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Sailcats

The Power And Light Of Dow Thomas

January 19, 2012 By J.T. Ryder Leave a Comment

Dayton And The World Loses A Comedy Icon

 

Dow Thomas: Comedian & Musician 1953-2012

Sifting through scattered memories, most of which are second hand recollections that occurred before my time, I find myself overwhelmed by a life lived with a manic exuberance. I found out about comedian Dow Thomas’ passing from a friend and regular customer of Wiley’s Comedy Niteclub who called to inform me of the news. I stayed up until around 2:00am poring over the condolences that poured out from all over the country, cascading down from Dow’s Facebook page and other social media outlets. I looked through pictures that I had of Dow, read through transcripts from interviews I had done with him and reflected on conversations that we had had in the past. While many around me knew Dow longer and were closer friends than he and I were, Dow possessed the ability to make you feel that you were the only one in the room. Even during performances where there were a hundred or more people in the room, he made you feel as if you were within his inner circle, that this was an intimate gathering of friends and not just a group of people watching a performance. Even beyond his unerring talent and exuberant imagination, this was his true gift.

Born in Chillicothe and raised in the Akron/Cleveland area, Dow moved to the Dayton area in 1971 to attend Wright State as a theater major, a fitting field of study for someone who had been familiar with the stage for much of his youth. Even though Dow was not a native ofDayton, he embraced the area with the fervor that a lifelong resident should have.

“I didn’t originally come from Dayton. I just kind of adopted the city in 1971. I moved to the area to go to Wright State and I just stayed.” Dow said during one of our conversations. “I ended up living in downtown Dayton. I used to hang out at the Arcade a lot there. I’m a downtown kind of guy.”

Dow Thomas as Cléante in Molière’s Tartuffe

Dow was very active in the drama department while at Wright State, performing in several theater productions, such as Shakespear’s Romeo and Juliet and a pair of Molière’s plays; That Scoundrel Scapin and as Cléante in Tartuffe. In the latter drama, he caught the eye of a fellow student, Rob Haney, which signaled the beginning to a lifelong friendship.

As his hair grew, so did Dow’s creative yearnings. He began playing music around town, playing at venues that are but a mere memory to most Daytonians.

“I started my shows at the Upper Krust on North Main St. for ten dollars a day. I liked being up on North Main because I liked to go to shows and Gilly’s used to be up on North Main and there was also The Tropics and Suttmiller’s, which was fun for me to go see supper club type comedians like Jerry Van Dyke or Pete Barbutti and those kind of guys.”

Even though many venues and stages were opening themselves up to Dow’s music and acting, this was still not enough to contain Dow’s imaginative energies. He started sneaking his oddly skewed humor into his songs and banter with the audience.

A poster from 1972 for the Upper Krust

“I was actually doing comedy in 1972, but at that time there weren’t any comedy clubs, so I was just doing comedy along with music. I would get hired as a musician/entertainer and just add in the comedy in between songs.” Dow reflected. “I would always put on masks and stuff…I just can’t help myself from clowning around. I’d have the gig and eventually I had bands, but when I clowned around, everyone clowned around with me. What was always part of the show was me being stupid. It was what I said in between songs and me ruining songs, like singing like a dog and getting a ‘bark along’ going.”

In those days, you may have seen Dow tooling around town in his hearse, decked out like a Bohemian undertaker, black clad and sporting his ubiquitous top hat, running from gig to gig. He played with Astrid Socrates for seven years (creatively billed as Astrid & Dow) as well as drummer Doug Buchanan Tim McKenzie on lead guitar during yet another incarnation of his ingenuity. He was a featured act at The Trolley Stop, Clancy’s, the Iron Boar and Bogey’s.

