Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

This past week was a blast!  One of the highlights for me was Urban Nights, where I was working the corner of Third and St. Clair.  That really doesn’t sound right, so perhaps I should clarify – I was in charge of one of the pianos downtown and my job was to encourage people to play a tune or two.  Thank you to all who stopped by to “steal the spotlight”…I enjoyed watching you tickle those ivories and hearing about all the fun things you experienced as part of Urban Nights!

Although it’s true we have to wait until May 13, 2011 for the next Urban Nights, there are plenty of other good things to choose from this week!

On Wednesday, if you were inspired by the belly dancers performing at Urban Nights, perhaps you’ll want to go to Kira’s Oasis to try it out for yourself with their Bellydance Class.  Or, you could get a little dirty and head to La Comedia for dinner and the show, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.  While there, be sure to try their famous Sweet Potato Souffle – it’s delicious!  And if neither of these events tickle your fancy, head on over to The Neon for the Foxy Film Festival for a special screening of the 70s hit movie, Foxy Brown.

Moving on to Thursday…is your house (or office) so disorganized that it looks like it came right out of an episode of Clean House?  If the answer is yes, then you’ll want to head to the Professional Enrichment Series:  Giving the Gift of An Organized You at Sinclair.  If you are interested in sports, fitness, and nutrition, then check out the Air Force Marathon Sports and Fitness Expo at the Nutter Center, which is also going on Friday.  In the evening, all you movie buffs will want to go to The Neon for the Media That Matters Short Film Festival, which will include several short films that tackle a variety of social issues.  There is also an article on DMM about this event with plenty of details, so check it out!  If you’re a young professional, then attending the ‘Jump into the DAI’ JumpstART Party for Modern Masters is a must!  For only $10, you get free admission to the Modern Masters exhibit, two drink tickets, food, and an admission ticket to Oktoberfest later this month!  I LOVE great deals!

On Friday, there is no need to watch the Food Channel – you can sharpen your cooking skills by heading to PNC’s 2^nd Street Market for Market Meals to see live demonstrations.  If you’d rather have somebody cook for you, that’s okay too.  Head on over to Riverscape for the Taste of the Miami Valley.  I have gone there for the past few years and the food is amazing – no matter your taste preferences, there is something delicious for you!  Plus, there will be live music and cooking demos!  Also in the evening, if you are an animal lover, consider supporting SICSA by eating terrific food, drinking cocktails, and bidding on some wonderful silent and live auction items at their Red Dog Charity Auction.  Speaking of red dogs, I wonder if Clifford will be there.  And if you like children’s theater and you’re “wonder”ring what you should do, then head on down to Town Hall Theatre for their production of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr.

On Saturday, there are plenty of fun things to do if you’re not participating in the Air Force Marathon, or if you’re not too tired after running, walking, and/or skipping.  I am actually skipping it, as I have not been disciplined enough to train for it…although I totally admire all of you runners out there!  If you enjoy fashion, lunch, and shopping, all the while supporting adults and youth with disabilities achieve greater independence through art, then you’ll want to attend Fashionable Scarecrows – We Care Arts Style Show 2010.  If you have young kids, then you will definitely want to check out The Dayton Mothers of Twins Club’s Fall Clothing & Equipment Sale.  Although I don’t have kids of my own, I have heard about it from several people who have found great bargains there on infant/kids clothes, equipment, and much more!  No need to have twins to be able to shop…it is open to the public!

If you have a “German” Shepherd, then you will want to take him to his very own version of Oktoberfest…Barktoberfest at the Centerville Library.  There will be pet vendors, contests, games, and more!  If you don’t have a German Shepherd, you can bring another type of dog, as I’m pretty sure dogs don’t discriminate.  If you missed the chance to taste some delicious food at the Taste of the Miami Valley or loved it so much that you want to go back, head on over to Riverscape.  With the help of the DMM Calendar, I “found” another great event for you while you’re downtown – the Found Art Show at c{space to benefit Garden Station.  If you’re looking for a family friendly event, again, downtown has it!  Bring the kids or grandkids and head on over to Fifth-Third Field for Dragons Movie Night with Heater and Gem.  For your “entertainment tonight,” the movie E.T. will be shown and the Green Team will be performing fun skits.  If you enjoy classic and antique automobiles and motorcycles, consider heading to Carillon Park for the Concours d’Elegance Preview Party (Concours d’Elegance is on Sunday).  There will be delicious food, drinks, music, entertainment, and a variety of auction items.  If you’re in Miamisburg, then you’ll definitely want to dance in the street while the Fries perform in between a Taste of Wine and T.J. Chumps.  And if you live north of town, you can always head out to the Taste of Troy!

On Sunday, if you’re looking for something corny to do, head on over to Young’s Jersey Dairy to eat some yummy ice cream and to navigate Cowvin’s Corny Maze.  See, didn’t I tell you I liked corny things?!?!  If you want to go way back in time to the 1600s, check out the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  And finally, if you’re a fan of antique and classic cars and motorcycles, park yours over at Carillon Park for the Fourth Dayton Concours d’Elegance.

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week.  Drum roll please…

How does a dog stop a DVD player?

It presses the “paws” button.

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!