’re committed to pushing the boundaries of frozen treats by offering fresh, innovative creations that surprise and delight our guests.”
Starting today, Rita’s app users can enjoy a special offer: buy one Twisted Cola Blender and get a small one free! Simply redeem the one-time-use reward in your Rita’s app account. Don’t have the app yet? Download the Rita’s app by May 4 to receive the special reward. Rewards expire seven days from the date of issue, so don’t delay!
Looking for more sweetness? Download the Rita’s Ice app to start earning rewards on your purchases. New members can enjoy a free small Ice, Custard, or Gelati after their first purchase just for signing up. Those who aren’t Rita’s loyalty members yet can download the Rita’s Ice app from the Apple or Google Play stores, or by visiting ritasice.com/app/. Join now to receive free treats, birthday rewards, exclusive app offers and more!
Rita’s signature Italian Ice is made fresh daily on-site and available in a rotating daily selection from over 80 flavors. Other menu items at Rita’s include creamy Frozen Custard, signature Gelati, Concretes, Frozen Coffee, Rita’s Blenders™, Milkshakes and more. For more information about Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard and to find your closest location, please visit their website.
This is a high-intensity interval training and bootcamp style class hosted by Virgil Carter from Express Fitness Studio at Dick’s House of Sport.
Big Chicken, the concept created by basketball legend and serial entrepreneur, Shaquille O’Neal, fusing his home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors, is officially raising the stakes with the launch of its first-ever “Inside The Sandwich Wars” (“Sandwich Wars.”)
The limited-time promotion tips off during Playoff season on April 23 and plays through June 30. Ultimate fans are invited to try four BIG sandwiches, each created in collaboration with former athletes and current sports personalities: Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and O’Neal.
Throughout the Sandwich Wars, guests will be able to cast their votes for the champion. The sandwich legend with the highest number of purchases and guest love across the U.S. will receive a $25,000 donation to the winner’s charity of choice.
“This one’s personal. These are my friends, my colleagues and now, my competition. We’re going head-to-head in the ultimate “‘sandwich playoffs,'” all for our fans and a great cause,” said O’Neal.
Each sandwich in the lineup reflects Big Chicken’s bold approach to BIG flavor and BIG personality, driven by menu innovation – combining crispy, juicy chicken with home-cooked favorites and craveworthy add-ons that highlight each personality’s taste.
The court’s heating up with this all-star roster:
“The Sandwich Wars are a reflection of what Big Chicken stands for,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken and Chief Business Officer of Craveworthy Brands. “We’re a brand built on bold flavor, true hospitality and connecting with the community in meaningful ways. This offer brings all of that to life, with our fans playing the most important role in deciding who takes home the title.”
“I created Big Chicken because I always believed comfort food brings people together, and this lineup takes that to another level. Big flavor, big competition and even bigger impact. Now, that’s what I call a triple double. It’s game time,” added O’Neal.
Austin Landing
10655 Innovation Dr
Miamisburg, OH 45342
Open 11am – 9pm daily
In this Pilates class you will learn basic Pilates principles, how to change your posture to improve pain syndromes, strengthen the entire body and core muscles, and improve flexibility.
Free. No registration required.
Ages 16 & up. If under 18 years a parent or legal guardian must sign a waiver.
All abilities are welcome. Please bring a mat and water bottle.
Dark Star Orchestra will bring its critically-acclaimed live, Grateful Dead tribute performance to Rose Music Center at The Heights on Saturday, August 9.
Performing to critical acclaim for over 25 years and over 3,100 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead live concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead’s extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians. On any given night, the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead’s 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share the experience. By recreating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.
Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience. It’s about a sense of familiarity. It’s about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It’s about that contagious energy…in short, it’s about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show.
