Friday Night Patio Parties

THE NEON – Dayton’s independent, arthouse cinema – will soon be hosting “Friday Night Patio Parties” on their recently renovated patio. Beginning June 13 and running through August 15, each week’s party, hosted by “Celebrity Guest Hosts,” goes from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. and features music, à la carte drinks from THE NEON’s patio bar and food from a local food truck. These weekly patio parties are made possible by the generous sponsorship of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty.

Guest hosts for these parties include team members from Berkshire Hathaway, representatives from Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and Generation Dayton, The RubiGirls, Discover Classical – Dayton Public Radio, Amelia Robinson & Anthony Shoemaker, representatives from various local theatre groups, and former Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin.  DJs spinning music throughout the summer will include DJ Luke Tandy, man dies., J[REDACTED], and Mike7.  And lastly, food will be available each week via local food trucks including Bourbon On The Street, Freakin’ Rican, Bald Head Tone’s, Showdog Hotdogs, and De’Lish.  THE NEON’s social media pages and weekly newsletter are the best places to find up-to-date details about each week’s party.

In May, THE NEON announced the name of their expanded patio – “The Eichelberger Foundation Patio.” This expansion received a lead grant of $75,000 from Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of the Dayton Foundation.

Improvements included:

• The expansion of the ground level patio and the building of an upper-level terrace
• An awning to provide shade (Tensile Structure Systems, Inc – Baltimore, Maryland)
• A new sound system, security cameras and improved lighting
• New patio furniture

These improvements will enhance the outdoor experience for THE NEON’s patio guests and have already created an attractive addition to a busy downtown intersection.

Jonathan McNeal, THE NEON’s General Manager, expressed his thanks for the grant.  “Because of the generosity of Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of The Dayton Foundation, THE NEON patio experience will only get better and allow us to expand our programming.”  Besides the Friday parties in the summer, the patio hosts numerous events tied to special screenings and a welcoming place to enjoy a drink and popcorn before or after seeing a film.

This is the second grant made by the Foundation to THE NEON. The previous grant was $50,000 in 2021 to replace the cinema’s two projectors and sound system with new state-of-the-art laser projectors.

To learn about THE NEON, visit the website at: https: www.neonmovies.com

THE NEON can be found on InstaGram and Facebook at “neonmovies.”