December YP Roundup

December brings holiday parties galore for people already involved in various YP organizations, and plenty of opportunities for the casual observer to network, get involved, and explore some of the many YP groups in the region.

Kicking off December’s activities, you can join Generation Dayton at their holiday wine/chocolate tasting at Winans Coffee and Chocolates at the Dayton Mall; for $20, you can try 5 wines and 5 chocolates. YUM! Another option to kick-start your December is Karaoke night at Blind Bob’s with the 20-somethings of Dayton. This meetup utilizes events of interest that are already happening around town and gets a group together to make it a party. Then Thursday brings the Young AFCEAns Holiday Party at the Pub (at the Greene). From 5-7 PM, they provide the food, soda, and beer – you come ready to network with other local defence contractors. Don’t know if this group is for you? Contact cweinstein@rhinocorps.com for more info. And the launch of the new group Culture Mash is also on December 2 at Wright State – this is a new organization dedicated to bringing together young leaders to give back to the community.

First Firday conveniently fits in right here – although not an official YP event, local arts group JumpstART has been highlighting a lot of great places to buy local art to finish up your holiday shopping – hit downtown and explore the galleries for some unique shopping. Continue your weekend with the Generation Dayton Annual Holiday Party on Saturday, December 4. At the Old Courthouse, this semi-formal event is a great time to reflect back on the accomplishments of GenD members, announce the winners of the election, and generally have a lot of fun. Free for members and $25 for nonmembers (RSVP required). If you’re up north of town this Saturday, you’ll want to party it up with HYPE as they try out Cosmic Bowling from 9PM – Midnight; cost is only $13 for shoe rental and all you can bowl.

Second week of December starts slow but then ends with a lot of great activities. Midweek HYPE gets things started with a Wednesday lunch to catch up with your fellow Northern Miami Valley YPs – free to attend, but lunch is at your cost.  Also on December 8, you can learn more about the Dayton Ballet at their monthly meeting at the Dayton Racquet Club. Starting with a happy hour, they discuss business, break into committees, and talk about how to better connect YPs with the ballet scene.  Then, join your friends from Generation Dayton for their Thirsty Thursday starting at 5:30 PM at the Dayton Racquet Club (Kettering Tower) – open to all YPs in the region. Also on December 9, the Dayton Creative Syndicate joins up with the Greater Dayton Ad Association for their Holiday Party and Auction. Learn more about this young professional creative group online and see if this might be the party for you.

Friday kicks off your weekend with the fun brought to you by YP @ Play – The Dayton Urban League Young Professionals provide a creative alternative to the typical club scene! It’s a supercharged ‘play date’ for adults; a nostalgic night of fun including familiar games such as Twister, Uno, Spades, Dominos, Monopoly, along with today’s flyest games such as Wii, XBOX…all with an adult twist! On Saturday, a great collaboration between the Dayton Ballet Barre, JumpstART, and the Young Lawyers Division provides all YPs – regardless of membership affiliation – with a fantastic deal to enjoy a holiday classic. Jump into Ballet with A Night with the Nutcracker. Get 1/2 price tickets (that’s only $30) to this popular holiday show and enjoy an afterparty at the Wine Gallery. (NOTE: Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling Kathy at 937-449-5060 for this deal.)

The third week of this month is packed with events as your local YP groups make holiday adjustments. The 20-something meetup has a handful of great events on their calendar – like shopping, shooting, eating and drinking – that you can check-out. Then join HYPE for their regularly scheduled monthly happy hour on the Third Thursday of the month at The Caroline in Troy. Also on the third Thursday, the Dayton Ballet Barre meets for a happy hour with Wine and Ballet at the Wine Gallery at Main and Monument starting at 5:30 PM. Generation Dayton makes a slight adjustment as they move their Fourth Friday lunch to December 17. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to catch up with some friends, pass around a business card or two, and enjoy some seriously delicious food from Rue Dumaine.

Rounding out the list of YP events for December is Generation Dayton’s Business and Breakfast on Tuesday, December 21 at the Brunch Club from 7-8 AM.

Hope you have a great December and get a chance to get out there and explore some of the great groups providing fun events for YPs to mix and mingle.   Don’t forget to add any events I may have missed in the comments section and to the DMM Event Calendar.  Finally, happy holidays whenever and whatever you may be celebrating this month!