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Oktoberfest

Food Adventures with Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell

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Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell Enjoying a Brew at Tank’s Bar & Grill

Everyone knows that Gary Leitzell is the mayor of Dayton, but did you know that he is a foodie ??   You may find him at Tank’s on Wayne Avenue with a mini pitcher of beer discussing the history of Dayton.   You may see him munching on pizza at the South Park Tavern, talking about some of the old homes in the neighborhood & who built them.   You may catch the mayor cutting a sandwich at the Top of the Market & Deli at Webster Street.

The Big Ragu often runs into Gary Leitzell at various community events.  We have had Food Adventures with the mayor at Ghostlight Coffee and even visited with his legislative aide “Gladgirl Shelly.‘  The mayor has spent time with us at the 2nd Street Market.    We have been with him at charity events like the AMBUCS Chili Cookoff.  And, who could forget our ‘must eats’ like Oktoberfest at the Dayton Art Institute or the World A’Fair at the Convention Center.

When we see Mayor Leitzell, he always takes a moment to talk with us about Dayton and the local government’s exciting plans for the city.  Practically everything about Gary is unique.  Most of his childhood was spent in England, he has no political affiliation and fancies himself an independent.

 

But this is not an article on politics.   It is an article on fun and food in the Dayton area, which is what Food Adventures are all about.

Speaking of fun, here are some things you ‘gotta know’ about Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell:

— He eats every sandwich with a fork and knife.  – Yes, hot dogs and burgers too.  Call it a good manners habit from his days in merry olde England.

—He has a blog called ‘This Old Crack House’  – Mayor Leitzell is a cool character with a great personality.  His blog documents the refurbishing of his historic home, which went from a log house to a townhouse, to a crack house and now, his house.  You gotta love a guy that has a blog called “This Old Crack House.”  Check it out HERE.

— Mayor Leitzell has a scooter.  – What better way to get to  a Food Adventure?

—  He doesn’t own a cell phone. – Gary is a person who prefers to communicate face to face or by email.  Wait a minute, how does he order carryout food?  For a guy always on the move, we find it astonishing that he doesn’t own a mobile phone.  Maybe it is a lesson to us as well.

— His favorite rock band is ‘The Who.’  – Will they play a farewell show at Courthouse Square when his term as mayor ends?  We will have our people get with your people to coordinate that one.

If there is a lesson to be learned from Mayor Leitzell it is “Be yourself.”   The mayor has a positive passion for the Dayton area and the future of the city.  He is involved with many activities, from West Side Dayton volunteer projects to creative marketing for the city.  But, you won’t see that trumpeted in a paper or in a story online.  As his term expires in January, look for him to run for a Montgomery County Commissioner seat.

So be on the lookout next time you are eating out and around Dayton.  You just may be sitting next to the mayor !

What are your top 5 Dayton area restaurants?  Comment below so we can see how you stack up with the mayor !

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Leitzell may be the bossman, but Food Adventures are the Dukes of Facebook .   Like these “Dayton Foodies” on FACEBOOK by clicking  —–>HERE!

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It’s Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest Weekend !

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Cherry Strudel from “The Original Strudel Factory”

Need a little Food Adventure today?  Well you can have that and more, because this weekend is The Dayton Art Institute’s Annual Oktoberfest Weekend.  The beer starts flowing from noon – 11pm on Saturday (today), and noon – 7pm Sunday (tomorrow).  Grab a pretzel or some strudel and enjoy the art vendors,  food vendors, wine and craft beers.  The event is also kid-friendly with various art activities.  There is even live music to enjoy!  Prices at the gate are:  $7 adults; $5 for seniors; $4 for students.

The Food Adventure Crew were lucky enough to be at Friday Night’s Preview Party as guests of Dayton Most Metro.

Some of the Huge Grilled Bratwurst Available this Weekend

We tried to eat all of the bratwurst and drink all of the beer, but there is still plenty left for all of you Dayton foodies.  Gear up, grab a German hat or some lederhosen and enjoy this Dayton tradition !!  See you there, creme puff !

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS BELOW FROM THE DAYTON OKTOBERFEST PREVIEW PARTY, FRIDAY SEPT 21st, 2012.

“Like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE !

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Food Adventures Devours the 2011 Dayton Oktobertfest

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Spaten Munich beer and Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest were on draft

This past weekend, we experienced one of their favorite Food Adventures to date. Daytonmostmetro.com generously provided us with tickets to the preview party at the 40th Oktoberfest which is held at the Dayton Art Institute.  Although we have both been to the festival many times in the past, this would be the first time going to the preview party.

