Dayton Most Metro

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

Urban Living

The Asylum’s Industrial Dance Club Reunites Friday November 29th!

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If you came of age in the Dayton area in the late 90s / early 2000s, there is a good chance you hung out at the Asylum! It was the quintessential alternative club that pumped out the latest industrial dance music. Definitely one of the coolest places to be seen in those days!

The club is no longer there but the spirit lives on! The Asylum Reunion grows in numbers every single year, with last year’s reunion being the biggest turnout with over 300 people through the door! Organizers and DJ’s Matt Freeman and Eric Heilman are thrilled to have been a part of such an incredible club, and then 20 years later still have the opportunity to again gather with such an incredible and fun group of Daytonians!

The latest reunion is happening Friday November 29, 2019 with a pre-party at Barrel House from 7-9pm. After 9pm, the party kicks into high gear at Therapy Cafe. Just a $5 cover to re-live all those awesome memories!  If you’re new to the scene, no worries, you are more than welcome too!

Bonus! To get into the mood of this dance party – there is a Spotify playlist just for you!

HOW TO GO?

Official Preparty
The Barrel House, 417 E 3rd St, Dayton, OH 45402
7-9PM | 21+ Welcome

Asylum Reunion
Therapy Cafe, 452 E 3rd St, Dayton, OH 45402
9 PM DOORS | 18+ WELCOME
$5 COVER

Perfect Patios for Pups!

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Enjoy the patio at Wheat Penny with your pup!

It doesn’t get much better than quality time outside with man’s best friend and a cold drink in your hand. With the heatwave over and temperatures falling back to normal, some of our most comfortable patio days are ahead of us. Not sure what patios are dog friendly? Have no fear! Listed below are a few of our favorite canine friendly patios in the area. Be sure to check back as our list is sure to grow:

Dayton:

  • The Barrel House – 417 E. 3rd Street, Dayton
  • The Trolley Stop – 530 E. 5th Street, Dayton
  • Corner Kitchen – 613 E. 5th Street, Dayton
  • Toxic Brew Company – 431 E. 5th Street, Dayton
  • Lily’s Bistro – 329 E. 5th Street, Dayton
  • Fifth Street Brewpub – 1600 E. 5th Street, Dayton – (Dogs allowed Wednesdays only 6-9PM)
  • CoCo’s Bistro – 250 Warren Street, Dayton
  • Dublin Pub – 300 Wayne Avenue, Dayton

    Libby Ballengee enjoys Lily’s Bistro’s front patio with Stella.

  • South Park Tavern – 1301 Wayne Avenue, Dayton
  • Wheat Penny Oven & Bar – 515 Wayne Avenue, Dayton
  • Milano’s  – 1834 Brown Street, Dayton
  • Dayton Beer Company – 41 Madison Street, Dayton

Suburbs:

  • Archers Tavern- 9496 Dayton Lebanon Pike, Centerville
  • El Meson – 903 E Dixie Dr, West Carrollton
  • Eudora Brewing Company – 3022 Wilmington Pike, Kettering
  • Ray’s Wine and Spirits Grill – 8268 N. Main Street, Dayton
  • Mack’s Tavern – 381 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Centerville
  • Flavors Eatery – 865 E. Franklin Street, Centerville
  • Zink’s Meats & Fine Wines – 409 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Centerville
  • Heather’s Cafe – 505 S. Main Street, Springboro
  • Yellow Springs Brewery – 305 Walnut Street, Yellow Springs
  • Ye Olde Trail Tavern – 228 Xenia Avenue, Yellow Springs

 

 

If you know of other pup friendly patio’s, post them in the comments below so we can add them.

Dayton Porchfest offers free music in a beautiful neighborhood!

