Downtown’s Biggest Street Party Is Getting Bigger

If you are looking to take your weekend to new heights, look no further than downtown Dayton.

Urban Nights will be back with even more fun activities on Friday, Sept. 16, from 5 to 10 p.m. New this year is Over the Edge, a challenge that combines fundraising with adventure. Participants who raise at least $1,000 will be given the opportunity to rappel over the side of the 27-story KeyBank Tower. All proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Miami Valley. Space is limited; for more information, call 220-6857.

Urban Nights has plenty of live entertainment. Check out the stage featuring Celtic and folk music, including performances by  Norman’s Conquest. Back by popular demand is the Community Stage. For the first part of the evening, local bands and performers will be allowed 10-minute slots on the stages. The second half will feature karaoke, when anyone can take a turn at the mic.

Urban Nights is filled with interactive activities. The public pianos that debuted

during the fall 2010 Urban Nights are also back by popular demand. Hauer Music will provide four pianos to be placed on street corners throughout downtown, which pedestrians are invited to play. Other interactive activities will include an opportunity to help create a work of art with jelly beans, a chalk walk on the sidewalk, and a chance to learn how to break dance and juggle.

K12 Gallery for Young People, 510 E. Third St., will host Round 1 of Art-Off, a new fundraising event in which individuals battle to create the greatest art-making spectacle in an Iron Chef-like competition. Participants will receive materials (announced the night of the event) to create artwork within the theme “chaos vs. order.” Ten artists will compete during six 30-minute time slots from 6 to 9 p.m., and audience members will vote on each time slot’s winning artist based on the artists’ performances in crafting their pieces, as well as their finished products. To sign up to participate, contact Kelly Sexton at 461-5149 or [email protected].

Winning entries from the Downtown in Focus amateur and professional photography contest will be on display in the Kettering Tower lobby during Urban Nights. One amateur winner and one professional winner were selected in each of the following categories: My Downtown Favorite, Downtown at Night and Abstract Downtown. A panel of judges awarded a $250 cash prize to the Best in Show winner in each division. In addition, City of Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell selected one photo that best represents the City’s “Dayton Originals” motto.

The weekend-long Taste of Miami Valley will kick off during Urban Nights at RiverScape MetroPark. Guests can sample food from more than 30 area restaurants. Admission is free, and most tastes are $3 each.

A map of participating venues and a complete performance schedule, including a listing of all participating locations’ events and specials, is available online at www.downtowndayton.org. Follow Urban Nights on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UrbanNightsDayton for regular updates and more information.

The best way to see as much as possible during Urban Nights is to walk, and many of the destinations are just a short distance from each other. Greater Dayton RTA also will provide free event trolleys to help visitors get around. In addition, cyclists will gather at 5:15 p.m. at Don Crawford Plaza in front of Fifth Third Field for Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights, a community ride through the action hosted by Bike Miami Valley.

For more information, contact Krystal Luketic at 937-224-1518 ext. 227 or [email protected].

Urban Nights is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Culture Works, Montgomery County and the City of Dayton, with additional support from WDTN-TV2, DP&L, Greater Dayton RTA, Budweiser Select, the Downtown Priority Board, Clear Channel and Mix 107.7-FM, Wright Dunbar, Inc., Generation Dayton and the Ohio Arts Council.