On this Food Adventure, we decided to take separate vehicles and that was a big mistake!  It wasn’t too easy to find a parking space, so The Big Ragu who is always “fashionably late,” this time proved no different.

While Hungry Jax was waiting in the long entrance line, a frantic Ragu was searching for a parking space while developing a little case of road rage.  We were both pretty amazed at how many people attended the pre-party and had no idea that it would be this packed.  Nonetheless, feeling like VIP’s we developed our game plan and a night of ethnic gluttony started to ensue.

Bratwurst from Schmidt’s restaurant booth – Incredible !

The festival is pretty much a bunch of food booths from different companies and 2 tents of craft goods.  Yeah, we skipped the arts and crafts.  Jax headed over to the Schmidt’s Sausage Haus booth while the Big Ragu shimmied over the beer line.

Schmidt’s is located in the German Village in Columbus, Ohio and was featured on Man v. Food.  Hungry Jax ordered a bratwurst with sauerkraut and added on spicy brown mustard and horseradish.  The first bite was absolutely amazing and this was a sign of good things to come.  The beer booth had some general choices, but we decided to go for the Leinenkugel Oktoberfest and the Spaten Munich beers.  After the Big Ragu got the beer, he decided to go hit the food line.  Ragu really showed that he was in the Oktoberfest spirit by showing up with a German treat … wait, a Gyro from the Greek Orthodox Church booth!  Well, at least the gyro was good because he devoured it in about 2 bites.  At this time we were both very happy Food Adventurers, but that was about to change.

The Dreaded Limburger Sandwich

We headed to the next food stall and the sign read…..Limburger Cheese Sandwich.  Neither one of us has ever tried Limburger Cheese, so we decided to take one for the team and ordered one up.  The Big Ragu’s dad had eaten Limburger Cheese as a kid in New York, so we decided to call him up and see what we had in store for us.  Ragu Sr. found it pretty amusing that we were going to indulge in this thing and basically told us….good luck!  We decided to punish the Big Ragu for buying a gyro by making him take half of this sandwich.  We have both eaten to pretty questionable things in our lifetime, but this by far was the worst thing that we have tried.  We have a rule with Food Adventures….you must finish the whole thing.  The Big Ragu was the smart one here when teared up on the final bite, got teary eyed and spit the sandwich out in the trash can. We hope to never see another Limburger Cheese Sandwich again.

After we grabbed more beers, we headed over to Don LeDoux’s Cajun Restaurant booth and decided to go with the Crawfish Etoufee.  It was served on a bed of rice and was incredibly tasty with lots of crawfish in it!  The employees and owners were very friendly.  We definitely have to head up to Troy, Ohio and try this place out!  While the crew was talking to the Don LeDoux employees, Ragu suddenly showed up with a Weinerschnitzel sandwich that he bought at the booth next door.  He had to get the limburger taste out of his mouth.  We also visited briefly with the Kosmic Kettlecorn booth who had some tasty popcorn, and showed us how the process worked.

Meeting the local legend, Voltzy at his Oktoberfest booth

The next item that we tried was the highlight of the Oktoberfest for us….we finally tried a Voltzy burger!  This is by far, the best hamburger that we have tried so far…..you can definitely taste the freshness.  Voltzy came out and doused our burgers out with three different sauces, which put a sparkle in the Big Ragu’s eye.  One taste of these things and you will be hooked!  And the sauces give it some sweet heat!  The burgers were amazingly fresh, and Voltzy said the meat is never frozen.

We will both admit that before we met Voltzy, we were very intimidated by his reputation for being a hard A$$, but he was a great guy, with a good sense of humor, who we had a lot of fun with.  We are looking forward to a future food adventure at his restaurant!

At this point we were both pretty stuffed and we decided to do what anyone else would…..get another beer!  The Spaten was incredible and we couldn’t get enough of it.  Ragu also loved the Wisconsin brewed Leinenkugel Oktoberfest beer, but Jax stuck with the German Spaten Beer.  While waiting in the beer line, the Cream Puff Pastry at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus caught our eye.  While the Big Ragu loves his fried food, and Jax has a weakness for sweets.  The cream puff pastry was a gift send down from the Confectionary Gods and we loved every morsel of it.

