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Travel

My Wild Safari in Ohio

June 29, 2011 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

No. 1 in an occasional series titled “Never Been There, Never Done That,” in which the author reports on a brand-new adventure.

Bactrian camels lounge within spitting distance of our tour bus at The Wilds.

Bactrian camels lounge within spitting distance of our tour bus at The Wilds.

The date had been on my calendar for at least a month. “May 28: Columbus trip.” I’d added it when my girlfriend and I were on our way to a movie at The Neon and started talking about shopping at H&M when she mentioned this trip. But I had no clue what, exactly, I had agreed to do.

The Thursday before, I figured I’d better find out.

Turns out I agreed to go to “Africa” for the day, a.k.a. journey into the wild and feast on Ethiopian fare with her and some members of Reel Culture @ Sinclair, a club she founded at the community college. At 9 a.m. On a Saturday. After a friend’s 60th birthday bash.

I have no idea what The Wilds is so I Google it the night before and discover it’s a wildlife preserve in the middle of Uh Huh Where-evah, Ohio. So much for H&M.

But, hey, wild animals are cool. I have lots of zebra- and leopard-print tops, jackets, purses, shoes and scarves to prove it. Plus, I figure having to get up so early in the morning will keep me in check at the party.

I should have known better. Instead, I’m one of the last standing and lurch into bed at 3 a.m. When my friend calls a handful of hours later to make sure I’m awake, my head is booming as if resting on an amp at X-Fest. I can’t really feel my feet. My mouth feels as if full of peanut butter I can’t swallow.

Somehow, I manage to slither out of bed. I put on my cowboy boots in case I need to wrestle a rhinoceros. I guzzle three cups of water.

My friend picks me up, and the trip is immediately off to an amazing start with a stop at a Dayton gas station, where I see a punk rock little person, mohawk and

View of The Wilds, a wildlife conservation center near Zanesville (not Columbus), Ohio.

View of The Wilds, a wildlife conservation center near Zanesville (not Columbus), Ohio.

camos and all. Yes!, I think. Wild things already are starting to appear!

In the car, the conversation quickly turns profound. Psychics, animal spirits, Buddhism, quantum physics ― it’s all in there.

I fish my phone out of my purse and get on Facebook.

“In a car with a bunch of people who go to college,” I post. “Talking about how E=MC2 is really an equation about consciousness and the evolution of god and what is god anyway? I am a working girl with a brain full of last night’s bourbon. I want to talk about TV shows and bubblegum.”

Normally, I would be intrigued by such a conversation and happily contribute to an esoteric discussion about ancient times when goddesses held sway over the solar plexus of the Earth. The morning after a night when I was a driving force in the elimination of at least two bottles of booze? Not so much.

My traveling mates are all very nice, fine, upstanding ladies — all middle aged, not your typical college students. But I can’t help zoning out, staring through the windows until I see something so hilarious, I belly laugh until I nearly cry. I’m trying not to offend the fine ladies in the car, so I’m back on Facebook: “I just interrupted a conversation about the pain and glory of forgiveness to point out that the logo on the sign for the Lion’s Den Adult Superstore is silhouettes of two lions makin’ cubs,” I post.

***

As we near the capitol city, my friend hands me the directions to The Wilds she’s jotted on a Post-It note. I’m relieved I now can concentrate on navigation instead of trying to avoid the reality that I appear as intelligent as a washcloth to the fine ladies in this car. But I immediately have another concern.

“Girl,” I say, “this says we take exit 155, and we just passed exit 87. This must be a ways down the road. Are you sure The Wilds is in Columbus?”

Banteng, also known as "jungle cows."

Banteng, also known as "jungle cows."

“Oh, my bad,” she chirps. “I’m pretty sure that should say exit 115. I must have written it down wrong.”

Say a prayer for GPS on my phone.

“Aaaaactualllly,” I draw out the word as if pulling taffy out of my mouth, “The Wilds is outside Zanesville. We have to drive almost to West Virginia. According to Google Maps, we have another hour and 26 minutes.”

At least the fine ladies in the car have a scintillating conversation going to keep us all entertained.

“Speaking in tongues ― to me, that’s not unusual,” one is saying. “My mom speaks in tongues.”

