Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Dayton Theology on Tap

Jane’s Best Bets (5/25 – 5/30)

By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

Can you believe Memorial Day weekend is almost here?!?!  That means summer is right around the corner!  Be sure to make the most of these last few days in May!

On Wednesday, make your way to the Fraze Pavilion (I LOVE the Fraze!) for the Kettering Block Party.  If you want to sort of meet a former president, then head over to the Dayton Woman’s Club for the Abraham Lincoln Social & Luncheon.  Beer lovers should plan to be at Archer’s as they’ll feature a new craft beer.  Not only will you be able to think green, but you will also be able to “drink green” as part of Green Drinks May at Norton’s in Kettering.  And if you love listening to adorable kids singing their hearts out, be sure to attend the Kettering Children’s Choir 25th Anniversary Concert at the Schuster Center.

On Thursday, check out 42nd Street at WSU’s Festival Playhouse.  On the other side of town, you will be able to see the premiere of the documentary The Other Side at The Neon.  And if you want to be close to somebody, come to Right Next to Me at The Loft Theatre.  The only problem is, you really don’t know who “me” is.  If you are in the Oregon District, walk over to Dayton Theology on Tap at Oregon Express.  For all you old-fashioned book readers, check out a new option, The Nook, at Books & Co. at The Greene as part of their Nook Nights.  “Hungary?”  Make your way to Boston’s Bistro for their Hungarian Wine Tasting, which includes pizza, cheese, and chocolate!  And finally, over at the Metropolitan Arts Center, check out A Wine and Yoga Practice…which I of course think is an awesome idea!

On Friday, celebrate the weekend with Fiesta Friday at Bar Louie.  Or check out Trumpet Studio.  You may be asking, “What may ‘trump’ that?”  I’m not sure, but if you are looking to experience theater, there are several opportunities available, including  42nd Street at WSU’s Festival Playhouse, Right Next to Me at The Loft Theatre, and Mauritius at the Dayton Theatre Guild.  Then, go to bed early so you can enjoy the rest of Memorial Day weekend!

On Saturday, make your way to Dorothy Lane Market for Lobstermania.  If you’re downtown, be sure to participate in the Bike United Tour at Fifth Third Field and support the Dayton Dutch Lions’ campaign for healthy living with a fun downtown bike ride.  Plus, you will receive a ticket to the Dutch Lions’ first ever game at Fifth Third Field, and a Bike United T-shirt.  Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend by attending The Patriot Freedom Festival.  If you’re like me and love summer concerts, be sure to listen to the sounds of The Highway Junkies at RiverScape as part of the Free Summer Concert Series.  And finally, theater options for Saturday include Mauritius at Dayton Theatre Guild, 42nd Street at WSU’s Festival Playhouse, and Right Next to Me at The Loft Theatre.

On Sunday, make plans to attend the 2011 Dayton Heritage Festival at Carillon Historical Park.  It is FREE!  You will be able to enjoy exhibit buildings, special activities, and live music.  You can make it an all-day affair, as there will also be food and drinks from a variety of local vendors.  Plus, there will be fireworks following the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance featuring Live Americana music!  If there isn’t something there that suits your fancy, then too bad!  Just kidding (although that’s all I’m talking about for Sunday)!   Also, if you want to give back and volunteer there, please shoot me an email!

My Team Last Year at the "Spike Out Blood Cancer" Sand Volleyball Tournament!

Usually I don’t talk about Mondays in Jane’s Best Bets, but this week I’m making an exception with it being Memorial Day.  If you’re not having a cookout, then there are a couple options.  Start the day off early by attending the ‘Spike Out Blood Cancer’ Memorial Day Sand Volleyball Tournament at J.D. Legends.  I played in it last year and had a blast!  Even if you don’t like volleyball or can’t attend, I encourage you to support Steve VanGorder’s Fight for a Cure, which supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  There are many ways to help, including making a donation, attending the Beatles Tribute Concert by Ticket to Ride, or purchasing a raffle ticket to win a brand new Camaro!  And if you don’t feel like sweating all day long or listening to Beatles music, consider staying inside for trivia!  There will be live trivia at the Pour Haus as well as trivia at Beef O’Brady’s.