Dark Star Orchestra has performed throughout the entire United States, including a sold-out debut at Colorado’s Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater, plus shows in Europe and the Caribbean with the band touching down in seven different countries. DSO continues to grow its fan base by playing at larger venues for two and even three-night stands, as well as performing at major music festivals including Bonnaroo, Milwaukee’s SummerFest, The Peach Music Festival, Jam Cruise, Wanee Festival, SweetWater 420 Festival, Mountain Jam, and many more.
In addition to appearing at some of the nation’s top festival, Dark Star Orchestra hosts its own annual music festival and campaign gathering, titled the “Dark Star Jubilee”, currently in its eighth year where DSO headline all three nights and are joined by a mix of established and up and coming national touring acts. Beyond the shores of the United States, DSO has taken its internationally-acclaimed Grateful Dead tribute to the beaches of Jamaica in the dead of winter for the past six years, with their event appropriately titled ‘Jam in the Sand’. Featuring an ocean-side stage, DSO sets up camp to perform shows for four nights along the tropical sands of an all-inclusive resort, selling out the event each year for hundreds of lucky attendees.
Fans and critics haven’t been the only people caught up in the spirit of a Dark Star show. The band has featured guest performances from six original Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy. Other notable guests have included Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish, Keller Williams, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and many more.
“For us it’s a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years,” keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco explains. “We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the 90s, we offer something they never got to see live.”
Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at 10AM on Friday, April 25 at Ticketmaster.com and the Rose Music Center Box Office.
Rosewood Arts Center, Kettering Health Art Gallery announces the opening of Yiyun Chen X Fremaux-Valdez Solo Exhibition on April 21st. It will run through May 24th. Yiyun Chen’s photographic project, Whispers in the Breeze, began as a pastime and was prompted by the artist’s wandering as a pedestrian along Lake Erie. The project became a ritual, and then a process of self-reflection and self-discovery for the artist as an Asian immigrant – exploring the relationship between people, environment and society.
The collaborative work of partners Ghislaine and Lando Fremaux-Valdez is on a gargantuan scale, executed in gouache and pastel on paper. Each drawing naturalistically portrays one or both of the artists’ bodies (sometimes many times over), but deranges them through fragmentation, anatomical corruption, and/or pictorial chaos
Closing Reception and Artist Talks: May 24, 2025, 1 – 3 p.m.
You’re invited to an unforgettable evening at The Brightside’s “Vod-Vil Bar” on Thursday, April 24th! Get ready to indulge in:
Burlesque Entertainment: Experience the captivating artistry of Gem City Burlesque.
Live Music: Enjoy electrifying performances from Ayn Swann & The High Standards.
Delicious Cocktails: Sip on expertly crafted drinks that will tantalize your taste buds!
VIP and Standard tables are available as well as single tickets (seated, no table). 🎟️
HOW TO GO?
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Doors 6:30pm
Show 7:30pm
The Brightside, 905 E 3rd St, Dayton
GA tickets $30 each / Reserved Tables for 2 $100 – $150
Get your ticket here: https://tickets.venuepilot.com/e/gem-city-burlesque-2025-04-24-the-brightside-music-event-venue-dayton-3631e0
Ages 21+
Join your community on May 1 as Levitt Dayton announces the 2025 Eichelberger Concert season with…a concert!
Cut the ribbon on the new concession stand and pick up your season schedule as early as 6 p.m. and Subterranean takes the stage at 7 p.m.
Subterranean is an improvisational rock band from Dayton, Ohio that is best experienced at a live show. Their infectious grooves and spontaneous yet polished musical ventures create a unique adventure for their audience every time they step onto a stage. The band has been together for over 10 years. Subterranean has played venues all around the region from Michigan to Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and West Virginia. They have played many prestigious festivals such as The Werkout, Resonance, The Mad Tea Party Jam, and Hookahville. They have shared the stage with icons such as Ron Holloway, Bernie Worrell, Johnny Neel, and Doug Wimbish.
At the Levitt Pavilion Dayton you can tailor your experience to you! Whether you bring in your own food, beverage and lawn chair or purchase refreshments and rent a chair, your experience should be easy!
Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton is the non-profit that manages, programs, and fundraises for the Levitt Pavilion in downtown Dayton. Levitt Pavilion Dayton is reinvigorating Dayton’s urban core by reactivating Dave Hall Plaza, which in turn inspires people’s health, happiness, and well-being by offering enjoyable experiences through a rich spectrum of music genres. The venue also provides access to high quality cultural and educational experiences for all audiences from the community. Levitt Pavilion Dayton presents free family-friendly concerts with a reach annually to over 70,000 individuals of all ages and backgrounds in the Dayton region. As the only free major outdoor performance space in Dayton, they provide access to all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, or socioeconomic status.
Thrill-seekers and families alike are counting down the days until Kings Island officially opens for the 2025 season on Saturday, April 19th. With extended hours, exciting new attractions, and beloved classics returning, Opening Day promises to deliver a full day of unforgettable fun.
Kings Island will be open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM on April 19th, giving guests all day to explore everything the park has to offer. Early birds can take advantage of shorter lines in the morning, while night owls can enjoy the park’s dazzling evening atmosphere and illuminated coasters. They will be opened April 26 & 27, May 2nd & 3rd and May 9 and 10 from 10am to 9pm, and on May 4th and May 11th from 10am – 7pm and then daily starting May 14th.
This year, Kings Island is debuting “Sol Spin,” a brand-new flat ride in the Oktoberfest section of the park. Suspended high above the midway, Sol Spin launches riders into a swirling, soaring adventure with 360-degree rotations and epic views of the park.
Also new for 2025 is the revamped Camp Snoopy area, which has been expanded with two additional family-friendly rides: “Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers”, a junior coaster perfect for little thrill-seekers, and “Woodstock’s Wagon Wheel”, a gentle spinning ride that’s great for all ages.
Kings Island is home to over 100 rides, shows, and attractions, including:
Orion, one of only seven giga coasters in the world
The Beast, the longest wooden roller coaster on the planet
Mystic Timbers, a fan-favorite with a mysterious surprise ending
Planet Snoopy, voted the best kids’ area in the world several years running
Live entertainment – Enjoy a lineup of shows throughout the park, with performances suitable for the whole family.
Dining and Shopping: Savor a variety of food options and shop for souvenirs to commemorate your visit.
Soak City Water Park at Kings Island will open to the public on Saturday, May 24th. The park is expected to feature the new RiverRacers, Ohio’s only side-by-side dual racing water coaster, and Splash River Junction, a new kids’ play area with seven slides.
For tickets, season passes, and more information, visit the official Kings Island website: Kings Island
Join us on April 22nd for an exciting Earth Day celebration! Take on the challenge of our Rockwall with a 15-minute climb for just $5 and experience the thrill of reaching new heights. After your climb, head to the field and plant your very own flower to take home as a reminder of your achievement and our commitment to a greener planet. 🌍🌿💪
*While supplies last.
The Wonderlands’ Great Escape Tour of 2025 is one of the “don’t miss” music events of the spring! This special show features two other awesome bands local bands: crabswithoutlegs and October Tuesday.
HOW TO GO?
Friday, April 18, 2025
at The Brightside (905 E 3rd St Dayton)
Doors 7pm / Show 8pm
Tickets $15 advance / $20 at door
EXPLORING WRIGHT-DUNBAR—PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Thurs. April 17 A History Presentation and Guided Walking Tour 5 pm-7pm Celebrate the rich history and vibrant revitalization of Dayton’s Wright Dunbar district in partnership with Preservation Dayton and the American Institute of Architects. Light refreshments 5-5:30 p.m.; The Evolution of Wright Dunbar presented by John Gower; 6 p.m Guided Walking Tour with Preservation Dayton Experts; 7:15
Optional social gathering at West Social Tap and Table
The event is free but space is limited. Register to secure your spot at https://www.eventbrite.com/…/exploring-wright-dunbar…