This is the same fine (reminder: middle aged) lady who will spend the day talking about the “moo moos” and “horsies.” At one point, she begins squealing “Wheeee!” from the back seat of the car as we loop around curves and pop over hills. My friend looks in the rear view mirror and asks, “Did you all hear that siren?”

“It’s just me entertaining myself!,” she exclaims.

I am tantalized by her girlish exuberance. She is so innocent and carefree and bubbly and all the things I will never be, there in the front seat of the car, back on Facebook frantically trying to untag myself from photos ― as I’m getting text after text telling me I’ve been tagged in a photo ― that a friend took during last night’s party.

And the ride is an adventure unto itself.

We take a wrong turn and end up on a narrow, steep, winding road. “Uh, I don’t think this is the right way,” my friend says, stopping the SUV to ask for directions from a young, long-haired man bent over his pit bulls in front of a trailer. He stands up and we notice he’s wearing only his briefs. Pulled down reeeeal low.

He doesn’t know where The Wilds is, either.

Back on track, the scenery along the roadside is mesmerizing: A billboard featuring a huge, creepy hamster hanging on a rope. A tractor crossing sign. Coon Ridge Road. Top Gun Shooters Ammo & Supplies. A sign reading “llamas for sale.” Carl Rittberger’s Meat and Sausages. A catfish-shaped white mailbox. Mother Truckers. And, finally ― halleluiah! ― The Wilds.

***

We load onto a bus for our safari (in Ohio) of the 10,000-acre wildlife conservation preserve that is The Wilds. The driver, a polite young man who clearly has told his spiel countless times, tells us about some of the animals we’re likely to see. Although he notes we’re unlikely to see one of the three deer species roaming The Wilds. One woman who’s worked there for 11 years hasn’t even spotted one.

Not even the Przewalski's Wild Horses could drag us away from our wild adventure.

Not even the Przewalski's Wild Horses could drag us away from our wild adventure.

I raise my hand. “Which one is the elusive deer?” I ask. He answers. I poke my friend in the seat next to me. “We’re totally going to see an Eld’s Deer,” I proclaim. “I can feel the magic!”

“Uh, sure,” the driver says. “Well, let’s start the tour. It’s time for me to take you all out to pasture!”

Turns out, those pastures are lined with electric fences and motorized gates. We have to wait for the gate behind the bus to close before we can open the one in front of us, meaning we are temporarily trapped in an electrified cage. Making The Wilds feel like a scene in Jurassic Park. “What if we see a T-Rex?,” I whisper to our group. “That would be almost as cool as seeing the magic deer!”

But it’s no joke: We did see a lot of animals I never, ever — ever! — would have expected to encounter in the Buckeye State. We could almost stretch our hands out the bus’ tiny windows and rub the ears of the Bactrian Camels, Masai Giraffes and Przewalski’s Wild Horses. The Persian Onagers are so close they’re about to come on board. We look through binoculars to see the Grevy’s Zebras, Southern White Rhinos and Fringe-Eared Oryx. My friend is particularly taken with the Banteng, which she lovingly dubs “jungle cows.”

We disembark at two stops, one by a lake where we can get close to a rare species of swan and see invasive plants The Wilds staff calls “aliens,” so noted with signs sporting Martian-like creatures. The best is the carnivore area, where we wander around caged pens housing snoozing cheetahs and African Wild Dogs.

“I wish I had a hot dog in my purse that I could throw over the fence so we could see a little carnivorous action,” my friend says.

“Yeah, how do they feed these animals?,” I ask. “I mean they’re supposed to be wild, which means they’d need to hunt, which means they must put goats out or throw rabbits in their cages at night.”

“I feel like we’re on the set of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village,” my friend says.

Still life: Cheetas with Cage.

Still life: Cheetas with Cage.

At one point, the bus stops for more animal viewing via binoculars. “Holy moly, it’s the elusive deer!,” my friend cries, handing me the binoculars. “It is! It is!,” I cry in return, jumping in the seat.

The bubbly horsie/moo moo fine lady looks through the binoculars. “No, that’s an Indochina Sika Deer,” she says, pointing to The Wilds brochure and noting the antlers.

