Downtown Dayton Partnership

Paul Verdell: Tabernacle
2026-05-20 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
The Contemporary Dayton is proud to present a new body of work by Paul Verdell. In these gestural paintings, Verdell continues his exploration of loose and instinctive mark making, working with paint and collaged elements. These works become renditions of landscapes both visually and figuratively as the colors and forms subtly echo horizons and map Verdell’s mental terrain. Driven by intuition, his latest body of work delves deep into the realm of abstraction as the artist explores capabilities of medium and mind. Influencing the artist’s conceptual root is both internal discourse—an ongoing attempt to understand himself within a shifting and uncertain world through the act of painting—as well as his Black American heritage. Verdell is a painter based in Detroit. Originally from Long Beach, California, he moved to Ohio as a teenager and received a BFA from Bowling Green State University in 2018. He has been awarded residencies at Black Rock Senegal, Dakar, Senegal, and the Macedonia Institute, Chatham, New York. His work has been included in exhibitions at The Armory Show, New York; Hurst Contemporary, London; and the Dakar Biennale, Dakar, Senegal, among others. Verdell’s work is held in the collections of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio, among others. OPENING NIGHT / Friday, March 13 Member & Sponsor Preview: 5-6 pm Public Reception: 6-8 pm Remarks: 6:30 pm CLOSING RECEPTION / Saturday, June 6 4-6p – Light Refreshments and a final chance to view the exhibition. This exhibition is one of three concurrent exhibitions of new and recent work by Detroit-based artists, curated by Heather Jones, and presented to spark dialogue around the art and artists of our time

Jason REVOK: Mutually Exclusive
2026-05-20 | The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W. Fourth St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
The Contemporary Dayton is proud to present new paintings by Jason REVOK. Self-taught, REVOK is known for pushing creative boundaries that began in the street. Although his story begins with graffiti, the artist has spent the last decade focusing on his studio practice and the evolution of process and concept. Refusing to be limited by his early recognition, REVOK allows only certain elements from graffiti culture to transition to his contemporary work—modest materials and industrial tools, ingenuity, his name—but his proclivity towards minimalism and post-painterly abstraction has become the driving force behind his practice. Examining the question of authorship from start to finish, REVOK has developed systematic yet imperfect tools to carry out his vision and has created a number of unmistakable bodies of work. His bold, balanced, geometry is heightened by the personal and imperfect sleight of the human hand. REVOK grew up in Southern California and is based in Detroit. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and the Pasadena Museum of California Art, as well as in galleries and special projects in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Dubai. His work is held in important private collections worldwide. OPENING NIGHT / Friday, March 13 Member & Sponsor Preview: 5-6 pm Public Reception: 6-8 pm Remarks: 6:30 pm CLOSING RECEPTION / Saturday, June 6 4-6p – Light Refreshments and a final chance to view the exhibition. This exhibition is one of three concurrent exhibitions of new and recent work by Detroit-based artists, curated by Heather Jones, and presented to spark dialogue around the art and artists of our time.

Karaoke with Zane
2026-05-19 20:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | Yellow Cab Tavern, 700 E 4th St, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Yellow Cab Tavern Karaoke is BACK every Tuesday at 8pm with MC Zane Gerlach!
Entry is always free!
With a catalog of over 60,000 songs, we have your favorites to sing…and if we don’t, we’ll do everything we can to get it for you!
Get your friends and family together and we’ll see you on Tuesday nights at The Yellow Cab Tavern!

Karaoke
2026-05-19 19:00 - 23:00 | The Barrel House, 417 E. Third St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Tuesdays – Karaoke with @raineyday.entertainment – $5 off full draft flights until 9 p.m.

Sunset Sessions with David Thornton
2026-05-19 19:00 - 21:00 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Part of RiverScape Sunset Sessions series
Sunset Sessions with David Thornton
7:00pm – 9:00pm
AGE: All ages | FREE

Join us as we welcome David Thornton to RiverScape MetroPark! This Middletown musician will entertain you with a wide variety of acoustic music and styles ranging from Van Morrison to the Beatles and everything in between. Weather Dependent.
Settle in by the RiverScape Cafe with some food and drinks, while listening to the sounds of some of the best local musicians that Dayton has to offer. Watch the sun go down over the river and challenge your friends to oversized lawn games. The RiverScape Cafe will be open with a variety of flatbreads, sides, desserts, and refreshments available for purchase. For those 21 and over, there will also be a full menu of cocktails, wine, and beer available for purchase as part of the Downtown Dayton DORA.

