Downtown Dayton Partnership

Float Shows at RiverScape with Taiter’s Kayak Solutions
2024-09-03 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Detroit) | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Float Shows at RiverScape with Taiter’s Kayak Solutions
6:30pm – 8:00pm
AGE: All ages | $30.00, $150.00
Taiter’s Kayak Solutions is taking over the riverfront in Downtown Dayton to host Float Shows this season! Their giant paddleboards make the perfect floating stage, and they invite you to join their paddle party. They will have some of the region’s finest and most adventurous musicians taking the stage. Enjoy live music from your vessel, paddle under the fountains and make friends! The cost to participate is $30 for a standard kayak rental, or $150 for a giant paddleboard rental (for up to 5 people, but you must reserve and pay in advance). All participants will be required to wear a properly fitted life jacket. Swimming is prohibited in the Great Miami River, but participants should come prepared to get wet. Those renting will not be permitted to go through the RiverScape River Run whitewater feature. No lifeguards are on duty, and paddling is at all visitors’ own risk. All visitors must sign a waiver to participate. Visit Facebook.com/TaitersKayakSolutions for more information. Weather Dependent.

Call to register (937) 716-5091

Call to register (937) 716-5091

Cornhole Tournament
2024-09-03 18:30 - 21:00 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Part of Tuesday Nights in the Park series
Cornhole Tournament
6:30pm – 9:00pm
AGE: All ages | FREE
If you have a competitive spirit, enjoy being outdoors and winning prizes, you won’t want to miss our monthly cornhole tournament! Grab your friends or co-workers and join us under the RiverScape pavilion on the first Tuesday of the month from June through October for some friendly cornhole competition! While our tournament is family-friendly, we recommend participants be 14 and older. Registration will begin on-site at 6:30 PM, with the tournament beginning at 7 PM. Spots are first come, first serve. Additional giant lawn games will also be available to play. Admission is free! The RiverScape Cafe will be open and now offers an expanded food and dessert menu. For those 21 and over, cocktails, wine and other beverages will also be available for purchase as part of the Downtown Dayton DORA Weather Dependent.

The Quiet World of Edward Hopper
2024-09-04, 2024-09-05, 2024-09-06, 2024-09-07 | The Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N, Dayton, OH, 45405, United States
June 15–September 8, 2024

Few artists have been able to convey a distinct vision of the world as directly as Edward Hopper (American, 1882–1967). With great clarity, Hopper expressed a deeply personal response to modern life with his enigmatic depictions of urban and rural environments. The everyday, even mundane slices of life and ordinary subjects regularly indicate a psychological state of mind, most often suggesting a sense of isolation or loneliness. He rejected the influences of European modernism to work in a realistic, representational style, and create a uniquely American point of view that expresses his response to living in the twentieth century.
The Quiet World of Edward Hopper, an exclusive exhibition to the DAI, will feature the holdings from the DAI collection, which include a drawing, etchings, watercolor figure studies from his early years as an illustrator visiting Europe, along with the celebrated painting High Noon, 1949. The exhibition will also have key loans from other museums and private collections.

Riveting: Women Artists from the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection
2024-09-04, 2024-09-05, 2024-09-06, 2024-09-07 | The Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N, Dayton, OH, 45405, United States
June 22–September 8, 2024

Riveting presents extraordinary art by contemporary women artists drawn from the major, private collection of Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell. This bold exhibition expresses the collector’s personal interest in finding emergent artistic voices and powerful artistic statements that speak to prominent social issues of the day, including those relating to LGBTQ+ communities and reproductive rights. All major media are included: paintings, sculptures, works on paper, photographs and textiles, and themes range from humorous and irreverent to thought-provoking.
Internationally recognized artists include Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, Ana Mendieta and many others, featured alongside under-recognized and local artists. One of the highlights will be Carolee Shneemann’s Interior Scroll (1974/75), a groundbreaking achievement of feminist art that remains relevant and controversial to this day.