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Dayton Porchfest is an annual event occurring the final Saturday of August in St Anne’s Hill. PHOTO BY LIBBY BALLENGEE

Dayton Porchfest is back for a third year! It’s a day where music fills the streets and porches of St Anne’s Hill, one of Dayton’s most charming historic neighborhoods. It’s a free, family friendly event that runs from 1:30-7pm on Saturday August 24, 2019.

​Dayton has a rich musical history and active music scene, which continues today. Dayton Porchfest is committed to reflecting that in its selection of musical artists, from funk and blues to indie rock and jazz, classical and country, to bluegrass and old timey that has deep Appalachian traditions here. The event also celebrates the ethnic diversity of the region, a reflection of our “Welcome Dayton” spirit that has contributed to a significant influx of immigrants and refugees over the past decade.

​Dayton Porchfest is an initiative of The Collaboratory, a civic innovation lab that moves ideas to action. The Collaboratory provides infrastructure for people and organizations to collaboratively develop community initiatives that generate new economic, civic and creative opportunities and value. The result is a healthier, more thriving region. All proceeds from Dayton Porchfest go to support the work of The Collaboratory.

How to Go?

When: Saturday August 24, 2019. 1:30pm kickoff. 2-7pm music. Link to full . schedule – click here or see below

Where: Throughout St Anne’s Historic Neighborhood (E 5th St, just east of Keowee). Link to map – click here or see below

Who: All ages welcome!

Cost: Free (tips for musicians accepted!)

 

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Golden Anniversary Celebrated with the Dayton Philharmonic!

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The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman, is honored to be a part of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s 50th Anniversary celebration for a special DCDC Golden Anniversary Concert on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 6:30pm at the Schuster Center in downtown Dayton.

Founded in 1968 by the late Jeraldyne Blunden, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) is the oldest modern dance company in Ohio. DCDC serves as a cultural ambassador to Dayton, the state of Ohio, the Midwest, and the nation. The company holds the world’s largest archive of classic African American dance works and one of the largest of any kind among contemporary dance companies worldwide. Noteworthy choreographers who have worked with the company include Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, Donald Byrd, Bill T. Jones, José Limón, Donald McKayle, Ray Mercer, Bebe Miller, Doug Varone, and Kevin Ward.

Together, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will present a thrilling performance to honor DCDC’s 50th Anniversary as the region’s outstanding modern dance company rooted in the African American experience. The evening’s performance will consist of three engaging pieces that celebrate the artistry and athleticism of the full DCDC company of dancers.

The first of the three pieces presented will be the World Premiere choreographed by former DCDC artistic director Kevin Ward. The new work is entitledand each day you mean one more and is set to brand new music by composer and musician Derrick Spivey, Jr. and performed by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Neal, Derrick and Kevin–conductor, composer, and choreographer–have worked closely together over the last several months to bring this work to life.

and each day you mean one more is partly inspired by the poem “The Low Road” by Marge Piercy, which addresses the challenges faced by the lone actor for societal good and how, with the gradual attraction and enlistment of like-minded individuals, a real force for change can be built that can resist destructive reactionary forces. In creating the dance, choreographer Kevin Ward was inspired by many lone actors such as Fanny Lou Hamer, David Hogg, Fred Rogers, James Baldwin, Malala, Claudette Colvin, and many nameless actors, such as the U.S. prisoners who staged a massive strike against systematic abuse, even though it resulted in the cruelest solitary confinement, and how their efforts inspired millions to follow suit.

DCDC will also perform a signature work from their history called Children of the Passage. This work was co-created for DCDC by world-renowned choreographer Ronald K. Brown and Tony-nominated choreographer Donald McKayle, who passed away just over a year ago this April. The work follows a party of decadent lost souls that are haunted and later rescued by spirits that reconnect them to their ancient and ancestral character. The composition is a cadence that is drawn from the traditional marching jazz bands of New Orleans, with the grind and groove of the contemporary jazz and soul music. The language of movements is translated from the visual poetry of African and African American dance and the celebration of cultural rituals of yesterday and today.

