Holly Days at the Arcade

“Holly Days at the Arcade Presented by AES Ohio and Dayton Daily News” will welcome visitors from around the region to the historic Dayton Arcade complex for the fourth year this December 11, 12, & 13, 2024.

Organized by Friends of the Dayton Arcade and Cross Street Partners, the Rotunda event space will host an artisan market featuring holiday shopping from over 30 vendors. The Tank Inspired by CenterPoint Energy will showcase additional vendors, a community Lego Build hosted by Brixilated, and a cash bar. The Contemporary Dayton will have its CoSHOP available featuring a rotating selection of items curated by their team of art lovers, historians, book nerds, and decor enthusiasts.

The Arcade complex’s full-service restaurants, Gather by Ghostlight at 37 W. Fourth Street and Table 33 at 45 W. Fourth Street, will be open for happy hour, dinner, and drinks during “Holly Days at the Arcade”. Members of the 6888 Kitchen will be serving a diverse limited menu from the Kitchen’s Rotunda entrance during the event. Supporting food trucks will line Fourth Street in front of the entrance to the event.

Live holiday entertainment curated by Culture Works will be a highlight, with local performing arts groups set to perform in the Arcade’s Rotunda and Tank event spaces. These performances will take place throughout the three-day event with a full schedule to be announced the first week of December. Daily holiday character entertainment from Fairy Godmother Events will delight kids of all ages.

New in 2024 is a food drive benefiting The Foodbank, an organization dedicated to fighting hunger in the community. These donations will support 124 hunger relief programs in Montgomery, Greene, and Preble Counties in The Foodbank’s partner agency network. Donations will be accepted in the Rotunda entrance concourse during all three days of “Holly Days at the Arcade”, and a full list of suggested items will be provided on the Dayton Arcade’s website and social media pages.

For the second year, “Holly Days at the Arcade” is partnering with Five Rivers MetroParks’ “Sunset at the Market” at 2nd Street Market to provide a comprehensive downtown holiday shopping experience on Thursday, December 12. To encourage attendees to visit both locations, the Greater Dayton RTA is providing a free shuttle service between the two events from 5:15 to 8:15 pm with a stop at the Oregon District Garage on Fifth Street. Guests can grab a punch card from a volunteer at either event, make a purchase on Thursday, December 12 at both the Arcade and 2nd Street Market, and submit their card at either location for a chance to win a prize basket full of items donated by local vendors.

“The revival of the Dayton Arcade feels like the heart of our city coming alive again,” said Shane Anderson, owner of Arcade tenant Gather by Ghostlight. “This annual Holly Days’ festival is like stepping back into the festive magic of Dayton’s holiday traditions of the past while celebrating all the exciting things ahead. It’s the perfect time to come together, make new memories, and feel the warmth of our community.”

“It’s such an honor to coordinate Holly Days for the fourth year running,” said Megan Dunn Peters, Marketing and Community Partnerships Manager for Cross Street Partners. “From shopping for gifts at local vendor booths to enjoying amazing live entertainment and toasting the holidays with friends and family, there’s nothing like celebrating the holidays at the Dayton Arcade. We’re grateful to our title sponsors AES Ohio and Dayton Daily News as well as numerous other community partners for helping to make Holly Days at the Arcade a magical holiday experience for both local Daytonians and regional visitors.”

“Holly Days at the Arcade Presented by AES Ohio and Dayton Daily News” is free and open to the public from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, December 11, Thursday, December 12, and Friday, December 13. For more event information, vendor list, and entertainment schedule, visit arcadedayton.com or the Dayton Arcade’s social media pages.