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

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Sharkey’s Poolside Lounge Re-Opens May 31

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You know it’s  summer in Dayton when Sharkey’s Poolside Lounge re-opens, bringing a fresh line-up of local bands, cooling cocktails and outdoor fun to the area. Conveniently located at Dayton Marriott, 1414 S. Patterson, Sharkey’s is open Friday and Saturday nights May 31 through Labor Day and is the largest outdoor nightclub in the city.

Unique among Dayton restaurants and lounges, Sharkey’s is the best bar in the area for live music consisting of local and regional bands. Relax poolside, socialize at the bar and enjoy the thumping dance floor all night long.

Shadow Life will kick off opening night while popular local acts, such as Stranger, Uncle Rico, Spungewurthy, Hathaways and various DJs, will take the stage every weekend for the next three months. Here’s the entire summer schedule.  Poolside service usually includes a selection of burgers, hot dogs, beer, wine and cocktails.  Guests can begin arriving about 5pm, the bands generally play from 7-11pm.

For more information on Sharkey’s at the Dayton Mariott,  call 800-450-8625 or visit www.marriott.com/dayoh.

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!

Jane’s Best Bets (9/1 – 9/6)

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Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

First of all, thank you for all the wonderful feedback with regard to the first edition of Jane’s Best Bets on DMM!  I feel so honored to have your support!  It just confirms what I already know…that the people in Dayton are truly the best!

Hopefully you had a terrific (beer) week last week…and a good DD.  Perhaps you were able to sample a new beer and learn a thing or two.  I personally learned that there are more beers than there are calories in a McDonald’s Big Mac.  To name a few, I discovered a blueberry beer, a raspberry beer, a watermelon beer, an apricot beer, and a banana bread beer.  Who knew that drinking could be so healthy?!?!  (Disclaimer 1:  I am not a registered dietician or MD.  You may want to talk to your healthcare professional before making these beverages a part of your daily diet.  Disclaimer 2:  I am not a lawyer either, so don’t trust that disclaimer 1 is properly worded.)

Anyways, with last week being such a busy week, you’re probably thinking there isn’t much going on this week.  Wrong!  Get ready to celebrate the beginning of September…and another wonderful week in Dayton!  Plus, it’s a holiday weekend to boot!

On Wednesday, head on over to the first day of the Montgomery County Fair.  Don’t worry, if you can’t make it, you’ll still have five more days to check it out!  Or bring the whole family to watch the Dayton Dragons play against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (I wonder if there is any relation to A-Rod) for their Friends and Family Night.  Also, give yourself a day off of cooking and don’t feel guilty about it because it will be for a good cause!  For every meal sold at Coco’s, $1 will be donated to the Victoria Theatre Association’s Physicians for Kids as part of the Coco’s Cares – Dine for a Cause Program.

If you have ever thought about starting your own business, head on over to “One-On-One Business Counseling” provided by the Dayton Area Chapter of SCORE at the Dayton Metro Library’s Main Branch on Thursday.  Also on Thursday, if you’re a fan of smooth jazz, check out the J.T. Fedrick Band as part of the Dayton Art Institute’s 2010 Vectren Just Jazz Series.  Kill two, three, or four birds with one stone by also visiting the Modern Masters Exhibit from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Investigation Destination:  Science and Math in Art Exhibit, and/or the Prints from the Great Depression exhibit.  If you’re an animal lover like me and don’t feel like killing ANY birds, then head on over to The Greene to see First Call Acoustic.  And finally, if you like to sample delicious food, you MUST  head over to the Fraze for “The Taste”.  Experience multiple “tastes” from places like Tumbleweed, the Oakwood Club, Belmont Catering, and Fleming’s.

On Friday, learn what people are thinking about you without them having to say a word at Generation Dayton’s Lunch with Dan Edwards presenting “Body Language“.  I need to ask him how to improve my poker face, even though I have no intention of turning into Lady Gaga.  Speaking of ladies, later on in the evening, head on downtown for Ladyfest 2010 at c{space (which continues through Saturday) or Dayton’s First Friday, which will give you an opportunity to explore many of Dayton’s artistic offerings.  If you enjoy biking, join the Courteous Mass Ride with fellow cycling enthusiasts.  Or have fun listening to Stranger, a super fun 80s cover band that is playing at Sharkey’s.  I still remember what my parents said about talking to strangers, so if you go, just be careful or bring your mom and dad with you.

On Saturday, start your day off right by heading to the PNC Second Street Market for breakfast and a little shopping with some of their amazing vendors.  Another “must attend” event is Alterfest, which has been a Labor Day weekend staple in Dayton for many years.  No matter your age, there is something for you to do, from great live bands (Saturday’s lineup includes The Johnsons, The Fries, and This Side Up) to rides and games to their famous chicken dinners.  If you don’t feel like taking a chance with the weather at Alterfest, then check out the Producers at the Dayton Playhouse or get tickets to the Sandra Rutledge Jazz Show at Gilly’s.

On Sunday, the fun continues at Alterfest with several bands performing, including Spungewurthy and Last Call, along with the other festivities.  Or head on over to the Holiday at Home Festival where there will also be numerous things to do, including listening to live music, singing karaoke, and arts and crafts booths.  This is a family friendly event, as there will also be activities for the kids.  If you enjoy reggae music, head on over to the Michelob Dayton Reggae Festival. And if music from from the 50s, 60s, and 70s is more your style, then check out the band Legend at Stubbs Amphitheater in Centerville.

And finally on Monday, if you’re not having friends and family over for a cookout to celebrate Labor Day, Kettering is definitely the place to be.  You can still celebrate “at home” with the annual Holiday at Home Parade in Kettering.  Following the parade, again check out the numerous activities going on in Kettering as part of the Holiday at Home Festival, including an auto show (only on Monday), arts and crafts, and live music from The Fries, as well as music from some other great performers!  And, if you would like to BE one of the entertainers, you will have the opportunity to do so.  Just check out the karaoke going on there.  Or, if you haven’t had an opportunity to go to Alterfest or the Montgomery County Fair, this is your last chance for the year!   So, with so many great things to do, you have absolutely no excuse not to celebrate the holiday!  And if your boss is actually making you labor, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.  Just don’t count on anything.

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

Did you hear the joke about Labor Day?  It works for me.

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!