“Dang,” I think. “I could have lived the rest of my life thinking I’d seen the magic deer. Thanks, girl.”

Still, I gotta say, I went on a bona fide safari in Kenya years and years ago, and The Wilds really does invoke those memories. Amazing.

***

Back in the car making the long trek home, we’re all starving. I’m about to jump the electric fence and hunt down a Scimitar-Horned Oryx. I swear I could eat an entire Sable Antelope.

Lucky for us, my friend has planned a special stop at an Ethiopian restaurant in Columbus. As soon as we drive the nearly two hours back to the capital city, we will eat like African queens.

She actually called the owner in advance to let him know we’re coming and arranged for him to give a talk about Ethiopian food and customs. Problem is, since the drive to The Wilds was double the miles and the tour took twice the anticipated time, we are about four hours late.

Yet the owner is still happy to accommodate us. At first.

Turns out, one of the fine ladies is gluten intolerant. If she so much as licks anything that even touched gluten, she’ll blow up like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But Ethiopian food is eaten with injera. Which is bread.

The owner doesn’t quite seem to understand “gluten intolerant,” but tells the fine lady he can bring her some rice. So after about a half hour of examining the exotic menu, we order. Samosas come out first. The fine ladies are mostly puzzled by the lack of silverware. “Um, where’s our forks?” one asks. But Ethiopian food is eaten with your hands. Which are not forks.

Bactrian Deer graze on the slope across from a lake filled populated by a rare species of swan.

Bactrian Deer graze on the slope across from a lake filled populated by a rare species of swan.

The owner brings my vegetarian friend, shortly after she finished telling a story about how she once spoke fluent Aramaic, a lamb dish. “No,” she says, adamant. “I am a vegetarian. I told you this. I can’t eat lamb.” I think she throws in a few Aramaic words for good measure. The owner huffs off with a dish of uneaten food. (The bubbly fine lady later points out, much as she did when correcting our false sighting of the elusive deer, that my friend actually did order the lamb dish. Oops.)

The owner brings the no-gluten fine lady and her friend a platter with the three dishes they’re sharing. All neatly laid out on top of inchera. The fine lady is a little petrified. There is another scuffle as she reminds the waiter she can’t eat bread, but all is resolved after my friend points out she can scoop off the food on the top that has not been in contact with the devil gluten.

By now, the owner has retreated to the back, where he’s probably downing Tej, and a waitress brings us our check. Which is wrong. We’ve been charged for items we never even ordered.

Time to get out of Africa. Fast.

***

But back in the car, for the remaining hour and half drive back to Dayton, all the fine ladies are jovial and appreciative

A Masai giraffe, my friend's fave. Thanks, girl, for bringing me along for this wild ride!

A Masai giraffe, my friend's fave. Thanks, girl, for bringing me along for this wild ride!

of the opportunity to travel to the grand continent for a day. They thank my friend for the experience.

“You are so cultured,” one gushes. “I would really like to hang out with you more. How did you get this way?”

“I attribute a lot of it to the company I keep,” my friend matter-of-factly replies. “Take Kristen, for example. She lived in Iran and Egypt and has shared her experiences with me.”

I turn around in the passenger seat, popping a grin. “And I kept a Turkish lover for awhile,” I add, forgetting that I need to keep myself in check when around nice people.

Really, though, it was these people, these fine ladies, who made the trip such an adventure. I expected The Wilds to be the crux of the escapade. But an entire day in the company of these ladies turned out to be the wildest of all. And isn’t that always the case? It’s the people, at least as much as the place, that turn out to be the most interesting part.

Readers: Tell us about some wild people you’ve met. And I need your help: Suggest some places I’ve likely never been and things I’ve likely never done for No. 2 in this series.

Filed Under: The Featured Articles, Twisted Wicker Tagged With: adventure, Dayton, Travel

I feel happy of myself…

June 4, 2011 By Megan Cooper 2 Comments

The bike is a great way to get to lots of downtown destinations

(Note: Thanks to Five Rivers MetroParks pal Valerie Beerbower for a little extra inspiration and the title this article. See video below for insights.)