Comics don’t need to spend actual time together to feel like brethren or family.  We are constantly accruing that common experience that instantly bonds us all separately and continually.  But, few of us are as pure, kind, original, and superbly funny as Uncle Dow.  I feel forever indebted to him for making it possible for me to ever start and I know that anyone who knew him feels like they, too are some of the luckiest people alive.  Uncle Dow made people laugh, but even more so he made them feel alive and always made them smile. ~Ryan Singer

“I’ll never forget the day Dow Thomas and my path crossed. I was part owner of a night club called Bogey’s onWatervliet Ave. in Dayton when Dow and Jeffro stopped in after buying guitar strings at Ace Music.” Mike Adams reminisced recently. “Things weren’t going very well at the bar and we couldn’t afford a barmaid or a cook so I was working. Dow Thomas ordered two drinks and asked for a menu and ordered a sandwich. Upon serving him he asked who owned the place and I confessed. He asked how things were going and I said not to well. He said he could tell. He asked if I had ever heard of Dow Thomas and I said yes but had never seen him and he told me I was talking to him. He offered to do a show one night a week for free as long as I didn’t interfere with him trying new material. I lost a lot of money owning that bar but memories like this makes the money seem irrelevant.”

Dow also frequently played in a bar onPatterson Road called the Iron Boar and becoming steadfast friends with the owners, Dan and Jodi Lafferty.

“We used to do a Gong Show at the Iron Boar and it was fun because we’d have some guy come up and go, ‘I’m going to do my imitation of a lobster’ and we’d go, ‘Good!’  So he’d put claws on and hop around like a freak…it was just so stupid!” Dow began chuckling to himself on the phone before going on. “I used to do a thing called Punt The Fish and I’d yell out, ‘It’s time to…’ the audience would scream, ‘Punt the Fish!’ I had this rubber fish and audience members would come up and kick this fish and we’d measure it off with toilet paper and the one who kicked it the farthest won. One night I had this woman up on stage and she kicked the fish and it went into the propeller of the ceiling fan and came back and smacked me in the face. Everybody was just laughing and I stood up and screamed, ‘Disqualified!’ It was all just so stupid, but you’ll never be able to have a moment like that ever again.”

In ’91 when I took over Jokers Comedy Café, Dow was running the open mic night.  I’d never heard of Dow and looking at this man in a black trench coat and top hat, I have to admit my first impression was not great-   he’s gonna be dark and sarcastic and egotistical, I thought.  I could not have been more wrong!  Dow loved being on stage and his joy radiated through the crowd. He would have an audience pounding their table to Power & Light, and tossing paper plates across the room as he sang Sail Cats. ~Lisa Grigsby

The comedy began usurping the music and Dan Lafferty began booking ventriloquists, jugglers and other oddball acts to fill out the shows.

“I used to have people like Jay Haverstick, who owned Jay’s Seafood, he would come and see my shows. So would Mike Peters. They would be out late at night and they would just say, ‘Hey! Let’s go and see what crazy Dow is doing!’” Dow said during another conversation. He went on, describing another huge change that was bout to occur in his life. “But there wasn’t a comedy club, so I left forL.A.I gave them (the Lafferty’s) a one year’s notice (laughing) and said, ‘In a year, I’m going toL.A.’ and that’s when we turned it into a comedy club.”

Eventually, the Lafferty’s decided to change not only the whole format of the club to comedy, but the name itself. In an unexplainable instance where someone could legitimately name a comedy club Lafferty’s, Dan decided to use his nickname instead, dubbing the newly restructured club Wiley’s.

Dow, true to his word, eventually left forLa-LaLand, seeking his fame and fortune, both of which proved to be elusive in the land of silicone and sunshine. He found that the venues that were available to him were less than conducive to his creative talents. At one point, he found himself doing sets between bouts at a boxing match and, towards his triumphant return toDayton, he was unceremoniously replaced with disco music at a Newport Beachclub. Yet the comedy scene was heating up nationally and Dow was riding the cusp of this chaotic wave. The shows were not the structured tight sets that we witness now in the clubs, but were given to more improvisational melees and surprise guests.