Community Fitness: Tai Chi & Qigong at the River
2026-05-19 18:00 - 19:00 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Offered by Immortal Tree Qigong. Each hour-long Tai Chi & Qigong session will start with breathing exercises, warm up, and gentle movements. You will then be guided through flowing movements that are part of the Tai Chi 24 form mixed with short standing meditations. We will end with a slightly longer guided standing (or sitting) meditation. This should leave a few minutes to answer questions or discuss any insights. Qigong and Tai Chi don’t require any special skills (other than breathing) or equipment (other than your body).

Adult Weekday Classes
2026-05-19 15:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-19 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-19 13:00 - 15:00 | K12 Gallery & TEJAS, 341 S. Jefferson St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Tuesday and Wednesday weekday classes: Tuesdays (September-May) Stained Glass Classes: 1:00pm-3:00pm Ceramics/Clay Classes: 3:00pm-5:00pm Glassblowing Classes: 3:30pm-5:30pm Wednesdays (September-May) Still Life Oil Painting Classes: 1:00pm-3:00pm Glassblowing Classes: 2:00pm-4:00pm or 6:00pm-8:00pm. Call for Costs.

Student Success Centers – Reconnect
2026-05-19 15:00 - 18:00 | Dayton Metro Library – Main Library, 215 E. Third Street, Dayton, OH, 45402
Dayton Metro Library’s new program, Student Success Centers – Reconnect, is offered every Tuesday and Thursday, 3-6 pm, through May 21, in the Main Library’s Tech Lab A.

Reconnect offers support to youth ages 16-21 working toward a GED or high school diploma. Extra help with reading, writing, and math is available, along with life skills coaching, opportunities to build friendships, and connecting with mentors.

Reconnect grew out of a revamp of DML’s Homework Help Centers, now known as Student Success Centers, located within seven Branches. “We expanded to an eighth Center at the Main Library that focuses on serving an overlooked demographic of young people called ‘opportunity youth,’” explains Allison Knight, DML’s Youth Services and Programming Director. “Opportunity youth are young enough to be served by public schools but disengaged from formal school or work.”

Sinclair’s Fast Forward Re-Engagement Center has been an advocate for the gap in community services to opportunity youth. After speaking with their Project Director and researching the need, DML staff used existing plans for the Student Success Centers expansion to address it.

Renaming the Student Success Centers allows DML to designate Student Success Centers – K12 for its mainstream students and Student Success Centers – Reconnect for opportunity youth. With the noted distinction between the Centers and Reconnect, DML can train staff accordingly and specialize the services offered at each location.

Registration is not required for Reconnect. Patrons may drop in any time during the posted hours. For more information, visit DaytonMetroLibrary.org or call the Library’s Ask Me Line at 937.463.2665.

Artist in Training (AIT) Program
2026-05-19 15:00 - 18:00, 2026-05-18 15:00 - 18:00 | K12 Gallery & TEJAS, 341 S. Jefferson St., Dayton, OH, 45402
After school Artist in Training program geared for grades 3rd-12th grades. Classes are Monday-Wednesdays from 3:00pm-6:00pm. Open Studio time to explore different types of mediums such as Drawing, Painting, Clay, Digital Art. 20.00 per session for Members/40.00 per session for Non-Members.

Connect to Support & Stability
2026-05-19 12:00 - 14:00 | Dayton Metro Library – Main Library, 215 E. Third Street, Dayton, OH, 45402
Connect to Support & Stability, Tuesday, May 19, 12-2 pm: Gather information, explore resources, and build community connections with a variety of vendors offering support with housing, employment, crisis recovery, mental health, legal aid, child care, and more.

Elisha Frontz, Roxanne Grooms, and Yuji Hiratsuka Exhibits
2026-05-19, 2026-05-18 | Galleries at Sinclair College, 444 W. Third St., Bldg. 13, Dayton, OH, 45402
The Sinclair Community College Art Department is pleased to present “Spontaneous Connection” by Elisha Frontz & Roxanne Grooms in the Burnell R. Roberts Triangle Gallery along with “Tell Tale Personal Narrative” by Yuji Hiratsuka in the Works on Paper Gallery. Inspired by the inherent order and balance found in the universe, Frontz draws on the complexity and beauty of systems and patterns found in both the natural world and mathematics. Her mixed media work juxtaposes strong geometric shapes against delicate natural forms. Grooms’s non-representational mixed media works contrast the strong dynamic geometry of a circle against its softness. The circle becomes a character amongst rich earthly hues anchored by nurturing stitches or twisted threads, which invite the viewer to use their imagination to play along. Hiratsuka’s intaglio prints explore the co-existence of eastern and western influences in Japanese culture. Taking inspiration from Ukiyo-e prints his work contains decorative, bright colors and highly-stylized, exaggerated and distorted figures, all executed through a modern lens. There will be a virtual artist talk via Zoom Friday, June 12, 2026, at 12pm. Visit www.sinclair.edu/artgalleries for details. The exhibitions will be on display from May 16 – June 25, 2026. Galleries are located on the fourth floor of building 13 (located at West Fifth and Perry Streets). The galleries are free and open to the public from 8am–6pm Monday–Friday and 9am–12pm Saturdays. Free and accessible parking is located in Parking Lot K.