The third work on the program is American Mo’, created by choreographer and DCDC Associate Artistic Director Crystal Michelle Perkins. The dance is a celebration of triumph over adversity. Dancers express freedom, courage and joy to Duke Ellington’s “Three Black Kings,” composed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This work originally premiered on September 19 & 20, 2015 as part ofAmerican Mosaic, Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts and was performed with accompaniment by Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center. DCDC has performed the innovative piece in New York City, Kazakhstan, and the Bolshoi in Moscow.

How To Go!

Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 6:30pm at the Schuster Center
Tickets for DCDC Golden Anniversary Concert begin at $15.50 and are available for purchase by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. 
For more information on the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, including by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
For more information on Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, visit www.dcdc.org.

Get cultured at Fine Art Final Fridays at new downtown gallery

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We hear a lot about First Fridays downtown, but less so about Final Fridays. Edward Dixon who owns a new independent gallery downtown is celebrating Fine Art Final Fridays and I am here for it!

The Edward A. Dixon Gallery is a hidden gem on Ludlow, just show of 3rd St and Courthouse Square. On Final Fridays you’ll find lots of local and international art for your viewing pleasure, along with light appetizers and beverages and live music. Bringing music and visual art together, is absolutely one of my favorite things!

Senior Art Majors from Central State University will also be at the gallery with Professor Erin Smith-Glenn. Students will be gaining experience at a commercial art gallery, interacting with the public as emerging artists and being interviewed by the gallery owner.

Artwork from several local and international artists will be on display and available for purchase. The special exhibit this month features glass mosaic art from Philip Payne and abstract photography from Bill Franz. Entertainment provided by pianist & keyboardist, Denzel Hollis.

Also, look for other great events on Ludlow Street during Final Friday including Something’s Afoot at The Arts Collaboratory (2nd & Ludlow), Latin Dance at Hannah’s and music and spirits at Third Perk Coffee House.

How To Go?

Fine Art Final Fridays at Edward A. Dixon Gallery

The gallery is located at 12 South Ludlow Street – Dayton, OH 45402 near the corner of  Third and Ludlow.

Occurs final Friday of each month from 5-9pm (April 26 – June 28)

NOTE: Free parking after 6pm at meters!

The gallery is available by appointment most days including weekends by calling 937-985-2115 or emailing info@eadgallery.com.

The Brightside Celebrates its Grand Opening

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The renovated Vodvil Ballroom will be revealed at The Brightside’s Grand Opening on October 12, 2018.

The much anticipated grand opening of The Brightside Event & Music Venue is happening this weekend, Friday October 12th, 2018. Lots of love and labor has gone into this once forgotten space near the corner of 3rd & Keowee. Now this renovated industrial event space is ready for parties, weddings, concerts, art shows, and community events, right in the heart of downtown Dayton.

Owners and artists Carli & Hamilton Dixon started this project a decade ago, drastically transforming the space into multiple businesses, The Brightside being the final installment. They are ecstatic to invite the community to celebrate with them as they reveal their finished Vodvil Ballroom, in addition to the cozy bar space that has been open for events the last year. (To learn more about their story, click here)

The grand opening party will kick off with a two-hour VIP party, from 5:30-7:30pm, which requires tickets and will feature a ribbon cutting! Then the space is open to the public from 8pm-12am. Please feel free to drop in to check out this newest multi-use space in downtown Dayton!

HOW TO GO?

Where: The Brightside Music & Event Center, 905 East Third Street Suite B, Dayton, Ohio
When: Friday October 12, 2018. VIP Party 5:30-7:30pm (tickets here). General public 8pm-12am.
More Info: https://www.thebrightsidedayton.com/
https://www.thebrightsidedayton.com/video-the-brightside-story

Journey Into Love with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

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Dayton Contemporary Dance Company will kick off their 50th anniversary season with the long-awaited, much anticipated world premiere of The Bench: Journey Into Love. Created & directed by nationally renowned choreographer Kiesha Lalama, (one of Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to Watch”) and featuring professional singing talent, The Bench – Journey into Love will be sure to be a hit! The work features original music and lyrics.