“There were these guys like Rich Purpura, who was a comedy/magician, and Tim Walko, a guitarist, and they were both fromChicago. We’d do a show, just packing the place, but at the end, we’d just get up there and jam and kept the show going and clown around with each other.” Dow said. “By then, we were just trying to make each other laugh, and that’s what the audience liked. It was kind of like. It was kind of like having the Rat Pack or something. It was that kind of feel, where everybody’s in the groove. Back then I could have Emo Philips come in and do twenty minutes and then I’d get a chance to go to the bathroom. Then maybe Judy Tenuta would come in and do twenty to thirty minutes and then I’d get a chance to go to the bathroom. For me, I thought it should go on all night.”

Rob Haney

Another person that benefitted from the burgeoning comedy scene was Rob Haney, a newly touring comic and future owner of Wiley’s Comedy Niteclub.

“Rob Haney came up to me one time and said, ‘Can I get up and do some time? I just got back from The Comedy Store.’ He had just done some showcasing there…which surprised me because Rob was a bouncer in a bar I used to work at.” Dow recalled that, “When I first met him, he was a doorman at a place called The Bar inWest Carrollton. It was a rough little joint that ended up being Omar’s for a while. It was an old basement bar and the family that owned it was pretty rugged. I actually had guns pulled on me in that bar. I’ve seen him mace guys and throw guys out…he’s a pretty tough guy. He had like shoulder length hair at the time and pretty well built, so it was a different Rob Haney that came up to me with short hair and asked if he could do like twenty minutes and I said, ‘Sure!’ I let him up at the Trolley Stop and I had a gig there like six nights a week…it was crazy.”

Another iconic staple of the Miami Valley that Dow had a huge role in was with his friend Dr. Creep (Barry Hobart) and Shock Theater. The inception of Shock Theater was supposed to be actually scary, as an accompaniment to the B-rated horror flicks that they screened, but the campy ineptness and irrepressible humor of Dr. Creep and the people that worked on the show quickly made the show a campy carnival for all of those late night viewers.

“I ended up getting on just about every television show in Dayton, but I got with Dr. Creep in the late seventies when it was called Saturday Night Dead because they had him on after Saturday Night Live, so it was kind of a neat spot.” Dow went on to say, “So I wrote The Ballad of Dr. Creep and went on there with my girlfriend at the time, Astrid Socrates and also with a bunch of my friends and we did skits.”

Barry Hobart (Dr. Creep) And Dow

“You know, what’s funny about that whole thing is that they became the number one, locally produced television show while I was writing for them. They would go, ‘Okay, we’re showing Dracula: Prince of Darkness’ and we made up the Bat Photo Studio and all of the prints would come out really dark, and customer’s would comment, ‘Wow! These prints are really dark!’ and I’d go, ‘Well, I am Dracula: Prints of Darkness! Sometimes I accidently cut their heads off!’ and I’d hold up a severed head. It was just stupid stuff like that.” With a tinge of regret, Dow added, “Of course, Joe Smith said, ‘No, you can’t do this and you can’t do that.’ He was an integral part of the studio there, so I got censored quite a bit and got into a little bit of trouble. I remember John Riggi and I getting yelled at because we changed the weather map one time. We got up there and started putting a bunch of tornados around Xenia…they were just little magnetized things back in those days. We were hippies in a studio that had rules.”

Dow played some forty different clubs in the MiamiValley the years that he was here and developed a huge fan base locally as well as in other cities that he performed in. In 1997, he moved to Florida with his wife Kay and they took up residence at some of the local clubs near their new home. Even after his departure, Dow was voted Dayton’s Best Comedian for two year’s running. He would still make frequent sojourns to Ohio, usually performing at Wiley’s one to two times a year, creating comedic chaos with his skewed humor and especially with his song Sailcats, in which he would cajole the audience into throwing paper plates in lieu of flattened kittens as the song implied. The staff would usually find the last paper plate stuck in the rafter shortly before Dow’s next scheduled appearance.