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

At first the man didn’t like his haircut, but then it started to grow on him.

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!

Jane’s Best Bets (5/18 – 5/22)

By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

I have to be honest…I’m a bit exhausted from the craziness of everything that went on last week!  Here’s to another crazy busy (in a good way) week in Dayton!

On Wednesday, bring out your pedometer for the Walk! Downtown Dayton Kickoff at RiverScape…after all, swimsuit season is just around the corner!  If you have always wanted to work for yourself, don’t delay it!  Make your way to The Entrepreneurs Center for their New Business Information Session.  At The Greene County Career Center, attend their cooking class, Fresh and Lite Delight.  If you like art (notice I didn’t ask whether you were good at art) and you like to drink, head to Art by the Glass at the Cannery Art and Design Center.  If the weather gets warmer, you will want to make your way to Fifth Third Field to watch the Dragons play the Great Lakes Loons.  And if you like theater, be sure to get your tickets to see 42nd Street at WSU’s Festival Playhouse or The Women of Lockerbie at Sinclair’s Blair Hall Theater.

On Thursday, if you’re anti-gluten (or just plain allergic to it), then you’ll want to attend Naturally Gluten Free event at PNC 2nd Street Market.  All you cyclists should make plans to attend Bike Film Night at The Neon.  It’s McDonald’s Friends and Family Night at Fifth Third Field, where the Dragons will play the Great Lakes “Loons”…sounds crazy to me!  And if you’re in the Oregon District, head to The Dublin Pub for live music by Nick Mitchell or Theology on Tap at Oregon Express.

On Friday, bike your way to RiverScape for the National Bike to Work Day Pancake Breakfast…and don’t forget to wear your helmet.  Your mom will thank me.  If you love the movies, you won’t want to miss the Film Dayton Festival at The Neon.  For those of you who have read this column before, you know how much I love Chick-fil-A…and what I love even more is that at the Dayton Mall location, you can get a Free Chick-fil-A Sandwich from 4-7PM on Friday as part of their Customer Appreciation Days.  If you’re a big ham, then you’ll want to attend the Dayton Hamvention 2011.  I tried to bring my pig last year but they wouldn’t let him in the building…just wanted to let you know so you don’t make the same mistake.  Support Diabetes Dayton by attending Big Brews & Blues at Carillon Park.  Over at the Dayton Convention Center, learn about different cultures and taste delicious food at A World A’Fair…I remember going there as a kid and I still go there today!  So, there is something for people of all ages!  If you’re down in the ‘burg, make your way to Miamisburg Library Park for the Taste of Miamisburg.  Theater/music lovers should plan to attend one of these shows:  Honk! Jr. (Town Hall Theatre), 42nd Street (WSU’s Festival Playhouse), Mauritius (Dayton Theatre Guild), Opera Theatre: Vincenzo Bellini’s La Sonnambula (Schuster Center), or The Women of Lockerbie.  And finally, if you’re more of a sports guy (or girl), get your tickets to see the Dayton Dutch Lions or the Dayton Dragons.

On Saturday, there are again many options from which to choose!  Some events include the Film Dayton Festival at The Neon, Sound Bites: Short Talks About Art at the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Hamvention 2011 at Hara Arena, FilmDayton Screenwriting Conference at ThinkTV, and A World A’Fair at the Dayton Convention Center.  Also at the Dayton Convention Center, you can catch me participating in the 4th Annual 2011 INBF Tri-State Bodybuilding and Figure Contest.  I hope you’re not so gullible that you actually believe that.  Learn how to be safe by attending the Community Problem Oriented Policing Conference at Stebbins High School – there are a wide variety of courses from which to choose!  Theatre options include 42nd Street, Honk! Jr., Mauritius, Opera Theatre: Vincenzo Bellini’s La Sonnambula, and The Women of Lockerbie.  Listen to the wonderful sounds of MUSICA! at The Salvation Army Kroc Center.  At the Wright Brothers Airport, attend the White Out Cancer event…and you totally have my permission to wear white, even though it’s not yet Memorial Day.  If you’d prefer green, then make your way to THE Greene to watch The Fries Band (it’s their only performance there this year, so don’t miss it!).  And finally, down at Fifth Third Field, you will be able to watch the Dragons take on the Lake County Captains.  Plus, you can help them celebrate Hometown Hero Night.