As you know, on my first day of this adventure I was not at my best. A very promising start got me a little cocky about the ease of bus riding and I let down my guard. Okay – so you can’t just show up at the bus stop and hope a bus is there within 5 minutes each time. Lesson learned –  when busing, I will respect the time table.

Today, I added the bike into the mix. As I’ve shared, I’m not what you would call an expert biker. I actually imagine that this is what I look like to observers seeing me cruise by. (AND I really want a basket.)

So, what is a muppet to do? Fake it!

Where am I?

Morning commute: I coasted to the bus stop right by my house and waited the few minutes until my bus arrived – clean, pretty empty (maybe 8 people?) and on-time. Got my bike on the bike rack easy breezy. (But I probably would have been confused if I wasn’t a nerd who appreciates a good how-to video; I recommend watching it if you’re going to bring your bike on the bus.) Traveled to a stop about 3/4 mile from work where I hopped off the bus and hopped on the bike. Enjoyed the smell of fresh cut grass the last few minutes of the trip. Total travel time – 15 minutes. Are you kidding me? It takes 10 minutes to drive. It’s another good start to the day.

Lunch errands: This is when the appreciation for bike riding really hit. I had to travel the 1 mile into downtown to drop something off, I wanted to buy my tickets to the Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus concert (save $5/ticket by buying in advance), and I had to pick up lunch.

Quick stop for lunch

I headed out of my work parking lot and there goes another biker gliding by. We give the obligatory nod/smile (which translates to “look at us out here being awesome while all those people are still in their cars” or maybe it just means “hi,” but I’m taking it to mean I’m part of a club now). And since he’s going in my direction, I follow behind.And I quickly lose speed. And although I’m trying to follow all the rules (riding in the street, signalling turns, etc) – I realize that I’m not the kind of biker that cars can feel confident near. I know you “real” bikers will be disgusted with me, but I cheated. I rode on some sidewalks. Some of it was to make me feel safer, some of it was to let the cars know that I wasn’t going to topple into their line of traffic, and some of it was because it was convenient. But, however I got there – I did get there  – and it was better on a bike!

Shopping cart on the Merc - a sight you don't see speeding by in a car.

  • Errand one: Locked up right in front of the Key Bank building (which you can’t do in a car).
  • Errand two: The box office was moved to the Victoria Theater due to an event in the Schuster Center, so I unlocked, coasted the 2 blocks down Main and locked up again right in front of the theater (another one you can’t do in a car).
  • Lunch: the lovely day inspired me to hit Second Street Market for some yummy carry-out.

Total distance: 3 miles.  Total elapsed time: 45 minutes.

And I loved it! And I appreciated going slowly enough to enjoy the sunshine and cool art in windows and the general city sights. But I know myself well enough to know why I really loved it – it’s an easy ride. Dayton is FLAT.  Sure, getting to the central business district is easy from every direction, but going away from the CBD means you’re riding up hill no matter which direction you’re heading. But there’s a great 3 mile (ish) area right across downtown that is flat and easy. So, I bus into town – bike around town – and bus home. It’s perfect for the non-athlete. Plus, the bus schedules being what they are – my errands are on my time.

The doorstep of the UD campus is as far as I go. Since my Hills and Dales experience, I take Far HILLS seriously.

So, next up – after the end of a work day, I coast over to an RTA stop that will take me directly home. That’s the beauty of the bike. Normally, I would catch the convenient stop right in front of work. But with two wheels, going a different direction for about a mile makes a lot of sense to bypass the need for a transfer. And when I got there – I kept going! It was a nice day. I had on a decent pair of shoes. I just kept rolling right along until I could roll on flat land no longer. Chilled on a nice stop with a bench and waited for my bus.

Evening Activities: And guess what? It’s my wedding anniversary! Me and my guy had dinner plans to check out the new Meadowlark location. He offered to drive, but since this is the definition of “for better or for worse,” he rode along with me.  Straight shot there and back. First bus was about five minutes late, but on a nice day hanging out with good company – that’s no big deal. Now, I did have to keep an eye on my watch a little more than I would have if we would have had a car in the parking lot, but the way the schedule worked, we got there around 7 and were able to enjoy a couple hours of dinner and drinks before being outside to catch the next bus. Not too bad at all! And the final bus back home? Just fine.