What do you get when you cross a love story with dance, theatre and song? The world premiere of a full-evening concert, The Bench: Journey into Love, by choreographer Kiesha Lalama. See what happens when a man and woman meet by a park bench, fall in love, have a family, and continue their love into the next life. The Bench – Journey into Love is a whimsical love story told through the influential lens of Fate and Destiny, who unite the charming Antonio and the beautiful Eva through magical serendipity. Emotions run wild as the young couple experience life’s delights and obstacles. This impassioned and passionate theatrical experience weaves together innovative story-driven dance and a gripping jazz musical score to create a timeless tale of love and family.

Choreographer Kiesha Lalama

Kiesha Lalamahas created more than 50 works for stage, film and television. Kiesha choreographed feature films, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Sorority Row,” the hit television documentary series “Broadway or Bust” (PBS), and critically acclaimed television series “Outsiders” (WGN). Theatrical credits include The Jimmy Awards (Broadway), and many more. Lalama has created two full-length contemporary dance theater productions: HeartShakes, which premiered with DCDC in 2015 and The Bench.

How to Go?

When: Saturday, October 6 at 7:30 pm
or Sunday, October 7 at 4:00pm 

Where: Victoria Theatre, located at 138 N. Main St. in Dayton.

Tickets start at $15.50, available at ticketcenterstage.com or by calling 937-228-3630.

Group Tickets available for groups of 10+.  Student, Veteran & Senior discounts also available.

 

 

 

 

History & Halloween combine at Huffman’s Spooky Tour

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If you’ve ever driven or taken a stroll down Linden Avenue in the Huffman Historic District, you may have been struck by the beauty of the tunnel of oak and linden trees that create a continuous canopy overhead. Or perhaps you were too distracted by the stately collection of Queen Anne, Italianate, and Eastlake Victorian homes. Especially in the fall, there’s a certain magic in the air in Huffman when jack-o-lanterns grace front porch steps and the leaves of the tree canopy transition to autumn colors.

This October 12th and 13th, that magic will be alive and well when the Huffman Historic Neighborhood Association puts on their biannual, guided home tour, “The Spirit of Huffman.” The Spirit of Huffman home tour’s tagline is, “Where Halloween and History Collide,” and, indeed it’s true, when the outing offers tour goers a visual feast of Halloween decorations and entertainment dispersed among the Victorian homes.

Participants of the home tour will be guided through the neighborhood, established in the 1860s through the 1890s  by William P. Huffman, stopping to tour nine unique homes: one totally renovated house, a home bought through auction, homes renovated through Rehabarama, one home that housed the neighborhood post office, and two houses that were doctor’s offices. They will encounter an extensive collection of Halloween decorations, marble mantles, one-of-a-kind woodwork, bay windows, original hitching posts for horses, original carriage houses, carpenter’s lace, fretwork, corbels, towers,  and curved-glass windows. Along the way, they’ll take note of Dayton’s first brick school house, two beautiful Victorian churches with active congregations, and an old market that is looking at a second life. They’ll hear about the importance of the community’s connection to the country’s largest manufacturer of bicycles.

Each time The Spirit of Huffman Tour is presented, visitors are entertained. In addition to being a tour of today’s homes, this is an energized evening walk through time.  Expect to meet up with Huffman residents of a century ago who are scheduled to make an historic return engagement this year – just in time to make the past live again.  Visitors are advised: It is likely you will be transported beyond the Victorian architecture you are coming to see. Come prepared for several “Close Encounters of the Huffman Kind” as they pull back the curtain on time, revealing William Huffman’s new dream for a diverse community of bankers, laborers, shopkeepers, and street vendors at a moment when it is all so exciting and new.  When you come, be sure to listen carefully. The winds of change are rustling through the prairie grasses outside the city. It is 1870 and thanks to one man’s vision, Huffman Prairie is about to transform into the vibrant “Inner East” of Dayton.