On Sunday, the Film Dayton Festival, A World A’Fair, and Dayton Hamvention 2011 will still be going strong!  In the afternoon, the Dragons will be playing the Lake County Captains…and you can get “free valet bike parking” as part of  MVRPC Bike to the Game.  In addition, as part of the “Drive Less, Live More” campaign, if you do bike, you will receive a free ticket to the game.  So, you don’t have to spend money on gas AND you don’t have to spend money on tickets!  Over at Carillon Park, attend Fleurs et Vin, which is a super fun event that will include more than 300 wines from all over the world, live entertainment, food from Dayton’s best independent eateries, and live and silent auctions!  Plus, money raised will support Culture Works and the AIDS Resource Center.  At the Schuster Center, attend the Dayton Opera 50th Anniversary Star Gala.  If you are over at the Dayton Art Institute, listen to the sounds of MUSICA! And finally, all you public radio fans will want to catch Ira Glass at Victoria Theatre.

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

Did you hear about the new cure for swine flu?  It’s a special kind of oinkment.

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!

Jane’s Best Bets (5/4 – 5/8)

By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

Since it is May, you may be asking the question, “Is there anything fun going on this week in Dayton?”  The answer of course is an enormous “YES!”  This week, there are so many things from which to choose that you may have some very difficult decisions ahead of you!

On Wednesday, join Dayton Creative Syndicate as they welcome Guest Speaker, Jack Supple at Brixx Ice Company.  Taste some wine as part of the Weekly Wine Tasting at The Wine Gallery.  Not yet prepared to make your bets for the Kentucky Derby?  Be sure to attend the Derby Preview Party at Color of Energy Gallery where John Engelhardt from River Downs and other horse racing experts will give you some great tips…and don’t forget to have a mint julep!  Plus, there will be a live horse outside the art gallery AND live music!  Afterwards, please carefully walk to Fifth Third Field to watch the Dragons as they play the South Bend Silver Hawks.  And finally, give those vocal folds a workout by heading to Blind Bob’s for Karaoke.

On jueves (Thursday), start the day at the Presidential Banquet Center for the 2nd Annual Voices for Kids Benefit, which helps CHOICES, an organization that provides a support system for youth, their families, and foster parents.  Over at Sinclair, attend the 2011 Go Red For Women Luncheon.  Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style at one of these great restaurants:  (1) The Caroline, which offers some great Cinco de Mayo specials; (2) El Meson – starting at 3PM, they will have $1 Tequila shots and free tapas until 5:30PM…plus amazing food, music, and dancing; or (3) El Rancho Grande (or the “E.R.” as my friend Lynne calls it) for 1/2 Price Ladies Night.  Or Join the Dayton Ballet Barre for their 1st Annual Cinco de Mayo ‘Barre’ Crawl which will take place at a variety of bars in the Oregon District.  If Mexican food does not appeal to your taste buds, no problem.  You can attend the Beer & Burger Tasting at A Taste of Wine in downtown Miamisburg.  Some other possibilities for Thursday evening include listening to the Hal Melia Quartet as part of the Vectren Just Jazz Series at the Dayton Art Institute, Space Night at the Air Force Museum, Dayton Theology on Tap at Oregon Express, or watching the Dragons as they play the South Bend Silver Hawks.

On Friday, ALL young professionals should without a doubt participate in Generation Dayton’s Get Out, & Give Back Dayton! The day will consist of a lunch, followed by a variety of service projects at area non-profits, and finally a wonderful after-party at Oregon Express!  Get registered today and bring a friend!  Afterwards, attend the First Friday art hop downtown.  Also downtown, you can participate in the Courteous Mass Ride, watch the Dragons play the South Bend Silver Hawks, listen to the Paul McKenna Band at the Dayton Art Institute, or attend ‘Byron Stripling: Satchmo, Fats & The Duke’ (Dayton Philharmonic) at the Schuster Center (click here to find out how you can get discounted tickets, courtesy of jumpstART!).  And if you’re brave enough to venture outside of downtown, head to the Dayton Mall Chick-fil-A for a Free Chick-fil-A Sandwich from 4-7PM, the Baum Opera House for The Wizard of Oz, or the Centerville Performing Arts Center for Hello, Dolly!