CURIO Lunch Box
2024-09-04 12:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-05 12:00 - 14:00 | Courthouse Square, Third & Main Streets, Dayton, OH, 45422, USA
Throughout the summer months, fun, out-of-the-box entertainment can be found on Courthouse Square, with CURIO serving as the hub of community, connection, and collaboration!
CURIO at Courthouse Square is the next evolution of programming formerly known as “The Square Is Where.”
Big ideas can come in small packages, and CURIO is the first step in a larger, longer-term plan to revitalize Courthouse Square. This shipping container transformed into an event hub has been combined with new outdoor seating and other touches to create downtown’s newest summer hotspot!
CURIO Lunch Box provides free lunchtime entertainment Tuesdays-Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m., including Trivia Tuesdays, Workout Wednesdays, and Unplugged Thursdays.
Bring your friends and coworkers for a midday break outside!
Similar to the former “The Square Is Where” programming, CURIO Lunch Box features free lunchtime entertainment from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays each week during the summer months.
Food vendors also set up on Courthouse Square each weekday, allowing downtown workers and others to grab lunch from a vendor or a downtown restaurant and take in the entertainment while enjoying the outdoors downtown.
Find a full schedule of upcoming entertainment at https://downtowndayton.org/things-to-do/curio/

CURIO Midweek Mix
2024-09-04 16:00 - 18:00 | Courthouse Square, Third & Main Streets, Dayton, OH, 45422, USA
Throughout the summer months, fun, out-of-the-box entertainment can be found on Courthouse Square, with CURIO serving as the hub of community, connection, and collaboration!
CURIO at Courthouse Square is the next evolution of programming formerly known as “The Square Is Where.”
Big ideas can come in small packages, and CURIO is the first step in a larger, longer-term plan to revitalize Courthouse Square. This shipping container transformed into an event hub has been combined with new outdoor seating and other touches to create downtown’s newest summer hotspot!
CURIO Midweek Mix provides weekly social hours featuring adult beverages and a mix of events at the end of the workday, including markets, CURIOKE, arts, cash bingo and pets, spotlight performances, and more.
Unwind after work – Meet up at the Midweek Mix!
The CURIO Midweek Mix brings fun, themed social hours on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. each week.
Grab a DORA beverage, socialize, and take part in this week’s themed activities while gathering with old friends and meeting new ones.

Find a full schedule of upcoming entertainment at https://downtowndayton.org/things-to-do/curio/

SWERK with MVP Dance Fit
2024-09-04 18:00 - 19:00 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Part of RiverScape Community Fitness series
SWERK with MVP Dance Fit
6:00pm – 7:00pm
AGE: All ages | FREE
SWERK (Sweat, Work, Twerk) combines current HipHop style dance moves with lower body toning exercises to bring you one Booty-licious bod. A true “lift your booty, love your body” experience. Beyonce’s welcome. No previous dance experience necessary, just come MOVE and have FUN. We can’t wait to SWERK with you! Weather Dependent.

We’re Doing It ALL Wrong® – 4th Annual Art Exhibition
2024-09-05 12:00 - 17:00, 2024-09-05 15:00 - 20:00, 2024-09-06 15:00 - 20:00 | Edward A. Dixon Gallery, 222 N. St. Clair St., Dayton, OH, 45402
This 4th Annual art exhibition kicked off with an Opening Reception on August 2nd and will be open to visitors every week until September 28th.
Artwork chosen by a jury panel of art professionals, including photographer Stacy Kranitz and U.D. Art History Professor Judith Huacuja, are featured in this exhibition that focuses on some of the issues that plague our world. The exhibition features artists from all over the United States who touch on a range topics using various mediums and styles.
Regular exhibitions hours are 12pm-5pm from Thu-Sun except Fridays 3pm-8pm.

Kayak Rentals at RiverScape with Taiter’s Kayak Solutions
2024-09-05 16:00 - 20:00 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Part of RiverScape Kayak Rentals series
Kayak Rentals at RiverScape with Taiter’s Kayak Solutions
4:00pm – 8:00pm
AGE: 14 and up | $12.00
Paddle under the fountains with Taiter’s Kayak Solutions all summer long at RiverScape MetroPark! Regular walk-up rental hours will take place Tuesdays from 2-6pm and Thursdays from 4-8pm, June-October. Launch from under the Riverside Bridge along the Great Miami Recreational Trail. The cost to participate is $12 per person per hour. Taiter’s Kayak Solutions staff will provide visitors with brief instructions prior to entering the water, which will include a safety tutorial, and help visitors get into their vessels. All visitors will be required to wear a properly fitted life jacket. Swimming is prohibited in the Great Miami River, but visitors should come prepared to get wet. Those renting will not be permitted to go through the RiverScape River Run whitewater feature. No lifeguards are on duty, and paddling is at all visitors’ own risk. All visitors must sign a waiver to participate. Visit Facebook.com/TaitersKayakSolutions for more information. Weather Dependent.