Tickets are on sale now! To learn more about the Spirit of Huffman Tour please visit their website at www.SpiritofHuffman.com, or contact [email protected]

A special thank you to sponsors DK Effects, LinkDayton, Blackbox Improv, Dayton Most Metro, St. Anne the Tart, Gem City Podcast and our great neighborhood of volunteers helping to keep the Spirit of Huffman alive.

How to Go?

When: October 12 and 13, 2018

Where: Huffman Historic District – 19 Linden Avenue, Dayton, OH 45403

Tickets: $18

buy online here

Note: This tour is not recommended for children under the age of 12.

What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

Once you arrive for the tour signs and guides will help to find parking.

What can I bring into the event?

This event is rain or shine. Please come prepared with umbrellas and/or ponchos in the event of rain. We will have flashlights to share but are limited. Feel free to bring your own.

PorchFest – 40 Mini-Concerts In One Day

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Play Music on The Porch Day started out as an idea…“What if for one day everything stopped…and we all just listened to the music?”

Even though this seems like a simple idea, if it worked, it could produce profound results. So in 2013 the organizers of the first “Play on a Porch Day” decided to share this idea with the world and to their surprise the idea spread even faster than they could have ever imagined.

In 2017 thousands of musicians from at least 40 countries and over 400 cities – including Dayton for the first time – participated and the movement continues to grow every day. Musicians from across the globe, regardless of their differences, are finding common ground through music.

This year Dayton again participates in this growing international music phenomenon as the now annual event known as Dayton Porchfest, a free, family friendly event for all ages. The festivities take place in the historic St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood, just east of downtown. There you will find over 40 live Dayton musical acts performing on home owner’s porches. Not only do you get to listen to music all afternoon, you get to experience one of Dayton’s most charming neighborhoods!

This event celebrates Dayton’s rich and diverse music scene, with musicians and bands covering funk and blues to indie rock and jazz, classical and country, to bluegrass and old time muisc that has deep Appalachian roots here. This event also celebrates our “Welcome Dayton” spirit that has contributed to a significant influx of immigrants and refugees over the past decade.

Dayton Porchfest is organized by The Collaboratory, a non-profit incubator for community enterprises and initiatives, located on Courthouse Square. Proceeds from Porchfest go to benefit The Collaboratory. Tips for the musicians are appreciated!

St Anne’s is home to the Fifth Street Brew Pub, who will be open during the festivities. Four food trucks will also be on site, including: McNasty’s, Courtland’s Mobile Grill, Pa’s Pork, Chi-Dogs, and Gary’s Italian Ice. Be sure to scroll below for map and music schedule.

How to Go?

When: Saturday August 25th from 1:30pm – 7pm aka “International Play on the Porch” Day. See schedule below.

Where: Throughout St. Anne’s Hill Historic District located between 4th and Josie St. Please do not park in the neighborhood. Parking is available at the Liederkranz building, Stivers High School, Becker Electric, RSC Graphics, and Miami Valley Gasket. Signs will be present. See map below.

Cost: Free!

Ages: All ages welcome

Remember to bring: Sunscreen, chair, and umbrella (just in case!)

Take photos? Please use #DaytonPorchfest #MusicOnTheHill #DiscoverDayton

Sideshow 13 – An Artistic Extravaganza

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The annual music and art extravaganza Sideshow is being held again at Yellow Cab Tavern  (700 E 4th St, Dayton Ohio) this weekend on May 25th from 5pm‐1am and May 26th from 3pm‐1am. Admission is free! All ages are welcome too.

Sideshow is celebrating its 13th anniversary of creating a free show of Art and Music that all ages can enjoy. Sideshow is run entirely by volunteers and uses fundraisers and donations to offset the cost of hosting a show featuring more than 100 local artists and musicians.