Hopefully you spent your Friday night downtown so you can wake up and gallop your way to the Derby Day Dash 5K and Kids Fun Run at RiverScape.  Then head to PNC 2nd Street Market to Make Your Own Crepe.  Over at Garden Station Community Garden/Art Park, share your food, art, music, or whatever else you want as part of the Really Really Free Market.  Wear your favorite hat (the bigger, the better!) and support women’s wellness by attending the 2nd Annual Crown Jewels Derby Day Brunch at Brio.  I hope to see you there!  Keep that hat on so that you will be able to attend the Junior League of Dayton Derby Party at The Wine Loft.  In order to support a couple other great causes, attend the House of Bread Silent Auction at the Dayton Mall Holiday Inn or the American Red Cross’s Putting on the Glitz event at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center.  If your doctor wrote you a prescription for laughter, be sure to get your tickets to Cocktails with Larry Miller at Victoria Theatre.  Although I’m not an accountant, I don’t think this would qualify as a medical expense under your H.S.A.  Listen to the Dayton Philharmonic’s performance – ‘Byron Stripling: Satchmo, Fats & The Duke’, which takes place at the Schuster Center.  Other musical options include listening to the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert at Shiloh Church or the The Primo Trio at the Dayton Art Institute as part of the Vanguard Concert Series.  Catch “Saturday Night Football” at Hara Arena as the Dayton Silverbacks play the Indianapolis Enforcers.  And finally, if you feel like catching a show, both The Wizard of Oz (Baum Opera House) and Hello, Dolly (Centerville Performing Arts Center) will still be running strong!

On Sunday, if you do nothing else, be sure to honor your mother!  If you don’t mind (and if you do mind, sorry, I just don’t care), I’d like to give a quick shout out to mine – Thank you mom for being the best mom ever…and thank you for not just putting up with my dumb jokes, but actually laughing at them!  I love you bunches and bunches! Thanks for letting me do that, although you really had no choice.  Anyways, whatever you’re doing, I hope you will be able to have the opportunity to spend Sunday with your mother.  And don’t worry because you won’t have to cook breakfast or lunch, as many restaurants are offering Mother’s Day Specials!  Some places that are offering brunch include The Barnsider, Hilton Garden Inn, Carvers, Blind Bob’s, Boulevard Haus, Dublin Pub, and Fleming’s.  Don’t forget to take your wallet…it would be bad news if your mom had to pay!  And if your mom likes music, take her to Kettering Fairmont High School for the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert.  Or take her to see Honk! Jr. at Town Hall Theatre.

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

Why was the racehorse named Bad News?  Because Bad News travels fast.

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!

Jane’s Best Bets (4/27 – 5/1)

By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

I hope you were able to find many Easter eggs, and that they had some good things inside!  I just found a bunch of empty ones (true story, just ask the Easter Bunny).  Regardless of what was in or not in your Easter eggs, I’d like to provide you with an “inside” look at what is going on in Dayton this week!

On Wednesday, watch the Dragons as they play the West Michigan Whitecaps.  If you enjoy opera, make your way to the UD Opera Workshop Performance.  Get those dirty little secrets out of the closet at Wiley’s with the Dirty Little Secret Speakeasy.  Don’t worry, it’s a variety show featuring many different types of performers, so you really don’t have to reveal anything about yourself!  Hungry AND thirsty?  Participate in the Belgian & Euro Craft Beer Dinner at Spinoza’s.  At the Loft Theatre, catch Permanent Collection.  And finally, make sure you stop at Baskin Robbins for their 31 Cent Scoop Night!  For those of you who don’t like to do math, that means date night will only cost you 62 cents…or, ice cream for a family four will only cost $1.24!