Community Fitness: Trailblazers HIIT & Run
2026-05-18 19:30 - 20:30 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Summer activities that make your body happy and healthy. Led by Fire Flame Fitness, this HIIT workout class is for everyone, including beginners and low impact participants. Come as you are! Be prepared to walk/jog after class.

Community Fitness: Bootcamp
2026-05-18 18:00 - 19:30 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Join The Unit for an exciting bootcamp workout that will take you through RiverScape in a whole new way. Whether you’re running the stairs, doing push ups near the reflecting pools, or stretching along the levee, this effective workout will keep you moving. Combined with the uplifting support of the community members that make up The Unit, this is a workout you will want to make part of your weekly routine. All fitness levels welcome and encouraged!

Community Gardening at Cooper Park
2026-05-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Cooper Park
Hang with your neighbors at the Cooper Park Community Garden (behind the downtown library) as we weed, admire the native flowers, pick vegetables, water, and do other gardening tasks as needed throughout the season. All skill and ability levels are welcome! Contribute what you can and take what you need.

Community Fitness: BootyMix
2026-05-18 18:00 - 19:00 | RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Learn to love the raw, unedited version of yourself through dance fitness. BootyMix is a mixture of booty-centric experiences that make you feel alive and give you the confidence to take back your life through community, movement, and music. When you walk out of class, you’ll feel more connected to your body, more confident in your worth, and ready to take on the world like the unstoppable force you are!

A Seat at the Table: Culture, Cuisine, and Community
2026-05-18 16:30 - 18:00 | Dayton Metro Library – Main Library, 215 E. Third Street, Dayton, OH, 45402
Dayton Metro Library will host A Seat at the Table: Culture, Cuisine, and Community on Monday, May 18, 4:30-6 pm, in the Main Library’s Eichelberger Forum. This facilitated conversation will spotlight local food-based small businesses and explore diverse cultural foodways, including the stories behind them and the role small businesses play in sustaining heritage and creating opportunity. This event is part of DML’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture programming and is presented by The Center for Community Impact & Innovation. Registration required. For more information and to register, visit DaytonMetroLibrary.org or call the Library’s Ask Me Line at 937.463.2665.

JD Simo & Luther Dickinson
2026-05-17 19:00 - 21:30 | The Brightside, 905 E. Third St., Dayton, OH, 45402
Two of the most electrifying forces in modern roots music—Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes) and JD Simo (Chris Isaak, Jack White, Beyoncé, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis)—join together for a soul-shaking trio with powerhouse drummer Adam Abrashoff. Their chemistry is deep, their grooves are dirty, and their shows are a masterclass in high-octane, roots-infused blues. Luther, a four-time Grammy nominee, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of North Mississippi Allstars and a brand-new album—proving his commitment to pushing Hill Country blues forward. JD, meanwhile, has built a career on fearless reinvention. In addition to touring with Chris Isaak, he’s a key creative on the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere (directed by Crazy Heart’s Scott Cooper), where he worked closely with both Bruce and Scott, supervised the music script, coached lead actor Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), and contributed heavily to the film’s score and soundtrack. Their collaborative album Do The Rump! Has been making waves, with lead single “Come On” hitting #1 on SiriusXM Bluesville. The sound is raw, hypnotic, and thrillingly alive—equal parts Hill Country trance, psych-soul, and electrified jam. These trio shows are rare. The music is greasy. And this is your chance to feel it live. Special local guests Strange Ranger will kick off this show at The Brightside in Dayton, OH. HOW TO GO? Sunday, May 17, 2026 The Brightside (905 E 3rd St, Dayton) Doors 6pm / Show 7pm $20 general admission advance – https://tickets.venuepilot.com/e/jd-simo-luther-dickinson-2026-05-17-the-brightside-music-event-venue-dayton-d36fb4 $25 day of show Please note – this is a standing show, seating is not guaranteed Limited qty reserved tables available! All ages welcome