So, overall: a very nice carless day. I will grant you that the weather was ideal and I can’t count on that all the time, but I was happy to enjoy it. Days like today make me think I can do this more often. I’m going to have to experiment more with RTA and my bike, but if the weather is right, the financial cost isn’t too much, and the schedule is open – I could make this a thing once or twice a week. I’m giving two thumbs up (for today) to the RTA/bike combo. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, but for today – I feel happy of myself. Rock and roll…

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaIvk1cSyG8&feature=player_embedded’]

Filed Under: Community Tagged With: bus, Central Business District, commute, cycling, RTA, Travel

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July 1 @ 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 - 8:00 pm Recurring

Cloud Park Food Truck Rally

July 1 @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Cloud Park Food Truck Rally

Get ready for a delicious summer in Huber Heights! Join us every other Tuesday starting May 6th through September 9th...

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Lazy Baker Pizza Maker

July 1 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Lazy Baker Pizza Maker

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Patio Pounders

July 1 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Patio Pounders

Enjoy a curated selection of wines that capture the essence of patios in every pour! We will be offering small...

$20
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Tai Chi & Qigong at the River

July 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Tai Chi & Qigong at the River

Offered by Immortal Tree Qigong. Each hour-long Tai Chi & Qigong session will start with breathing exercises, warm up, and...

Free
+ 3 More
9:45 am - 3:00 pm Recurring

ILLYS Fire Pizza

July 2 @ 9:45 am - 3:00 pm Recurring

ILLYS Fire Pizza

We are a mobile wood fired pizza company that specialize in turkey products such as Turkey pepperoni, Italian Turkey sausage,...

10:00 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Fairborn Farmers Market

July 2 @ 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
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Trotwood Community Market (presented by American Legion Post 613)

July 2 @ 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

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 2 @ 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..

5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

What the Taco?!

July 2 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

What the Taco?!

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

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Recurring

Yoga – Arcade Arts & Wellness

July 2 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Recurring

Yoga – Arcade Arts & Wellness

The 2025 Arcade Arts & Wellness Series is a rejuvenating journey with a variety of local yoga instructors amidst the...

Free
7:00 pm

Skeeball Tournament

July 2 @ 7:00 pm

Skeeball Tournament

**Skeeball Tournament – First Wednesday of Every Month!** J Welcome to the Skeeball Tournament at Level Up Pinball Bar! Get ready to roll...

$7.18
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Recurring

Trivia Night at Alematic

July 2 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Recurring

Trivia Night at Alematic

Grab some friends and join us every Wednesday night at the brewery for a pint of your favorite ALEMATIC brew...

+ 1 More
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Lebanon Farmers Market

July 3 @ 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...

5:00 pm

3rd Annual Crab Rangoon Eating Contest

July 3 @ 5:00 pm

3rd Annual Crab Rangoon Eating Contest

It’s back—and bigger than ever. Join us for the 3rd Annual Crab Rangoon Eating Contest at Loose Ends Brewing. Last...

$15
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Grapes & Groves

July 3 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Grapes & Groves

Join us every Thursday to Taste Wine at your own pace. Each Thursday we will have one of our highly...

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Middletown July 3rd Fireworks + Festival

July 3 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Middletown July 3rd Fireworks + Festival

5-10 PM: Free Kids Zone, including face painting and inflatables 6-7:30 PM: Live Music 7:30-8 PM: National Anthem Flag Jump...

5:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Centerville Americana Festival

July 3 @ 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Centerville Americana Festival

The Americana Festival Committee is excited to bring the Centerville – Washington Township community together once again for what promises...

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Member’s Group Crit Night

July 3 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Recurring

Member’s Group Crit Night

Thursdays / 5:30-7 p / Jun 12 / Jul 3 / Aug 7 Exclusive for Co Members / Become a...

6:00 pm Recurring

Matilda: The Musical

July 3 @ 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
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Open Collage Night

July 3 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Recurring

Open Collage Night

Admission is $10 per person at the door / Free for Co Members / Become a Member at codayton.org/membership Join...