Dow Thomas At Dirty Little Secret Sanitarium Show

I contacted Dow in February of 2011 to ask if he would perform at my upcoming Dirty Little Secret Sanitarium show in May. He was eager to do the show because of the variety aspect of the event, but was reluctant in some ways, feeling that it would be a conflict of interests with his Wiley’s appearances. Rob Haney assured him that there would be no conflict and he agreed to do the show. That evening became an impromptu reunion of sorts in honor of Dr. Creep as not only had Dow worked closely with him, but so had some of the other performers slated for that evening. Thomas Nealeigh from FreakShow Deluxe had worked with Dr. Creep as had A. Ghastlee Ghoul. Our emcee for the evening was Dr. Creep’s protégé  Baron Von Pork Shop and some of the members of Team Void had recorded music for Shock Theater’s DVD’s. Dow had a blast at the show and had garnered yet a few more fans for his cult of comedy.

I contacted him again this past December to see if he wanted to be part of the Dirty Little Secrets Sick Of Santa Show and he readily agreed. We spent the rest of the conversation talking about old horror movies and other trivialities. On the night of the show, December 28th, 2011, his wife Kay showed up at the club saying that Dow was really sick and would be unable to perform. Seeing the look on her face and knowing Dow’s penchant for performing, I knew then that it was ore serious than she was letting on. The next evening, Dow arrived at Wiley’s to do his Thursday night set and we could all tell that something was wrong. The current owner, Rob Haney, and other staff and friends finally convinced Dow he needed to seek medical attention. He was admitted toMiamiValleyHospital and, two days later was released. He performed the New Year’s Eve show as well as the shows the following week.

His last show on January 7th, 2012 was astounding. Offstage, he seemed somewhat fragile, but as soon as he was on stage, that glimmer came into his eyes and the casual smirk shown across his face. He performed Sailcats and wheedled the audience into throwing the paper plates once again, daring any one of them to land one of them on his top hat. It was a picture perfect performance where someone actually landed a paper plate onto his top hat. The show ended with a standing ovation for our Uncle Dow, with audience members shouting out their approval and appreciation for Dow’s show.

After the show, Dow was surrounded by family and friends, well wishers and fans. It was the way of Dow: that feeling that you just needed to be near him and everything would be alright. You would be safely ensconced in his world.

Shortly after returning to Akron, Dow was hospitalized. He died January 18th, 2012. The outpouring of condolences and memories was immediate and Dow’s Facebook page became a makeshift memorial for a legion of stunned fans and friends to share their grief as well as their memories.

I think now of the boarded up Upper Crust, the warped wooden floors of the Trolley Stop, the comfortably worn carpet of the Wiley’s stage and I can hear the clank of glasses against the cascading laughter and see Dow with a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he dons a mask and unleashes a dialogue of absurdity in the voice of Lon Chaney. I can see him on stage doing what he did best: fashioning a world without limits, pushing the envelope until it bent and combining chords to nonsensical songs that bring laughter to all who are compelled to bang their glasses on the table and sing along. I see him smile down from the stage wearing a paper plate atop his felted hat, an improvised halo for our imaginative jester.

Read my previous article from 12/2010 – “Dow-Town Dayton”

Filed Under: Comedy, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Clancy's Bogie's, comedian, Comedy, comic, Dan Lafferty, Dayton Music, death, Dow Thomas, Dr. Creep, guitar, Iron Boar, Jodi Lafferty, Jokers, obituary, passing, Rob Haney, Sailcats, Shock Theater, trolley stop, Wiley's Comedy Niteclub

The Theater Of The Strange

December 15, 2010 By J.T. Ryder Leave a Comment

Comedian Dow Thomas Reminisces About The Dayton Comedy Scene

12/15/10

            It’s very rare for someone to be able to meet any of the people that were instrumental in warping the needle on their moral compass. For example, in the future, the odds are astronomically against my kids ever meeting up with Snooki, the creator of Grand Theft Auto or any or the Real Housewives of Poughkeepsie. I, however, was able to talk with one of the people who were instrumental in changing my vision and giving me the ability to see the world through laughing eyes: Dow Thomas. Dow is a musician, comedian and actor, who was, at one time, a script writer and musician for the notoriously wonderful local program shown on channel 22 and hosted by Dr. Creep called Shock Theater…a show that I was an avid fan of when I was a kid.