On Thursday, have a Girls Night Out at The Melting Pot.  If you’re a boy, then don’t go there…well, on second thought, you may want to go since there will be a pretty good ratio for you!  Since the weather is getting warmer, you may want to attend Five Rivers MetroParks’ Intro to Smart Cycling.  Head to Oregon Express for a wonderful combination of beer and theology (and their amazing pizza too!) for Dayton Theology on Tap.  If you don’t feel like cooking dinner, head to the Dayton Canoe Club for their Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser.  At the Dayton Art Institute, you can listen to the sounds of the DPO Concertmaster & Friends.  Permanent Collection, although not permanent, will still be playing at The Loft Theatre.  And over at Fifth Third Field, see some Dragons and “Tin Men,” as the Dragons play the Fort Wayne Tincaps.

On Friday, get up bright and early and head to The Pub for a Royal Wedding Brunch.  If you love horse racing and beer, you won’t want to miss The Kentucky Ale Trail: Horses & Hops, which will start at Jungle Jim’s.  I just found out that another specialty grocery store, Trader Joe’s, discontinued one of my favorite items (salmon and spinach crepes), so I would be very much interested in going to the Kids Crepe Making Demo which will be going on at the PNC 2nd Street Market.  Bid on some wonderful, one-of-a-kind pieces of art at the DVAC Annual Art Auction.  If you’re out in the Oregon District, head to Oregon Express for Half-Price Happy Hour Pizzas and Old Skool Acoustic Duo…featuring cover tunes by some great artists including Journey!  Or make a stop at the Trolley Stop to listen to The Eric Jerardi Band.  Some other musical options include Encore Theatre Company’s BIG fat CONCERT SERIES, vol. II – ‘I Feel So Much Spring’ and the University of Dayton Jazz Ensembles.  Wear your green and take the kids to watch the Dragons vs. Fort Wayne Tincaps…which is also McDonald’s Friends & Family Night.  At the Dayton Liederkranz Turner German Club, you will be able to celebrate Spring Bierfest.  And finally, some Friday theater options include Centerville’s Hello, Dolly!, Permanent Collection at The Loft Theatre, The Wizard of Oz at Baum Opera House, and Zoot Theatre Company’s Phantom Tollbooth at the Schuster Center.

On the last day in April (Saturday), learn Smart Cycling Basics at Five Rivers MetroParks’ St. Clair Building or participate in the 5k Run for the Health of It at Archers Tavern.  Avid readers will want to attend the Dayton Book Expo 2011 at Sinclair.  Head to South Park to see some beautiful homes for their Historic South Park Spring Home Tour.  Some art options include Sound Bites: Short Talks about Art at the Dayton Art Institute and the Free Artist Workshop at the Dayton Visual Arts Center.  Any Germans out there?  If so, make plans to attend the Spring Concert, followed by the Westphaelische Beef Rouladen Dinner (I’m part German but I have no clue how to say that) at the Dayton Liederkranz Turner German Club.  If you haven’t yet, consider getting tickets to one of the many shows going on:  Phantom Tollbooth at the Schuster Center, The Wizard of Oz at Baum Opera House, Hello, Dolly! at Centerville Performing Arts Center, Gem City Ballet Victoria Theatre Gala (at Victoria Theatre), ETC’s BIG fat CONCERT SERIES, vol. II – ‘I Feel So Much Spring’ at Color of Energy Gallery, Permanent Collection at The Loft Theatre, or The Apple Tree at Stivers School for the Arts.  And if the weather is nice, you’ll be able to catch the Dragons as they play the Fort Wayne Tincaps at Fifth Third Field.

On Sunday, get off the couch and participate in the Kettering Medical Center Walk for Women’s Wellness at Carillon Historical Park.  At the Dayton Masonic Center, attend the Graeter’s Symphony Sundaes Series: The Symphonic Sibelius…complete with ice cream from Graeter’s.  Now how great is that?!?!  At the University of Dayton, attend the Art of Foreseen Beauty – DCDC2’s Spring Concert.  If you can, I encourage you to attend in order to witness some of the most remarkable dancing out there!  If opera is your thing, catch some up-and-comers at the Opera Guild of Dayton Tri-State College Vocal Competition in Kettering.  And if you haven’t yet had an opportunity to do so, luckily the show Permanent Collection seems to be a permanent fixture (this week only) at The Loft Theatre.  Or spend part of the day with Dorothy and Toto (I do love the song “Africa”) at the Baum Opera House for The Wizard of Oz.

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

Three skunks went to church.  The priest made them sit in their own pew.

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!