Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

So we got some of that white stuff on the ground this past week, which is starting to make me dream of a white Christmas! I love Dayton, but I could definitely do away with this cold! Anywho, here are some mostly indoor options for the week so you don’t have to depend on the crazy weather!

On Wednesday, check out the Dayton Holiday Festival’s Noontime Entertainment at various building lobbies downtown. Groups from around the Miami Valley will be performing holiday music, so it might be a good thing to check out during your lunch hour! If you’re up in the northern part of the area, consider having Lunch with HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Emerge) at Coldwater Café. In the evening, head to the Oregon District for their Holiday Tour of Homes. If you have never experienced Christmas on Campus – Music at the University of Dayton, it is definitely something you want to check out! There are a variety of festivities, including live music, displays, food, and much more! If you are “wonder”ing whether there are any theater options, you are in luck! Catch The Wonder Bread Years at Victoria Theatre, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at La Comedia, or 8-Track: The Sounds of the ’70s at The Loft Theatre.

On Thursday, there will again be musical entertainment during the lunch hour at both the Key Bank Tower’s lobby and the Liberty Tower’s lobby as part of the Dayton Holiday Festival’s Noontime Entertainment. Ladies, there is a day just for us at the PNC 2^nd Street Market. Pamper yourself by participating in a variety of activities, including flower arranging, make-up hints, healthy eating tips, and more as part of Ladies Day at the Market. If you can take the afternoon off work, head to the Dayton Art Institute for their Tour and Tea. In the evening, ALL young professionals should definitely attend Generation Dayton’s Thirsty Thursday at the Dayton Racquet Club! If you’re active and would like to learn how to cook, consider registering for Backcountry Gourmet Cooking presented by Five Rivers Metro Parks. And if you love free live music, attend the UD Gamelan Ensemble performance.

The Nutcracker

On Friday, attend Kids Flower Arranging (make sure your children listen!) or December Centerpieces at PNC 2^nd Street Market. If you didn’t get a chance to check out one of the many holiday music performances downtown during your lunch hour the past few days as part of the Dayton Holiday Festival’s Noontime Entertainment, now is your chance. And even if you already did, there will be new groups performing! There will be plenty of performances/shows to check out, including Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at La Comedia, A Christmas Carol at the Beavercreek Community Theatre, Junie B. Jones; Jingle Bells, Batman Smells at Town Hall Theatre, the UD Jazz Ensembles at the University of Dayton, The Nutcracker at the Schuster Center, 8-Track: The Sounds of the ’70s at The Loft Theatre, Precious Heart at the Dayton Theatre Guild, and The Wonder Bread Years at Victoria Theatre. If it’s not too cold, join other skaters (or wannabe skaters) at the Star-Late Skate at River Skate…I mean Scape. No goats allowed.

On Saturday, get a healthy start by participating in the 2010 Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis at the Dayton Mall, where I’m sure you’ll see treetops glisten if you go in some of the department stores! With every Christmas card you write, you get some of that carpal tunnel stuff, so this will be a good opportunity to start moving your legs instead of your hands! Still trying to catch up on your holiday shopping? Check out the Yellow Springs Holiday Festival. At The Neon, see the movie Elf as part of their Family Movie Series. Heat up your holidays without that expensive airfare by checking out the Parrots of the Caribbean (a Jimmy Buffett cover band) as they play at Norton’s in Kettering. There will also be tons of performances in the Dayton area that continue to go on, including The Wonder Bread Years at Victoria Theatre, Junie B. Jones; Jingle Bells, Batman Smells at Town Hall Theatre, Precious Heart at the Dayton Theatre Guild, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at La Comedia, A Christmas Carol at Beavercreek Community Theatre, 8-Track: The Sounds of the ’70s and at The Loft Theatre. Also, join jumpstART, the Dayton Ballet Barre, and the Young Lawyers Division as they partner up for Jump into Ballet (A Night with the Nutcracker). Click on the link to see how YOU can get a ticket at half-price! Plus afterwards, attend the JumpsART Afterparty at The Wine Gallery! If you’re not into the theatre scene but would prefer to do some bar hopping (for a good cause of course!), get out your Santa or Mrs. Claus suit and participate in the Santa Pub Crawl to benefit Toys for Tots in the Oregon District. Just be sure to drink responsibly! Love, Your Mom.

On Sunday, take the whole family to the Schuster Center to hear sleigh bells in the snow as part of Wonderland Windows. While there, you can also shop in The Tike’s Shop, have “Some-Fun”, and check out a performance of The Nutcracker. For some beautiful music, head to the Dayton Art Institute for the Afternoon Musicales: Holiday Performance, Westminster Presbyterian Church for the Dayton Philharmonic’s ‘Handel’s Messiah: The Composer’s Cut’, or Kettering Fairmont High School for the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra Concert. There will also be additional performances of many of the shows that have been going on this week, including The Wonder Bread Years at Victoria Theatre, Junie B. Jones; Jingle Bells, Batman Smells at Town Hall Theatre, Precious Heart at the Dayton Theatre Guild, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at La Comedia, or 8-Track: The Sounds of the ’70s at The Loft Theatre. And finally, you may want to be sitting at “The Dock” (of the bay), for 79 Cent Draft Beer Football Happy Hour. It will definitely be happy if the Browns are winning! And if not, I’m sure a beer will help!

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

Did you hear about the guy who sent his girlfriend a huge pile of snow? He called her up the next day and asked her, “Did you get my drift?”

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!