More than 100 downtown venues are offering special events, discounts and more for the May 10 Urban Nights.
Urban Nights is getting an updated flavor and feel. Entertainment now will focus on three “hotspots” located throughout downtown, allowing visitors to experience downtown’s biggest street party in a new way by visiting hubs of activity throughout downtown. The next Urban Nights will be held 5 to 10 p.m. this Friday, May 10, in downtown Dayton, the Oregon District and Wright-Dunbar Business Village. A list of the hotspots at the spring event is below.
“We celebrated the 10th anniversary of Urban Nights last year and felt it was a good time to re-evaluate the event,” said Sandy Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, which presents Urban Nights. “It’s clear the event has been extremely successful, as it brings more than 30,000 people to our downtown, many business owners report record sales, and we continue to receive a great deal of positive feedback from the community about Urban Nights.
“Still, we wanted to make sure Urban Nights more effectively meets its overall goal: to showcase all downtown has to offer and the places that only can be experienced in downtown Dayton,” Gudorf added. “We believe this new plan will encourage people to visit more places downtown during Urban Nights while giving us the opportunity to better highlight different areas in our center city.”
A map of participating venues and a complete performance schedule, including a listing of all participating locations’ events and specials, is available online. Follow Urban Nights on Facebook for regular updates and more information.
More than 30,000 people come downtown to experience this free event, when more than 100 establishments showcase downtown’s dining, nightlife, art, music, retail and housing options. 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 busses to help visitors get around.
Urban Nights is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Montgomery County and the City of Dayton, with support from Greater Dayton RTA, Bud Light Lime, Miller-Valentine Group, the Downtown Priority Board, Sinclair Community College, Mix 107.7-FM, WYSO 91.3-FM, Wright-Dunbar Business Village and the Ohio Arts Council.
MAY 10 URBAN NIGHTS HOTSPOTS
International Street
Sponsored by Miller-Valentine Group
Second Street between Main and Jefferson streets
Enjoy dance performances from a variety of troupes and grab an import brew to go along with foods from many cultures.
Second Street will be closed by the Kettering Tower to make way for dance performances and more.
Dancing in the Street Stage Schedule
5-5:25 p.m.: Troupe Roja
5:30-5:55 p.m.: McGovern Ceili Dancers
6-6:25 p.m.: South Dayton Dance Theatre
6:30-6:55 p.m.: Grupo Caribe
7-7:25 p.m.: The Beseda Dancers
7:30-7:55 p.m.: Vivian Zumba
8-10 p.m.: Son del Caribe
The corner of Fourth and St. Clair streets will be a hub of arts-inspired activity.
Arts Corner
Sponsored by Sinclair Community College
St. Clair and Fourth streets
Experience the Urban Nights motto “Walk on the Creative Side.” Enjoy a range of entertainment hosted by nearby businesses, including live entertainment, art exhibits and special sales. The Dayton Art Institute will host a photo booth where you can transform your image into an Andy Warhol-style work of art.
Arts Corner Entertainment
5-7 p.m.: Sweet Betsy
7-9 p.m.: By Means of Words at CADC
9-11 p.m.: Miss Lissa & Co. at Serendipity Bistro
Rock out to local bands at the Live on Five stage in the Oregon District.
Live on Five
Corner of Fifth and Pine streets in the Oregon District
Grab a draft brew from the beer truck and rock out to a variety of live bands.
Entertainment Schedule:
5-5:45 p.m.: The Broken Lights Band
6- 6:45 p.m.: Meghna & the Majority
7-7:45 p.m.: Cherry Lee and the Daddy Katz
8-10 p.m.: Magic Jackson
MAY 10 URBAN NIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS
Tours and Exhibits Commemorating the Great Dayton Flood of 1913
Great Dayton Flood of 1913 Bus Tours
Presented by Dayton History, Generation Dayton and Greater Dayton RTA
Get around Urban Nights while learning about our city’s largest natural disaster. Narrators on specially marked Flood Tour buses will detail factors that led to the catastrophe and recount survivors’ personal stories and those of heroic Daytonians from 100 years ago. The free 30- to 45-minute tour will follow the Urban Nights blue bus route and will stop at various locations throughout downtown Dayton. The tour officially begins at the corner of Monument Avenue and Jefferson Street, but visitors can get on and off the bus at any of the designated stops.
The Miami Conservancy District, 38 E. Monument Ave.
At its historical administrative building, the MCD will feature pocket park clean water tours and display 1913 flood inundation maps. The MCD also will host open-mic story telling about the flood along with other displays and giveaways.
The Great Dayton Adventure Race
Starts at the MetroParks Bike Hub at RiverScape MetroPark
This urban scavenger hunt will wind through the Urban Nights action. See how many clues you can answer in two hours as you navigate the city by foot for a chance to win prizes. Team up with friends or tackle the challenge solo. Racers can start anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. $20 per person. Register in advance at www.topoadventuresports.org or at RiverScape MetroPark the day of the event. Call 937-274-0126 for more information.