Thirsty Thursday at Corner Kitchen with Tori Lee
2024-09-05 16:00 - 22:00 | Corner Kitchen, 613 E. Fifth St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Thirsty Thursdays with fantastic Tori Lee! Enjoy curated drinks, plates, and tracks from Tori and the CK team every Thursday starting March 14th! Specials include 9 Artisanal fat washed martinis, $5 off Prime Cuts, $9 small plates at the bar, $5 wine pours and $3 drafts.

The Deeper the Roots – Striving for Universal Basic Income (UBI)
2024-09-05 18:00 - 19:30 | Dayton Metro Library – Main Library, 215 E. Third Street, Dayton, OH, 45402
Dayton Metro Library welcomes Michael D. Tubbs as its next Social Justice Speaker in The Deeper the Roots – Striving for Universal Basic Income (UBI) on Thursday, September 5, in the Main Library’s Eichelberger Forum, from 6-7:30 pm.

Tubbs will discuss the importance of UBI, what it is, how it can benefit the U.S., and what we can do to implement it. UBI is a proposition that the U.S. government give adult citizens a set amount of money without the basis of wealth or employment as a condition – in hopes of reducing poverty and helping citizens meet their basic needs.

At the age of 26, Tubbs was elected the Mayor of Stockton, CA, in 2016 – making him the city’s first Afro-American mayor and the youngest mayor of any major city in U.S. history. In 2021, he released his book, The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home. Currently, Tubbs is the Special Advisor to CA Governor Gavin Newsom for Economic Mobility and Opportunity, founder of Mayors for Guaranteed Income (MGI), and founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC).

Sponsored by Friends of the Dayton Metro Library, the Social Justice Speaker Series aims to understand and demonstrate the effects of social justice in society, offering speakers who are unique, award-winning professionals who discuss some of the most critical social justice issues of today by providing insight from their professional fields and personal journeys.

For more information about Tubbs’ achievements and the Social Justice Speaker Series, visit DaytonMetroLibrary.org/SocialJustice. Additional questions may also be directed to the Library’s Ask Me Line at 937.463.2665.

Light in the City ft. Joseph O’Brien & Building 429 w/ Melody Baccus opening
2024-09-05 19:00 | Levitt Pavilion Dayton, 134 S. Main St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Joseph O’Brien
Joseph O’Brien first gained prominence by appearing on Season 13 of the show “America’s Got Talent.” Currently residing in the Nashville, TN area, his goal is to create music that inspires believers to be counter-cultural and authentic about their faith.
Building 429
Since the release of its debut album in 2004, Building 429 has garnered widespread popular and critical acclaim, receiving numerous accolades all while delivering lyrically-driven, anthemic hit songs with a consistent message of hope along with high-energy concerts in sold-out venues internationally. The band received a 2013 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for We Won’t Be Shaken, which debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Christian Albums chart and launched the title track to No. 1 at radio. Building 429 also received a 2014 and multiple 2012 “Song of the Year” Billboard Music Awards for “We Won’t Be Shaken” and “Where I Belong” respectively, two BMI “Song of the Year” Awards (“Where I Belong” in 2013 and “Glory Defined” in 2005), a 2014 “Group of the Year” KLOVE Fan Award nomination and a “Best New Artist” GMA Dove Award in 2005. RIAA-certified gold single, “Where I Belong,” further became one of the longest running Christian No. 1’s in Billboard’s history at 15-weeks and has well over 246-million accumulative audience impressions. The band is also endorsed by Fender Guitars, Gibson Guitars,PRS Guitars, Orange Amps, Ampeg Amps, DW Drums, Guitar Center and many others.
Projects Unlimited Gem Series Opener Melody Baccus:
Melody Baccus is a contemporary Christian artist and dynamic praise & worship leader known for her uplifting music and engaging “I Am A Worshiper Experience” events. With a heart for worship, she inspires audiences to connect with God through her soulful performances and empowering ministry.