I was able to speak with Dow recently from his Floridahome. The first question I asked was whether or not Shock Theater was his introduction into the world of comedy.

“No. I was actually doing comedy in 1972, but at that time there weren’t any comedy clubs, so I was just doing comedy along with my music. I got with Dr. Creep in the late seventies when it was called Saturday Night Dead because they had him on after Saturday Night Live, so it was kind of a neat spot.” Dow reflected on the first time he was on Dr. Creep’s show, saying, “I wrote The Ballad of Dr. Creep and went on there with my girlfriend at the time, Astrid Socrates. I remember some of the early stuff. It was juvenile jokes and stuff, but that was what they (the television station) wanted because they wanted everything clean, stupid and quick.”

If there were no comedy clubs, what venues did he perform in? Dow told me that he would just play in the local bars, places like the Trolley Stop, The Bar and The Iron Boar.

“I would get hired as a musician/entertainer and just add in the comedy in between songs. I would always put on masks and stuff…I just can’t help myself from clowning around. I’d have the gig and eventually I had bands, but when I clowned around, everyone clowned around with me. What was always part of the show was me being stupid.” Dow said. “Sailcats was one of the early comedy songs I wrote which got people to throwing plates at me and that just started it all. We used to sing The Wonderful World of Toilet Paper and we used to TP all the clubs like Clancy’s and the old Wiley’s, which was The Iron Boar originally. But comedy was always a thing with me.”

Since this was predating the eighties comedy boom, I wondered how the comedy scene evolved inDayton. After talking with Dow over an hour, I got a sense of how paradoxically brutal and liberating the process was.

“I was doing The Iron Boar only on Sundays and Wiley had hired me to do it by myself and so I basically got rid of the band…but I still had jam sessions. I was primarily a single act and that’s when I went almost strictly comedy. Back then, I had to do five hours, like from nine to two in the morning, so you had to have a lot of material.” Dow added a couple of memories from the early days ofDaytoncomedy, saying, “We had a comedy night on Tuesdays…and people still bitched about the dollar door charge! It was just crazy. I remember D.L. Stewart came in and did a little bit one night and then wrote an article about the experience.”

Since he had seen the whole evolution of the comedy scene, I wondered whether he felt that it had become too rigid, too structured.

“Yeah…yeah I do. Back then I could have Emo Philips come in and do twenty minutes and then I’d get a chance to go to the bathroom. Then maybe Judy Tenuta would come in and do twenty to thirty minutes…and then I’d get a chance to go to the bathroom.” Dow related that, “For me, I thought it should go on all night because I had been out to the Comedy Store and all of these places. I mean, I had moved out toL.A.in 1983 and I spent a couple of years out there going to different clubs. Back then, nobody closed their bar after the show. A lot of times, we’d all be up doing improv.”

Dow was not a native resident of Dayton, having moved here to attend Wright State, but he quickly adopted the city as his own. He became a habitué of the Arcade, the local bars and the dinner clubs ofDayton. I asked when he had moved from Dayton to his current residence inFlorida.

“Uh…let’s see (yelling to his wife)…Kay! When did we move down here? What year was that? 1997.” Dow the related a funny anecdote. “After we moved, aDaytonnewspaper im

 

mediately voted me the funniest man inDayton…then they did it again the next year. They voted me the funniest man inDaytonfor two straight years and I wasn’t even living there!”

The paper in question used to be called The Dayton Voice…then Impact Weekly…and now it is known as the Dayton City Paper. Maybe we were just still pretending that our Uncle Dow hadn’t left our fair city.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llpMWbmXDY0&list=PLC369CAD7BFD06170&index=1&feature=plpp_video’]

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: comedian, Comedy, comic, Dayton, Dayton Music, Dow Thomas, funny, guitar, humor, humorous, J.T. Ryder, memorial, musician, ohio, Sailcats, song, songwriter, Tribute, Wiley's Comedy Niteclub

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Preble County Fair

Memories that will last a lifetime... Camping, County Idol, Demolition Derby, Tractor Pull, ATV Drag, Rodeo, Tug a Truck, Lawn...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

July 21 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

Live Entertainment, Carnival Rides, Antique Show, Livestock Show, Home Brew Contest, Truck Tug-O-War, Truck Pull, Demolition Derby, O.S.T.P.A. Tractor Pull,...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

July 21 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

Join us for the 165th Annual Shelby County Fair, located right here in Sidney, Ohio July 20 - 26, 2025.  We...