RiverScape MetroPark will be a hub of activity, including live entertainment and activities focused on green living. (Photography by Josh Mayes)
RiverScape MetroPark: Plaza and Pavilion Stage
At the RiverScape Plaza, visit DRG3’s Green Fest: Spring into Green!, featuring green displays and exhibits, recycled arts and crafts, a thrift shop runway, basketball with recyclables, extreme hop scotch, hula hoop, solar race cars, energy bikes and martial arts demos. Also at RiverScape at the nearby MetroParks Pavilion, enjoy live entertainment:
5:30-6 p.m.: The Dayton Poetry Slam Showcase
6-7:45 p.m.: New Vega
7:45-8:15 p.m.: Howard School of Dance
8:15-10 p.m.: The Ark Band
Live entertainment, food and activities will be part of the Urban Nights experience in the Wright-Dunbar Business Village.
Wright-Dunbar Business Village Entertainment
Enjoy live entertainment, cultural arts, creative and tasty cuisine, and other festivities in the Wright-Dunbar Business Village. Special events include:
• Gospel and R&B Plaza, Third & Williams streets: Featuring live entertainment and four food vendors.
• Dance Tent, 1133 W. Third St.: Featuring entertainment by DJ Master G, three food vendors and a spirits bar.
• Jazz Plaza, West Third Street: Featuring live jazz entertainment and food stations.
• The Lounge, 1100 W. Third St.: Presenting a ticketed event at 8:30 p.m., a tribute to The Ohio Players by D-Funk All Stars. Call 443-0249 for tickets and information.
Self-Guided Architectural Tour
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Dayton Chapter has organized a self-guided tour for those intrigued by the architecture of Dayton and the history behind it. Refer to the Architectural Week brochure (distributed with Urban Nights program books) for more details or start at any of the buildings that are on the tour, where more information also will be available. The tour highlights the exterior architectural features of buildings, and not all buildings will be open to tour the interiors.
• Kuhns Building, 45 S. Main St.
• The Arcade, Third Street across from Courthouse Square
• The Old Courthouse, corner of Main and Third streets
• Kettering Tower, southeast corner of Main and Second streets
• Schuster Center, northwest corner of Main and Second streets
• Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St.
Yellow Cab Building, 700 E. Fourth St.
The Dayton Circus Creative Collective again will kick off its two-day celebration of music and art in Dayton during Urban Nights. This event showcases the work of more than 60 artists and more than 20 musicians, and it hosts an event after-party until 1 a.m. Food and refreshments available. Visit the event website for a complete entertainment schedule and list of participating artists.
Join hundreds of cyclists on a ride through the night’s action at Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights, which will start at Courthouse Square. (Photography by Josh Mayes)
Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights
Start at Courthouse Square, Third and Main streets, at 6 p.m.
Get a preview of Urban Nights from the seat of your bike. Join hundreds of cyclists on this police-escorted ride through downtown. Riders are encouraged to wear a helmet and should be able to ride at a decent pace. This is not a ride for young children on their own bikes. From 5 to 8 p.m. on the Square, GetUP Montgomery County will present an event with live music, fitness demonstrations and other interactive activities focused on active, healthy lifestyles.
Sample New Food and Drink Establishments
Several downtown dining destinations either will be newly opened or open during Urban Nights to offer samples from their menus and preview their soon-to-be-open spots:
• Agnes All Natural Grill, 135 E. Fourth St.
• The Barrel House, 417 E. Third St.
• Lily’s Bistro, 329 E. Fifth St.
• Salar Restaurant and Lounge, 410 E. Fifth St.
• Toxic Brew Co., 431 E. Fifth St.
Mosaic City Photo Show
St. Clair Lofts building, 39 S. St. Clair St.
Cityfolk presents an exhibit that includes entries from a recent Cityfolk photo contest and work by artist Glenna Jennings, who will present her project “Looking at Looking.” Her photographs depict residents and visitors to downtown Dayton observing historic images from the National Cash Register archive.
Watch large-scale prints being made with a steamroller at the third Steamroller Printmaking event.
Steamroller Printmaking: Flat-Out Fun!
Stivers School for the Arts, 1313 E. Fifth St.
Printmakers from the Dayton Printmakers Cooperative and students from Stivers School for the Arts will print large-scale linoleum blocks using a real steamroller as a printing press. Anyone can carve a smaller version of the linoleum blocks prior to the event (available for purchase at the Dayton Visual Arts Center for $10), called “Parking Prints,” and have it printed the night of the event. At DVAC, 118 N. Jefferson St., view large-scale and parking prints from the previous two Steamroller events.
Light My Fire & Brilliant Trash Competition
K12 Gallery for Young People and TEJAS, 510 E. Third St.
More than 100 hand-crafted mosaic lanterns will be lit in front of and inside the gallery as part of the Light My Fire exhibit. The lanterns will be for sale, with proceeds benefitting programming at K12 and TEJAS. K12 also will host the Brilliant Trash Competition, featuring upcycled works of art by local artists vying to be named Craft Master 2013, along with the exhibition “Can I Get a Witness?,” featuring abstract paintings by Rebecca Sargent and Erika Hess. Enjoy light refreshments, music and salsa dancing.