CURTIS MANN: Precious Blood
2024-09-06 11:00 - 18:00 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
CURTIS MANN: Precious Blood

THE DR. ROBERT L. BRANDT JR. FAMILY GALLERY
THE IRA & SUSAN THOMSEN FAMILY GALLERY

SEP 6 – DEC 21, 2024

Dayton native, Curtis Mann, returns home to present an experimental new body of work inspired by reflections on his childhood attending Parochial schools, his mother’s Catholic funeral services this past May, and the challenges he faced hiding and then embracing his atheism. Using a mixture of personal family photographs, found, and AI-generated images, Mann has cut and affixed them to shards of glass to create sculptural collages. The work presents us with questions about what a photograph is, about the precarious space between the image and the object, and about the larger ideas of absolute faith, its teachings, and leaders. The work also serves as a love letter to his mother and his own feelings of mortality. Curated by Jeffrey Cortland Jones.
Mann is a graduate of the University of Dayton, where he worked under the mentorship of Sean Wilkinson, whose work is on view in the companion exhibition, Flora, also on view. His work has been exhibited widely, most notably at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

OPENING NIGHT / SEP 6

Members Preview with the Artist 5-6 pm / Public Reception 6-8 pm

ARTIST TALK / NOV 22 / 6:30 pm

Curtis Mann and Sean Wilkinson in Conversation with artist and writer, Carmen Winant
Doors open 6 pm / Reception immediately following ‘til 8 pm / FREE & open to all / The Tank at The Dayton Arcade

SEAN WILKINSON: Flora
2024-09-06 11:00 - 18:00 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
SEAN WILKINSON: Flora

THE MITOSIS GALLERY

SEP 6 – DEC 21, 2024

Wilkinson’s ongoing series of photographs, Flora (2020-2024) are the artist’s response to the exuberant vitality of plants, their thrusting and thriving, their boundless energy and raw power, their elegance and grace, their constant changing, and their utter disregard for anything to do with the human world. Photographed over many seasons at Dayton’s Five Rivers MetroParks, Wilkinson brings attention to change, the overlooked, the undisturbed, and how profoundly meditative life can be. Curated by Jeffrey Cortland Jones.
Wilkinson is a Distinguished Service Professor and Professor Emeritus at the University of Dayton, where he served as chair of the Department of Visual Arts and as the Graul Endowed Chair in Arts and Languages. He is the recipient of several Ohio Arts Council and Montgomery County Fellowships among many other awards and prizes. His work has been widely exhibited and housed in over twenty-five significant collections.

OPENING NIGHT / SEP 6

Members Preview with the Artist 5-6 pm / Public Reception 6-8 pm

ARTIST TALK / NOV 22 / 6:30 pm

Curtis Mann and Sean Wilkinson in Conversation with artist and writer, Carmen Winant
Doors open 6 pm / Reception immediately following ‘til 8 pm / FREE & open to all / The Tank at The Dayton Arcade

Dayton Greek Festival
2024-09-06 11:00 - 22:00 | Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 500 Belmonte Park North, Dayton, OH, 45405
Please join us at the Dayton Greek Festival September 6, 7 and 8th. Friday and Saturday’s Hours are 11am-10pm and Sunday we are open from 12-5. We will have several Greek Cuisine options and pastries. Also, tours of our Historical, beautiful church. Lastly, there will be live music, performances and an opportunity to learn Greek dances.

Wine Down Fridays
2024-09-06 12:00 - 19:00 | Mintha’s Boutique, 520 E. Third St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Grab a glass and shop the new arrivals at Mintha’s Boutique!
Every Friday in September is Wine Down Friday from 12-7 p.m.

First Friday Art Hop at Front Street
2024-09-06 17:00 - 21:00 | Front Street Galleries, 1001 E. Second St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Explore studios, galleries, shops and boutiques right in the heart of Dayton’s Arts District! Visit with more than 250+ artists, creatives, and curators.
Grab a bite to eat from Kool Beanz Cafe or one of our visiting food trucks while enjoying live music from Flashback Band in the courtyard.
Front Street is a family and pet friendly community. Arthops at Front Street are free to attend. Our campus offers free, lit parking. Visit frontstreet.art for more information.