Schmidt’s Restaurant has perfected the Cream Puff

This Food Adventure was a blast.  Our leiderhosen are a bit tighter after the food we consumed at this festival.  Sure, we ended up with a few drops of beer, sauce, and powdered sugar on our shirts, which housed our full stomachs, but it was all in a night’s work.  So we say, to honor Oktoberfest, Lisa, Bill and the crew at DAYTONMOSTMETRO.com who got us VIP tickets to this event, we say “Danke schön!”

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Did you go to Oktoberfest? What did you think about the food and beer selection
?

Please post a comment below!

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Dining Your Way through Oktoberfest!

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It’s not quite October, but close enough that local restaurants are rolling out the Oktoberfest menus. Here’s a round up of the local specials heralding the Bavarian culture that has been celebrating these festivities since 1810.

Amber Rose kicked off their Oktoberfest beer special which allows you to enjoy your first Beck’s Oktoberfest, Amber Bach or Goose Island Harvest  for just 10 cents all month long.  The y will also feature a different schnitzel special each week and of course brats are available for lunch all month long.

Chef Keith Taylor at Savona in Centerville has a special menu offering options like wurst salad, warm potato salad, german slaw, wiener schnitael, beef rouladen, choucroute garni and apple strudel.  Taylor offers this menu in homage to his late mentor, Chef Dieter Krug, whom he worked under at L’Auberge and often was a guest chef at Savona, where they perfected them menu items.

L’Auberge is running a special 3 course pre-fixe meal for $25 until
Oct. 8th that includes:

First Course: choice of German potato salad or Bavarian sausage salad
Second Course: Octoberfest chicken with stuffing or roasted pork schank with red red cabbage
Third Course:  warm apple strudel

Rue Dumaine is offfering an Oktoberfest celebration on Thurs, Oct 6th.  You’ll have the option of a German beer tasting featuring Erdinger Hefewiezen Oktoberfest, Sam Adamas Oktoberfest  and Ayinger Oktoberfest – Marzen for $12 or pairing German wines with this special menu created by Chef Anne:

Sauerkraut balls over German mustard crème
Obatzda –Limburger cheese-butter spread, served with handmade soft pretzels
Hot slaw with apples and bacon
German potato** salad
Tartlet of Alsatian Munster and roasted mushrooms
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Rinderrouladen served with potato puree and braised red cabbage – beef stuffed with a pickle spear, carrot stick, house made German-style ham and a smear of German mustard. It is seared then slow braised in beef stock. Served with Yukon potato puree and braised red cabbage seasoned with bacon, onion, red wine vinegar and sugar.

Grilled trout with celery sauce and Schupfnudeln (potato dumplings)

Gemischtes Würstchenteller- 2 varieties house made sausages served with kraut (with juniper, caraway, apples**, onions, bacon and beer), spaetzle and German mustard

Apple** strudel- phyllo wrapped apples with raisins, walnuts, sugar and spice
Petite Black Forest cake

** designated locally grown items

Jane’s Best Bets (10/6 – 10/10)

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Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

This past week was wonderful…and very unique!  I witnessed an elephant in a living room (well, sort of), found out that Minster wasn’t lying about serving beer in half-gallon plastic jugs, and was able to enjoy some fish and chips at my alma mater’s fish fry.  But most importantly, the Browns captured their first win of the season!  (Sorry all you Bengals fans out there.)  Anyways, here are some of the wonderful things going on in Dayton this week!

On Wednesday, row your boat to Otis Redding’s favorite place, The Dock, for their 16th Anniversary.  In order to celebrate, there will be 16 dinners offered at 1994 prices!  Or continue the German Oktoberfest tradition at Hawthorn Grill, as they will be featuring a German menu.  Afterwards, check out the Modern Masters Exhibit from the Smithsonian American Art Museum at the Dayton Art Institute for its final week in Dayton.  Or head to The Neon to experience what I experienced this weekend – The Elephant in the Living Room …which by the way, is a wonderful documentary that features many things Dayton.  Although you may be skeptical of my opinions since I’m by no means a film critic, the movie has earned two “Best Documentary” awards from actual film critics!

On Thursday, get out your Altoids after you experience Cooking with Garlic at the PNC 2nd Street Market.  Just don’t try out your new found cooking skills on a date.  In the evening, speed over to the Dayton Art Institute to see Soul Express as part of the DAI 2010 Vectren Just Jazz Series.  And, if you are a writer, have always wanted to become one, or like me, you just have a passion for your topic but no formal writing experience, head to the Kettering-Moraine branch of the Dayton Metro Library for a presentation entitled The Courage to Write.

