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

Renaissance Festival

Celtic/Americana band DULAHAN FREE CONCERT at the Wandering Griffin

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Saturday nights are for shamrocking the house down at the Wandering Griffin! Come hang out with us on November 16th from 7 – 10 PM for a free live music performance, brought to you by local Daytonian Celtic/Americana legends (say that 5 times fast) Dulahan. 🇮🇪

Located in Beavercreek, OH across the street from Wright State University and a stone’s throw from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Wandering Griffin is your place for free live music, fresh-brewed quality beer, and delicious American comfort food/hickory-smoked BBQ.

 

Jane’s Best Bets (9/7 – 9/11)

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Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

This week, it’s all Greek to me.  Well, that’s not really the truth.  It’s only partially Greek, with a little Italian, a little German, and a little Hispanic, mixed in with many other things.  Variety is the spice of life, so if you want to spice up yours, check out some of these suggestions for things to do!

On Wednesday, make your way to Courthouse Square for The Square Is Where featuring Gary Hill (Solo Classic Rock).  Art lovers should hop on over to the University of Dayton’s Roesch Library Gallery for the University of Dayton Art Hop.  Looking to find a volunteer opportunity that matches your interests?  Consider attending Generation Dayton’s 2011 Volunteer Speed Match at the Dayton Racquet Club, where you will be able to “date” several non-profits in the area.  Also downtown, head to The Wine Gallery for their Weekly Wine Tasting or to the Trolley Stop for their Old Time Acoustic Jam.

On Thursday, there will be another “The Square Is Where” performance at Courthouse Square, which will feature Alabama Capital. If you are trying to eat healthier foods, consider making your way to the Centerville Farmers Market.  Head to McCormick & Schmick’s for their Greek Wine Dinner…make it a big fat party.  Although you may feel full afterwards, I don’t think it will make you permanently big and fat.  Don’t miss the nice weather and an opportunity to meet some of the players from the Dayton Silverback football team at Quaker Steak and Lube for their Bike Night.  Or head to Wings Sports Bar & Grille for their Weekly Cornhole Tournament.

Friday is when the Greek comes in – in a big fat way!  Go to the Dayton Greek Festival and be sure to eat a gyro…which is the result of butchering (unless you’re eating the vegetarian type) and whose name gets butchered on a regular basis.  The Italian also comes in with the Italian Fall Festa.  Both of these are awesome events that you do not want to miss.  They’re going on throughout the weekend, so make plans to head to one on Friday and the other on Saturday.  The Dayton Music Fest will be going on at a variety of locations this weekend to spotlight Dayton’s indie music scene.  So, music will also be ringing in your ears this weekend…perhaps literally with how loud speakers usually are!  (Please be sure to check out the link for a full listening of bands playing this weekend!)  All you ballerinas who have dreamed of making it big should put on your tutus and head to Victoria Theatre for the Dayton Ballet II Open Auditions.  And if you’re interested in theater, check out The Oldest Profession at the Dayton Theatre Guild or God of Carnage at The Loft Theatre.

On Saturday, you will again be able to get some fresh and healthy produce at the Troy Farmers Market or at the PNC 2nd Street Market, where there will be live music by Eli Everhart.  In addition to the Dayton Greek Festival and the Italian Fall Festa, you will be able to head to RiverScape for the Hispanic Heritage Festival.  If you’re German (or even if you’re not), participate in the German Wine Tasting at Arrow Wine in Centerville.  I’m usually used to German beer, but I’m guessing they have good wine too!  In addition, don’t miss some great live music as part of Dayton Music Fest…there are TONS of options at a variety of places including Canal Street Tavern, Oregon Express, Trolley Stop, and Blind Bob’s.

On Sunday, if you didn’t have a chance because you were working on some home improvement project (or something like that), be sure to check out either the Italian Fall Festa or the Dayton Greek Festival.  There are a couple other festivals going on including Guitar Fest at Stubbs Amphitheater and the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  Enjoy locally grown produce and locally made crafts at the Garden Station Sunday Market.  Make your way to Sinclair for A Day of Remembrance in order to observe the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.  At the Dayton Art Institute, enjoy one of their exhibits, including Exhibit: ‘Trash? Look Again’ and From Romance to Rifles: Winslow Homer’s Illustrations of 19th-Century America.  And if you feel like heading to your local bar or sitting on your couch to watch NFL football, that is perfectly okay too.

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

Wear short sleeves…support your right to bare arms!

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 (9/15 – 9/19)

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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 2nd 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!