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Recurring

Color Our World – The Art of Stories

July 21 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Recurring

Color Our World – The Art of Stories

Each session of this freeform art class will focus on a different children's book illustrators' works and provide children an...

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

$3 Burger Night

July 21 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

$3 Burger Night

From 5-10pm you can choose from the following: for $3 - it's a plain burger on a bun, $4 -...

$3
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Then and Now Dayton History with Andrew Walsh, Part 3

July 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Then and Now Dayton History with Andrew Walsh, Part 3

Join librarian and local history author Andrew Walsh for an engaging presentation covering Dayton's history and revitalization with plenty of...

Free
7:30 pm - 11:30 pm Recurring

Justin’s LOTD Scotch Doubles Pool Tournament

July 21 @ 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm Recurring

Justin’s LOTD Scotch Doubles Pool Tournament

EVERY MONDAY NIGHT at Miami Valley Sports Bar - Justin's Famous Luck of the Draw Scotch Doubles Pool Tournament!!! Each...

$10.00
8:00 pm Recurring

Monday Night Laughs!

July 21 @ 8:00 pm Recurring

Monday Night Laughs!

  Join us every Monday at Oregon Express for Comedy Open Mic hosted by the hilarious G-Money! Sign-ups at 8:00PM...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

July 22 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

Live Entertainment, Carnival Rides, Antique Show, Livestock Show, Home Brew Contest, Truck Tug-O-War, Truck Pull, Demolition Derby, O.S.T.P.A. Tractor Pull,...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

July 22 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

Join us for the 165th Annual Shelby County Fair, located right here in Sidney, Ohio July 20 - 26, 2025.  We...

12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Schmidt’s Sausage Truck

July 22 @ 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Schmidt’s Sausage Truck

2:30 pm - 9:30 pm Recurring

Bargain Tuesday: $6.50 Movie Day

July 22 @ 2:30 pm - 9:30 pm Recurring

Bargain Tuesday: $6.50 Movie Day

Tuesday at the Neon in Downtown Dayton movies are just $6.50

$6.50
4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Half Price Wine every Tuesday at Whisperz Speakeasy

July 22 @ 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Half Price Wine every Tuesday at Whisperz Speakeasy

We're pouring amazing boutique wines from independent winemakers around the world at Whisperz Speakeasy, join us for a glass at...

Free
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Free Concert: ThunderBeard–Tribute to ZZ Top

July 22 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Free Concert: ThunderBeard–Tribute to ZZ Top

ThunderBeard is the most authentic ZZ Top Tribute Band, recreating the live experience of “That Little Ol' Band from Texas."...

Free
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Recurring

Trivia with Rob

July 22 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Recurring

Trivia with Rob

Come test your brain, enjoy great food and drinks, and have some fun!

7:00 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Progressive Euchre Tournament

July 22 @ 7:00 pm - 9:45 pm Recurring

Progressive Euchre Tournament

Are you ready for a fun, social evening with fellow Euchre enthusiasts? Look no further! Our progressive Euchre tournament is...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

July 23 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

Live Entertainment, Carnival Rides, Antique Show, Livestock Show, Home Brew Contest, Truck Tug-O-War, Truck Pull, Demolition Derby, O.S.T.P.A. Tractor Pull,...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

July 23 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

Join us for the 165th Annual Shelby County Fair, located right here in Sidney, Ohio July 20 - 26, 2025.  We...

10:00 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Fairborn Farmers Market

July 23 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Fairborn Farmers Market

The Fairborn Farmers Market was established with the intent to provide the Fairborn community access to fresh and wholesome products...