On Friday, there will be lots of opportunities for professional development!  All you business people will want to start the day off right with the Dayton Chamber Breakfast Briefingat the Dayton Racquet Club.  Afterwards, check out MAGNETIC Content! – Create, plan and position relevant content that will captivate your audience, which is sponsored by New Media Dayton.  Bring your autograph book as there will be “ROCKSTAR-like” panelists, including our very own Bill Pote, the wonderful founder of DaytonMostMetro.com!  If you are looking to enhance your creativity in the workplace, sign up for the Creativity – Steroids for Your Career workshop at Groundz4Living.  If you are a community advocate, you’ll want to register for the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference, which will be going on over the course of three days at the Dayton Convention Center and the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  In the evening, fly like Superman…Up, Up & Away with McCoo & Davis, as they perform with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.  (You can also find more information about the event by clicking here.)

Saturday is festival day!  Make your way to Waynesville for the famous Sauerkraut Festival or to Yellow Springs for the Yellow Springs Street Fair (check out the DMM article on this event here).  Or, if you haven’t been to enough beer festivals in the past few months, check out the Miami Valley Beer Fest at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, where all proceeds go directly to the Resident Home Association, a non-profit that works with adults who have developmental disabilities, providing them with supervised living assistance and other services.  So, if people ask you why you’ve been drinking every weekend, you can just tell them it is for a great cause!  If you are grieving the fact that Dayton Oktoberfest is over, you can still drink German beer, eat cabbage rolls, and experience live music at the Dayton Liederkranz Oktoberfest! If you want to help kids, be sure to purchase your ticket ASAP for the ‘Help Me, Help Kids’ Wine Tasting and Silent Auction for Big Brothers Big Sisters, which is also on Saturday.  It is more than just wine and a silent auction – there will be food, fun, and live music by Matt Scholp.  Plus, you will walk home (or perhaps take a cab home) with a wine glass and a t-shirt!  A few friends and I attended last year and had such a great time that we are planning to go again this year, so I hope to see you there!

On Sunday, after you go to church, head to the Dayton Art Institute for Musica! Fall Concert – Saints & Sinners.  Musica!, Dayton’s professional choir, will be performing music from a wide variety of musicals, such as Les Miserables, as well as a set of spirituals.  Or watch Cleveland’s second win of the season on FOX as they take on the Atlanta Falcons.  (Apparently this event is not listed on the DaytonMostMetro.com calendar.)  If you’re not wise enough to be a Browns fan, check out the Modern Masters from the Smithsonian American Art Museumat the Dayton Art Institute, as Sunday is the last day for it.  Or, drive down to Waynesville for the Sauerkraut Festival.  And finally, to wind down the busy week, participate in the Free Intro to Yoga classat Practice Yoga on Fifth.

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

What did the football say to the punter?
“I get a kick out of you.”

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 (9/29 – 10/3)

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Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

It was great seeing so many of you at Oktoberfest at the Dayton Art Institute this weekend!  Although Dayton’s Oktoberfest is officially over for the year, October is just beginning this week.  You’re probably thinking, “How in the world could this happen?”  I did too.  However, when I asked my buddy Jeeves, he told me that in another part of the world, Munich, Oktoberfest actually starts in September and ends in October.  Having this mystery solved, hopefully we can all sleep well tonight.  But before hitting the hay, let’s check out our options as Oktober…I mean October…begins.

On Wednesday, head on over to the University of Dayton’s ArtStreet for the SO Percussion: Workshop & Jam Session.  There are opportunities for audience participation, so if you have always dreamed of playing the triangle, here is your opportunity.  Are you a high school student?  If so, I’m surprised you’re reading this.  If not, do you know a high school student?  If you answered yes, encourage him/her to check out the College Prep Night presented by Fifth Third Bank at Fifth-Third Field.  Plus, there is an opportunity for those who RSVP in advance to win a $1,000 scholarship!  If you love flowers, consider going to Going Green in Dayton at GalleryBlue Man Group St. John, where you will have the opportunity to look at photos, sketches, and paintings by local artists of over 120 wild flowers in Dayton environments.  And finally on Wednesday, if you’re looking for something that is unique and fun, check out the Blue Man Group as they perform at the Schuster Center.  Although they describe themselves as blue, I have heard they are actually mauve…“mauvelous” that is!