Rebel with a Clause
2026-05-17 15:00 | THE NEON, United States
Overview
“One fall day, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said ‘Grammar Table.’ Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints. What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend. Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 states as Brandt shot the grammar action. But this story transcends grammar. It’s the story of an epic quest in a divided time to bring us all closer together.”
Sunday, May 17 at 3:00. Tickets are $20 each.
Starting an hour before the film, come hang out with Ellen at the Grammar Table! She will answer grammar questions, resolve family grammar disputes, and take complaints. After each screening, please stick around for a Q&A with Brandt and Ellen, followed by a book signing of Ellen’s national bestseller.
Director
Brandt Johnson
Producer
Brandt Johnson
Cast
Ellen Jovin, Brandt Johnson

Dayton Dragons vs. Lake County Captains
2026-05-17 13:05, 2026-05-16 19:05 | Day Air Ballpark, 220 North Patterson Blvd., Dayton, OH, 45402
Catch one of the hottest tickets in sports – see the Dayton Dragons play baseball at Day Air Ballpark! For tickets and more information, visit www.daytondragons.com or call 228-2287.

Native Plant Sale at the Market
2026-05-17 11:00 - 15:00 | 2nd Street Market, 600 E. Second St., Dayton, OH, 45402, USA
Join us for the bi-annual native plant sale (no hybrids). Six growers will be on hand showcasing their native plants, bushes and trees and to answer any questions about growing native plants. Native plants support local wildlife and pollinators, require less watering, less maintenance, they improve soil & ecosystem health and promote biodiversity. Join us and chat with our lineup of experienced growers.

Collaboration of Colors
2026-05-17 | OH
View artwork from 4 pairings of artists who have collaborated in their own unique ways but all start with a common theme of color: Susanne Scherette King Megan Fiely Brian Mathus Tami Beale Sir Michael Surber Tom Jordan Joy Johnson Dave Scott Exhibition in collaboration with… the Dayton Collaboratory and is open from May 1 through May 31. Opening Reception on May 7th from 6pm-8pm

Tony Foster, Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective
2026-05-17 | The Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N, Dayton, OH, 45405, United States
Tony Foster, Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective
February 21–May 17, 2026, Gallery 120
Between 2007 and 2025, Tony Foster embarked on his 19th Journey, building it around a profound and layered theme: time. Across this body of work, he investigates how time shapes the land—from the quick shifts of light and weather, to the slow rhythms of seasons, to the immense scales of biological and geological transformation. As Foster explains, his aim is “to draw attention to the unseen forces that create place.”
Exploring Time brings together a remarkable series of watercolor diaries that capture nature in motion. His paintings reveal signs of change on multiple fronts: geological upheavals, biological cycles and the marks left by human activity. With a discerning eye, Foster records not only nature’s strength and resilience but also its vulnerability, even in landscapes once dominated by industry and later reclaimed.
In a world where environmental change is often conveyed through striking images of global warming, Foster offers a different perspective, one that considers Earth’s continual evolution and the visible traces of time’s passage. Organized into four themes: geological, biological, human and the fleeting, this exhibition invites viewers to engage with time at every scale, from the span of a moment to the stretch of millennia, while reflecting on the enduring impact of human presence.

Vinyl Vinyl Sundays
2026-05-17 | The Barrel House, 417 E. Third St., Dayton, OH, 45402, United States
Sunday – Vinyl Vinyl Sunday – bring your records, we’ll play ’em

Shock Theater Live: Multimedia Rock-Theater Hybrid Performance
2026-05-16 19:30 | PNC Arts Annex, 46 N. Ludlow St., Dayton, OH, 45402
SHOCK THEATRE LIVE is a multimedia rock and roll theater piece that follows five misfit kids as they attend a concert by their favorite band, The Creepy Crawlers. Along the way, they share their struggles, their dreams, and ultimately discover that they’re not alone, and by the end of the show, they don’t just meet the band… they become them! The show is about finding your place in a complicated world, and how so-called “freaks” or “horror kids” aren’t broken, they’re just expressing truth through a different lens. It’s loud, funny, heartfelt, and a love letter to all the outsiders trying to belong.

The Gershwins’ Porgy And Bess
2026-05-16 19:30 | The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, 1 West Second Street, Dayton, OH, 45402
Porgy And Bess premiered on Broadway in 1935 and its music took root in our culture, with iconic songs like “Summertime” and “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’” becoming popular classics. It’s themes of community resilience, acceptance, and redemption weave a poignant story, all told through a “melting pot” of musical styles from folk to blues, to spirituals, to jazz, to Broadway theatre music, and classical to create what is considered by many to be the greatest American opera.