Free
11:00 am - 1:30 pm

Beckers SMASH-tastic Burgers

July 23 @ 11:00 am - 1:30 pm

Beckers SMASH-tastic Burgers

Single Single smash patty on a brioche bun $9.00 Single with Bacon Single smash patty and bacon on a brioche...

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Recurring

Beginner’s Pilates

July 23 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Recurring

Beginner’s Pilates

In this Pilates class you will learn basic Pilates principles, how to change your posture to improve pain syndromes, strengthen...

Free
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Trotwood Community Market (presented by American Legion Post 613)

July 23 @ 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Trotwood Community Market (presented by American Legion Post 613)

A celebration of locally sourced foods and products from small businesses in Trotwood and the surrounding communities! Stop by and...

3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Miamisburg Farmers Market

July 23 @ 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Miamisburg Farmers Market

Miamisburg Farmers MarketAt Miamisburg Christian Church parking lot.1146 E. Central Ave in Miamisburg.Fresh Produce, sweet treats, food trucks and more..

4:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Lilia’s Outside Cafe

July 23 @ 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Lilia’s Outside Cafe

Dayton area food truck serving Pork, Chicken, Steakburgers, Gourmet salads, Tacos, our 4 different Loaded fry meals, and our famous...

+ 10 More
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

July 24 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

Live Entertainment, Carnival Rides, Antique Show, Livestock Show, Home Brew Contest, Truck Tug-O-War, Truck Pull, Demolition Derby, O.S.T.P.A. Tractor Pull,...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

July 24 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

Join us for the 165th Annual Shelby County Fair, located right here in Sidney, Ohio July 20 - 26, 2025.  We...

11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Claybourne GRILLE

July 24 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Claybourne GRILLE

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Lebanon Farmers Market

July 24 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Lebanon Farmers Market

The Lebanon Farmers Market is open 4 pm to 7 pm every Thursday mid-May through mid-October.  We are located in...

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

The Naughty Lobstah

July 24 @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

The Naughty Lobstah

We are so excited to finally be rollin' back into one of our favorite spots, the first place to allow...

4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

$10 Tini Time every Thursday

July 24 @ 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm

$10 Tini Time every Thursday

Every Thursday night at Whisperz Speakeasy we'll be handcrafting an array of different fabulous martinis for just $10 each. Come...

Free
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Yummy Gyro

July 24 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Yummy Gyro

6:00 pm Recurring

Matilda: The Musical

July 24 @ 6:00 pm Recurring

Matilda: The Musical

Winner of 47 International Awards! Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence, and special powers. She's unloved by...

$39 – $79
+ 5 More
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

July 25 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Clark County Fair

Live Entertainment, Carnival Rides, Antique Show, Livestock Show, Home Brew Contest, Truck Tug-O-War, Truck Pull, Demolition Derby, O.S.T.P.A. Tractor Pull,...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

July 25 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

Join us for the 165th Annual Shelby County Fair, located right here in Sidney, Ohio July 20 - 26, 2025.  We...

9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Annie Oakley Days Festival

July 25 @ 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Annie Oakley Days Festival

A family-friendly festival featuring live entertainment including western arts, cowboy mounted shooting, musical performances and more.

Free
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

ShowDogs HotDogs

July 25 @ 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

ShowDogs HotDogs

American  Choice of Relish, Onion, Mustard and Ketchup $4.00 The German  Kraut, Onions, Mustard $5.00 Memphis Bacon, BBQ Sauce, Cheese,...

12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Brookville Community Picnic

July 25 @ 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Brookville Community Picnic

Join us for the 74th Family Friendly Brookville Community Picnic! Rides, Games, Bounce Houses, Music, Food, Fun! Saturday we will...

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Youth Business Fair

July 25 @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Youth Business Fair

This is an opportunity to highlight your talent and also sell your products. We look forward to hearing from you....

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Godown’s Fixins

July 25 @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Godown’s Fixins

We serve waffle bun sandwiches, dessert waffles and our specialty is deep fried mashed potatoes!