On Thursday, Give the Best Pint in Town at the Community Blood Center! if you didn’t have the opportunity to do so last week.  While you’re there, get your very own, super cool Octoberfest t-shirt!  If you are looking for pointers on how to write grants (i.e. how to get free money!), check out the Southwest Ohio American Association of Grant Professionals Regional Conference at Atrium Medical Center.  If you grew up always wanting to be a princess, head on over to the Nutter Center for Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics.  Also, Tinker Bell (a.k.a. the “hottest fairy of them all”, according to a five-year old boy I know) will make an appearance.

On Friday, if fashion is your thing, check out the BRAVO! Fashion Show and Champagne Brunchat the Sinclair Ponitz Center to benefit the Dayton Opera.  If you’re feeling like a Friday after-work happy hour is in order, consider heading to Arrow Wine’s Centerville location for their 13th Annual Oktoberfest Celebration…which betcha by golly wow is actually in October!  On Friday night, downtown is definitely the place to be.  Head over to The Neon for a sneak preview of the award-winning documentary, The Elephant in the Living Room.  Or, before the weather gets too cold, get that bike out and join the Courteous Mass October Ride.  If you enjoy the outdoors, then you will definitely want to check out GearFest at Eastwood MetroPark.  This outdoor festival will feature athlete demonstrations, competitions, camping, the latest products/gear, and music!  Also, while downtown, check out First Friday, which will feature a variety of entertainment options, from live music to art galleries to bonfires!  (For more info on First Friday, click here.)   Or, head on over to the Firefly Building’s amazing rooftop for Pecha Kucha Dayton Vol. 5, which will involve snacks, drinks, social networking, and idea sharing with eight creative presenters.  And if you don’t mind the drive and would like to experience Oktoberfest again, head up to Minster for their version.  Although I’ve never been, I’ve heard that Minster’s Oktoberfest is famous for serving beer in half-gallon plastic jugs!

On Saturday, get off that couch and check out the 33rd Annual Spring Valley Potato Festival.  If you enjoy learning about other cultures, head over to Middletown for Middfest International 2010 Celebration of Botswana.  All you music fans will want to experience the Dayton Music Fest, which will feature numerous bands playing at several different Dayton venues.  If you want to be one of the first ones to get a pumpkin, head to Young’s Dairy for the 34th Annual Fall Farm Pumpkin Festival.

Also on Saturday…All you motorcycle lovers better rev up your engines and speed over to Thomas Cloud Park for the Pink And Chrome – Ride for the Cure for Susan G. Komen for the Cure! And in the evening, even though the “official” fish fry season hasn’t yet started, check out the Fenwick High School Fish Fry, Monte Carlo, & Silent Auction night…where all proceeds raised will support student athletes at my alma mater!  Also, Minster Oktoberfest, The Elephant in the Living Room – Movie, and GearFest will all still be strong options!

On Sunday, check out the 2010 Harvest Fest at Garden Station Community Garden and Art Park.  Or, head to one of the many events you may have missed this week/weekend:  the 33rd Annual Spring Valley Potato Festival, the 34th Annual Fall Farm Pumpkin Festival, Minster Oktoberfest, Blue Man Group, The Elephant in the Living Room – Movie, or Midfest International Celebrates Botswana.  It’s truly going to be a “mauvelous” week in Dayton!

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

What would you get if you crossed two fish with two elephants?
A pair of swimming trunks.

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!

Good Eats at Local Festivals

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As a foodie I have to admit fall is often a hard time to choose from so many great festivals featuring some great eating.  Here’s a quick rundown of some of the options to tempt you this weekend:

DAI’s Oktoberfest – preview tonight and continuing Saturday  & Sunday, read all about it here.

Chocoolate Festival on Saturday at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds features  50 booths full of  fudge, brownies, candy, cake & things “like chocolate covered Jalapeno peppers & chocolate covered crickets.

Applefest on Saturday  turns downtown Lebanon into a craft festival, with lots of live entertainment, old fashioned apple cookoff featuring bread this year.

Germantown Pretzel Fest is Sat and Sun – It’s free and packed with great
food, unique crafts, live entertainment and of course-pretzels!

Enjoy your weekend, I know I will!

Jane’s Best Bets (9/22 – 9/26)

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Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

Wow, it’s hard to believe that it is officially autumn!  And in Dayton, do you know what “falls” in autumn?  If your answer is leaves, sorry, you only get partial credit.  Although leaves do fall in the autumn, there are also many fun festivals and events that fall during this time of the year!  So let’s not waste anytime in checking out our options for the first week of fall!