Nonprofit Night at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery
2024-09-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Edward A. Dixon Gallery, 222 N. St. Clair St., Dayton, OH, 45402
You are invited to the Nonprofit Night at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery featuring local organizations defining their work and providing information on how to get involved in supporting their efforts. Donations directly to the organizations during the event are welcomed.
Miami Valley Meals (MVM), the Ohio CDC Association (OCDCA) and the Dayton Metro Library are three of the confirmed groups that will be presenting.
The event is also a chance to view the new We’re Doing It ALL Wrong® – 4th Annual Art Exhibition.
Light refreshments provided. Free on-street parking.

Sweet Lizzy Project w/ Gem Series Opener Yuppie
2024-09-06 19:00 | Levitt Pavilion Dayton, 134 S. Main St., Dayton, OH, 45402
In just a few years, Sweet Lizzy Project, led by frontwoman Lisset Diaz, has skyrocketed from Havana City clubs to mesmerizing crowds of 20,000 alongside idols like Heart and Joan Jett. With electrifying big-stage pop-rock, their music blends classic rock heart with modern sheen, earning critical acclaim and prime performance slots, including a profile on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” and a cover story in the Miami Herald.
Projects Unlimited Gem Series Opener Yuppie:
Yuppie is an indie rock band from Dayton, Ohio, created by Zack Sliver. Sliver developed his sound while serving in the Marine Corps in Okinawa, and then created Yuppie as a way to reflect life in Dayton. As frontman, Sliver works with studio musicians on albums and has a backing band for live shows.

The Enchanted Cottage
2024-09-06 20:00 | Dayton Theatre Guild, 430 Wayne Avenue, Dayton, OH, 45410, USA
Carrying physical and emotional battle scars from the Great War, Oliver returns home and buries himself in seclusion. When he encounters a kind but unfortunate-looking young woman, the cottage spirits work their magic to spellbind and transform the lovers.

Kwaj, Dom Deshawn, Day Luster, Montana, and Tyrant
2024-09-06 20:00 | Yellow Cab Tavern, 700 E 4th St, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Join us for a night of hiphop with Kwaj, Dom Deshawn, Day Luster, Montana & Tyrant on September 6th!$10 cover starts at 8pm with music at 9pm
Kwaj is a Nigerian American artist by way of North Carolina. He moved to Michigan where he was introduced to Hip-Hop at a young age. Rap battles on the bus and impromptu freestyles on college campuses set the foundation for Kwaj’s affinity to Golden Era elements of hip-hop culture. Mixing in his modern day influences Kwaj’s style can be described as a contemporary nostalgia, centered around meticulously crafted, introspective bars over jazzy, boom bap production.
Dom Deshawn is a hip-hop artist and all-around creative born and residing in Columbus, OH. With influences such as J Dilla, Nas, Missy Elliot, Little Brother, J. Cole, and more shaping his outlook on music, they set a foundation of quality he strives to uphold. Taking his influences and real-life experiences, he’s crafted his own sound/brand, AfterhOurz, bringing a nostalgic yet modern sound to his listeners.
Day Luster was raised in Dayton, Ohio. He started music in 2018, dropping a song in 2020 titled, “Stranger Things.” He’s been working on collaborations and solo work since. “I’m a creator/messenger from Dayton, Ohio here to brighten up the music scene one performance at a time.”
Montana & Tyrant – Montana & Tyrant, a dynamic producer and rapper duo hailing from Ohio, are swiftly carving out their place in the vibrant hip-hop scene. With a unique fusion of contemporary rap styles and nostalgic beats reminiscent of hip-hop’s golden era, they bring a refreshing musical perspective to the table. Their sound is a testament to their deep musical awareness, seamlessly blending the essence of past and present hip-hop landscapes. Montana’s masterful production sets the stage for Tyrant’s lyrical prowess, creating an electrifying synergy that captivates audiences. As they continue to rise, expect Tyrant & Montana to leave an indelible mark on the hip-hop world with their innovative sound and unwavering passion for their craft.Be sure to check out Tyrants two recent releases “WYW” & “Novacane”.Also be sure to check out two singles produced by Montana “Wait Up” & “Da Bounce” which is a collab with Dayton Hip-Hop Artist Tino.