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

What The Taco?!

July 25 @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

What The Taco?!

Chipotle Chicken Taco GRILLED CHICKEN, SHREDDED LETTUCE, PICO DE GALLO, CILANTRO SOUR CREAM & MONTEREY JACK $10.00 Ground Beef Taco...

+ 9 More
8:00 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Yellow Springs Farmers Market

July 26 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Yellow Springs Farmers Market

For over 20 years this market has been made up of a hardworking group of men, women and children, dedicated...

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

July 26 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Shelby County Fair

Join us for the 165th Annual Shelby County Fair, located right here in Sidney, Ohio July 20 - 26, 2025.  We...

8:00 am - 10:00 pm Recurring

Brookville Community Picnic

July 26 @ 8:00 am - 10:00 pm Recurring

Brookville Community Picnic

Join us for the 74th Family Friendly Brookville Community Picnic! Rides, Games, Bounce Houses, Music, Food, Fun! Saturday we will...

8:00 am - 11:00 pm

Grand Opening – Pickleball Kingdom Centerville

July 26 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 pm

Grand Opening – Pickleball Kingdom Centerville

Get ready, Centerville! Pickleball Kingdom is officially opening, and you’re invited to celebrate with us!  FREE Open Play all day...

8:30 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Downtown Franklin Farmers Market

July 26 @ 8:30 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Downtown Franklin Farmers Market

Join us every Saturday through Sept 13, 8.30 a.m. - 12 p.m. for local products including fresh produce, honey/jams, and...

9:00 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Oakwood Farmers Market

July 26 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Oakwood Farmers Market

The 2025 Oakwood Farmers’ Market will be held Saturdays, June 7th thru October 11th, from 9 am until 12pm. The...

9:00 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Greene County Farmers Market

July 26 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Greene County Farmers Market

The outdoor Farmers Market on Indian Ripple Rd. in Beavercreek runs Saturdays, 9-1 even during the winter months. Check out...

9:00 am - 2:00 pm Recurring

Shiloh Farmers Market

July 26 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Recurring

Shiloh Farmers Market

The farmers’ market is located on the corner of Main St. & Philadelphia Dr, in the parking lot of Shiloh...

+ 18 More
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Summer Restaurant Week

July 27 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Summer Restaurant Week

Try unique menus at many of Dayton’s classiest places for reduced prices, all while raising money for charity. July 20-27,...

8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Greene County Fair 2025

July 27 @ 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Greene County Fair 2025

Prepare for a safe and fun-filled week at the Greene County Fairgrounds! Rides, Kiddie/Calf Scramble, Tug-a-Truck, Harness Racing, Demo Derby,...

8:00 am - 11:00 pm Recurring

Grand Opening – Pickleball Kingdom Centerville

July 27 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 pm Recurring

Grand Opening – Pickleball Kingdom Centerville

Get ready, Centerville! Pickleball Kingdom is officially opening, and you’re invited to celebrate with us!  FREE Open Play all day...

9:00 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Downtown Troy Farmers’ Market

July 27 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Downtown Troy Farmers’ Market

Downtown Troy Farmers' Market will run Saturday mornings 9:00 am to 12:00 pm from June 22nd, 2013 through September 21st,...

9:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Annie Oakley Days Festival

July 27 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Annie Oakley Days Festival

A family-friendly festival featuring live entertainment including western arts, cowboy mounted shooting, musical performances and more.

Free
10:00 am - 1:30 pm

Behind the Scenes Brunch Benefitting Halcyon Daze

July 27 @ 10:00 am - 1:30 pm

Behind the Scenes Brunch Benefitting Halcyon Daze

It’s time to go Behind the Scenes!  Be among the first to have a special first look at the latest...

1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Galactic Flats

July 27 @ 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Galactic Flats

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Timeless Tacos Food Truck

July 27 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Timeless Tacos Food Truck

Fresh tacos made with great recipes. We will have you coming back time and time again!

+ 7 More
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