On Wednesday, head to the Community Blood Center to Give the Best Pint in Town, as blood donations are vital to the health of our community.  Whether you’re a pessimist or optimist, it really doesn’t matter.  You can “B Negative” or “B Positive”, as the Community Blood Center is accepting of all types!  Plus, you get a cool Octoberfest shirt for donating, which will be just in time for Oktoberfest going on at the Dayton Art Institute this weekend!  Speaking of blood/health issues… are you tired of hearing biased opinions when it comes to our nation’s health care bill?  If so, join HYPE (Helping Young Professinals Emerge) and the Troy, Tipp City, Covington, and Piqua Areas Chamber of Commerce for the presentation, Demystifying the Nation’s Health Care Bill, which will discuss an un-biased, non-partisan view on this important issue.  In case anyone is wondering, I am by no means a politician (my friends tell me I’m too honest), nor do I have any political agenda.  Also on Wednesday…if you enjoy outdoor activities and would like to volunteer at GearFest this year, make sure you attend the GearFest Volunteer Orientation.  Or, if you had a rough day, perhaps you need a glass of wine, so check out the Pina Winery in Napa Valley Tasting at the Wine Gallery downtown.

On Thursday, put away your iPod for the day and tune into Mix 107.7 for their Radiothon for RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities).   The event is happening all day (6:00AM-7:00PM), so even if your boss doesn’t let you listen to music at work and you work the standard 9-5 job, you still have 5 hours to be listening!   You will also be able to make donations online and at some McDonald’s locations.  Also Thursday…if you enjoy the theater scene, there are several plays from which to choose:  Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. at Town Hall Theatre, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at La Comedia (dinner and a show), and August: Osage County at Wright State’s Festival Playhouse, which is about an Okalahoma family.  I’m not sure why they didn’t just call it Oklahoma.

On Friday, if you don’t already have lunch plans and enjoy networking with other area young professionals, head on over to Murray’s Place for Generation Dayton’s ‘4th Friday Lunch’.  If you are a UD grad like me and are itching for an excuse to make it back on campus, check out the ArtBeat Festival of the Arts, which will feature local and student performing groups, as well as food and art vendors.  In downtown Tipp City, check out the Tipp City Mum Festival.  Although the theme of this year’s festival is Law Enforcement, “Mum’s the Word!  You Have the Right to Remain Silent”, you can see I’m not good at keeping mum about it…I just hope I don’t get in trouble for mentioning it here.  If you’ve decided to spend Friday night at The Greene, be sure to check out the 80s cover band Stranger.  And if you want to preview the Dayton Art Institute’s Oktoberfest, listen to the band Velvet Crush, and avoid the crowds, be sure to purchase tickets for their Preview Party, which is also happening on Friday.  And, if you have extra tickets, feel free to send them my way!

On Saturday, get your walking shoes out to support one of two great causes.  Participate in the St. Vincent de Paul – 2010 Friends of the Poor Walk or the Great Strides – Walk for Cystic Fibrosis.  After getting your exercise in, if you’re the “sweet” type, head to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds for the Chocolate Festival.  And if you’re the “salty” type, the Germantown Pretzel Festival is the place to be.  Or, if you’re the healthy type, head over to Lebanon (the city, not the country) for the Country Applefest or to the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm for the Aullwood Apple Fest.  If you’re the shy type, head back to the Tipp City Mum Festival.  If you enjoy Hispanic food and breaking piñatas, then check out the Hispanic Heritage Festival and Flea Market at College Hill Community Church in North Dayton.  And, the “must attend” festival of the week is the DAI Oktoberfest, which will feature live entertainment, unique arts and crafts, and a variety of beers and international foods.  Plus, if you attended the jumpstART event last week, you will be able to get in free with your admission pass!  Or, check out this article to find out more about Oktoberfest AND how to win tickets from DMM!  Also, just in case outdoor festivals are not your thing and you’d instead prefer to kick back and watch movies, make a trip to The Neon for the LGBT Film Festival, where several films will be featured, including Top Drawer Shorts, A Marine Story, and Violet Tendencies.

On Sunday morning, head to The Winds in Yellow Spring and then to The Little Art Theatre for Brunch and a Movie.  Or, check out one (or more!) of the festivals you missed or liked so much that you want to explore again!  The Aullwood Apple Fest, the Tipp City Mum Festival, the Pretzel Festival, and DAI’s Oktoberfest will still be happening places to be!

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

Why did Humty Dumpty have a great fall?

He wanted to make up for a lousy summer.

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!