As it is Thanksgiving week, I want to take a minute to say how very thankful I am to all of you for reading Jane’s Best Bets! And thank you to DaytonMostMetro.com for giving me the opportunity to write on a topic I am so passionate about! Here’s to another great week in Dayton!
On Wednesday, consider getting a FREE t-shirt by donating blood at the You’re The Ticket To Saving a Life at Community Blood Center! Don’t worry…you’ll be eating plenty of food tomorrow, so I’m guessing your blood supply will be okay. At PNC 2nd Street Market, do your last minute Thanksgiving shopping as part of their Stock-Up Wednesday event. And in the evening, be sure to catch the UD Flyers’ next win as they play Florida A&M at the UD Arena. And if you want to get in the spirit of Thanksgiving and have a good laugh, check out the Thanksgiving Eve Show at Wiley’s.
On Thursday, with it being the Thanksgiving holiday, I’m going to keep it brief. Consider participating in the The 32nd Annual Turkey Trot in downtown Miamisburg to counteract all the delicious food you’ll be eating later in the day. And from what I’ve been told, you DON’T have to be a runner…walking is perfectly acceptable! Over at the Dayton Convention Center, attend Thanksgiving in Dayton ‘A Feast of Giving’, in which several sponsors are helping to continue the Beerman family Thanksgiving dinner tradition. Regardless of where you go, have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and eat some turkey for me! Gobble Gobble!
On Black Friday, set your alarm clock early so you can catch some of those fabulous deals. Just be sure I don’t see you on the news later because you got into a fight over a super deal on the Emerson 32” LCD HDTV they’re selling at Wal-Mart! If you’re not up for fighting the crazy crowds, there are many other ways to officially kick off the Christmas season on Friday so let me fill you in one little secret…Downtown is THE place to be! If you want to burn off some of those calories from all that turkey you ate the day before, head to the MetroParks Ice Rink Grand Opening Weekend at Riverscape. Visit Santa and allow your kids to do a little shopping of their own at The Tike’s Shop, as well as see the Wonderland Windows (the old Rike’s holiday displays) at the Schuster Center. Check out some amazing gingerbread houses as part of the Gingerbread Homes for the Holidays Contest at the Old Courthouse. Over at Kettering Tower (which is actually in downtown, not Kettering!), bring the kids to the Holiday Village, which will include festive crafts and games. Also for the kids, The Junior League of Dayton will be sponsoring their 2010 Holiday Hunt. In addition to all these great events, there will also be a Street Fair on Third with free carnival rides, a McPherson Town Holiday Home Tour, and a Sounds of the Season concert at Fifth Third Center, where Culture Works brings together several local choirs for a free holiday concert! And finally while you’re downtown, you won’t want to miss the Grande Illumination and Dayton Children’s Parade Spectacular in Lights (Dayton Holiday Festival) at Courthouse Square. Oh…and if your legs are exhausted from doing all that shopping early in the morning, take one of the Horse-drawn Wagon Rides to get from location to location! Or if you want to kick your feet back and enjoy a show where others are doing all the legwork, head to the Schuster Center to see Cirque Dreams – Holidaze, which is a holiday musical with an international cast of acrobats, aerialists, singers, dancers, and musicians! Whew, I’m exhausted! If you don’t remember everything I said about Friday, don’t worry – just remember the word “downtown” and the rest will take care of itself!
On Saturday, head back downtown for one of the many things you may have missed, since after all, how could you possibly fit it all in on one day?!?! There will be The Tike’s Shop, Wonderland Windows, and Cirque Dreams – Holidaze at the Schuster Center; Carriage Rides and ice skating as part of MetroParks Ice Rink Grand Opening Weekend at Riverscape; the Virginia Kettering’s Holiday Train Display at Kettering Tower; and the McPherson Town Holiday Home Tour. Also, check out the PNC 2nd Street Market and bring a non-perishable item or two to donate to the Foodbank as part of the Food for Friends event. At Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, they will have a Holiday Art Fair and Open House. If you are looking for a Christmas tree, head out to Choose & Cut Christmas Trees at Young’s Jersey Dairy. Bring your dancing moves to the Dayton Mall and participate in Dance Along Nutcracker…all are welcome! And finally in the evening, support the AIDS Resource Center by watching The Rubi Girls present ‘The Show Must Go On’ at Club Masque.
On Sunday, to be perfectly honest, I’m probably going to need to rest due to all the hustle and bustle from the previous days! But if you’re game, there will still be many events going on strong in the wonderful Dayton region! Have “Some-Fun” at the Schuster Center with crafts, entertainment, and more. While there, be sure to check out Wonderland Windows and The Tike’s Shop if you didn’t get a chance to see them earlier in the weekend. Or, check out the Cirque Dreams – Holidaze show. If you’re no Peggy Fleming, attend Fundamentals of Skating at Riverscape. And finally, if you’re a beer lover, attend the Tapping Dogfish Head Burton Baton at Chappy’s.
And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…
Why did the police arrest the turkey?
They suspected it of fowl play.
These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar. There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today! Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE! And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!
Have a great week Dayton!