This event will be the biggest Sideshow yet with sculpture, painting, music, performers, wrestling, dancers, comedy, food trucks, local brews, photography and much more. It will also feature a special Kid’s Sideshow portion. Over the years this has become an event that draws creators from all backgrounds, all levels of skill and all media. Fostering an open creative environment that will grow talent of all kinds has been the organizer’s goal from the start.

Yellow Cab Tavern is a community art space and music venue in Dayton, Ohio in the Motor Car District near the Oregon District. Formerly, home to a taxi business for more than 40 years, they now host a variety of events – art shows, live music, food truck rallies and much more.

Music Schedule:

Friday Main Stage
7:00pm-7:40pm John Dubuc and the Guilty Pleasures
7:40pm-8:20pm NOVAGOLD
8:20pm-9:00pm The Repeating Arms
9:00pm-9:40pm The Zygotes
9:40pm-10:20pm Nasty Bingo
10:20pm-11:00pm The New Old Fashioned
11:00pm-11:40pm Bribing Senators
11:40pm-12:20am Todd the Fox
12:20am-1:00am Dip Spit vs. Duderus

Friday Acoustic Stage
7:00pm-7:40pm Max B Greene
7:40pm-8:20pm Mandy Jewell
8:20pm-9:00pm Doug Nichols
9:00pm-9:40pm Steve Makofka
9:40pm-10:20pm Sam Stone
10:20pm-11:00pm Rich Reuter
11:00pm-11:40pm McGuff and the Dumpster Fires
11:40pm-12:20am Ryan Jones
12:20am-1:00am The Typical Johnsons

Saturday Main Stage
5:00pm-5:40pm Evil Eye Gypsy
5:40pm-6:20pm The Vibe
6:20pm-7:00pm Lord Kimbo/Flam Feeva
7:00pm-7:40pm Enzo
7:40pm-8:20pm Thank The Maker
8:20pm-9:00pm Neo American Pioneers
9:00pm-9:40pm The 1984 Draft
9:40pm-10:00pm Scarecrow Sideshow
10:20pm-11:00pm Stella’s Demise
11:00pm-11:40pm Dark Backward
11:40pm-12:20am Burn the Dead
12:20am-1:00am Far From Eden

Saturday Acoustic Stage
5:00pm-5:40pm Achilles Tenderloin
5:40pm-6:20pm Debbie DeCasio
6:20pm-7:00pm Moringa Moon
7:00pm-7:40pm Chris Ball
7:40pm-8:20pm Boo Lee Crosser
8:20pm-9:00pm Vincent Holiday
9:00pm-9:40pm Dan Sebree
9:40pm-10:00pm XL247
10:20pm-11:00pm Sharon Lane
11:00pm-11:40pm Dayton Poetry Slam
11:40pm-12:20am Dayton Poetry Slam
12:20am-1:00am Kevin Milner

Visual Artists Featured:
Bradley the Dark
Cherry Fullam
Chris Corn
Christina Lewis
Christine Gaffney
Coco Birdi
David Kenworthy
Elysia Pritchett
Gary Mitchell
Grant Nikanowicz
Hannah Jones
Heather Lea Reid
Jackie Wagner
Jen Dyke
Jenny J. Ink
Jess Fecke
Jess Gilbert
Joe Augustin
Josh Arnold
Kara McCray
Lauren Wantz
Mal Thokey
Marishah Paddock
Matthew Reynolds
Megan Fiely
Melanie Dufresne
Michelle Carr
Mikee Huber
Nashonba Hostina
Phil Preston
Reilly Stasienko
Ron Rollins
Samantha Farkas
Sarah Mackenzie
Seth Ratliff
Summer Rose Fig
Tara Moore
Tiffany Hunter
Tom Gilliam
Travis Waller
Wendy Wagener-Harris
Whitney Marie