$10
+ 4 More
8:00 am - 9:00 am

West Milton Red, White & Run 5k

July 4 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am

West Milton Red, White & Run 5k

Description The Red, White, and Run 5k in West Milton will be held on July 4th!  This fun and enjoyable...

$30
4:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Cruise In at the Roadhouse

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

Cruise In at the Roadhouse

Cruise In at the Roadhouse is taking place at Rip Rap Roadhouse, which is located at 6024 Rip Rap Rd. in Huber Heights....

4:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Kevin Sonnycalb Memorial Fireworks Festival

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

Kevin Sonnycalb Memorial Fireworks Festival

The Kevin Sonnycalb Memorial Fireworks Festival is Xenia’s signature Independence Day celebration, held at Shawnee Park. This event is hosted alongside the Red, White &...

4:00 pm - 10:00 pm

What The Taco?!

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

What The Taco?!

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

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Wheel Fresh Pizza

July 4 @ 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Wheel Fresh Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza Classic pepperoni, mozzarella, provolone and fresh-made sauce $17.00 Cheese Pizza Mozzarella/Provolone blend, and fresh-made pizza sauce $16.00 Sausage...

6:00 pm Recurring

Matilda: The Musical

July 4 @ 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
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Recurring

LIVE TRIVIA with Trivia Shark

July 4 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Recurring

LIVE TRIVIA with Trivia Shark

Join us every Friday night at 6pm for Dayton's Best LIVE TRIVIA with Trivia Shark at Miami Valley Sports Bar!...

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Kettering Go Fourth!

July 4 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Kettering Go Fourth!

Go Fourth! is Kettering’s premier Independence Day celebration, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, bounce houses, and a spectacular fireworks and drone show. Hosted...

+ 5 More
8:00 am - 11:00 am

Cars and Coffee

July 5 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am

Cars and Coffee

Join SW Ohio's most passionate car enthusiasts with this nationally recognized gathering. As the largest Cars and Coffee gathering in...

Free
8:00 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Yellow Springs Farmers Market

July 5 @ 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...

8:30 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Downtown Franklin Farmers Market

July 5 @ 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 5 @ 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 5 @ 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 5 @ 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...

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

The Buzz about Bees

July 5 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

The Buzz about Bees

Dive into the fascinating world of bumblebees and bees as we explore the vital roles and ecosystem services that these...

$3
10:00 am - 2:00 pm Recurring

Farmers Market at The Heights

July 5 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Recurring

Farmers Market at The Heights

Join us for the Farmers Market at The Heights Saturdays 10a-2pm. All products are either homemade or homegrown or support...

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

Downtown Troy Farmers’ Market

July 6 @ 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,...

11:30 am - 5:00 pm

Filled Pasta Class

July 6 @ 11:30 am - 5:00 pm

Filled Pasta Class

Join Chef Casey in a hands-on culinary adventure and learn what makes our pasta so delicious! You'll try your hand...

$128
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Recurring

Mozzarella & Mimosas

July 6 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Recurring

Mozzarella & Mimosas

$30
12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Montgomery County Fair – Red White & Bloom

July 6 @ 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Montgomery County Fair – Red White & Bloom

Summer's biggest celebration is just around the corner!  This year's theme, "Red, White & Bloom," promises a week-long celebration of community,...

6:00 pm Recurring

Matilda: The Musical

July 6 @ 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
7:00 pm

24K Magic: #1 Tribute to Bruno Mars

July 6 @ 7:00 pm

24K Magic: #1 Tribute to Bruno Mars

All concerts are free. Food trucks and beer sales will be available for guests to enjoy. Friday night Party in the...

Free
7:30 pm Recurring

Dayton Poetry Slam

July 6 @ 7:30 pm Recurring

Dayton Poetry Slam

Dayton's longest running poetry show is celebrating it's 24th year.  Open mics, competitions, and featured poets await you twice a...

$3
7:30 pm - 11:30 pm Recurring

Becca’s LOTD Dart Tournament

July 6 @ 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm Recurring

Becca’s LOTD Dart Tournament

Every Sunday night at Miami Valley Sports Bar -- a Luck of the Draw Dart Tournament hosted by Becca. $10...

$10.00
+ 3 More
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