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

Archives for November 2017

Beer Book Author Rick Armon Meet & Greet

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Rick Armon, author of 50 Must-Try Craft Beers of Ohio, will be at the Fifth Street Brewpub this Sat, Dec 2nd from 4-5pm selling and signing copies of his new book! When it comes to knowing beer in Ohio, Rick Armon is the guy. His latest book was just released and he has been making his way around the state to share it. This will be his first signing event in Dayton for this book.

The book is full color with 127 photos and provides descriptions of the beers, interviews with the brewers, and often a sense of humor in the exchanges.

Armon says the book is “Modeled after 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, the book shares the stories behind some of the most award-winning, popular and unusual beers made in the Buckeye State.

It highlights brews such as Hoppin’ Frog B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher, Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Urban Artifact Pickle Gose, Yellow Springs Smokin’ Handsome, Columbus Bodhi and Jackie O’s Oil of Aphrodite.

The book doesn’t just say, “Hey, here’s a cool beer.” It — hopefully — educates readers about the passion behind the liquid.

For example, The Brew Kettle’s White Rajah IPA was named to compete with Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA. After all, the White Rajahs wiped out the head hunters in Borneo. Get it?

Then there’s the story about Elevator Ghost Scorpion, a beer that was so insanely hot when it debuted, some people vomited after drinking it.

And do you know who Ermal “Ernie” Fraze is? He invented the pull-top can and Warped Wing Brewing Co. in Dayton immortalized him with Ermal’s Belgian Style Cream Ale.

What the book is not is a rundown of the best beers in Ohio. The best beer is whatever you think it is.”

In addition to the list of 50 beers (plus other beers like them), the author includes a Top 10 Iconic Ohio Foods (and beers to pair with them), 10 Coolest Brewery Names, and 10 Coolest Breweries to Visit. Plus, the book is published by an Ohio publisher!

This book is a wonderful way to learn about the larger Ohio beer community and will make a perfect gift for any beer lover.

Meet The 2017 American Humane Service Dog of the Year

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I met a celebrity this week – Centerville’s Atlas the Wonderdog. He was named the 2017 American Humane Service Dog of the Year in an awards ceremony in New York several weeks ago.

Atlas’s owner, Marine veteran Kenny Bass, served in Iraq and suffers from PTSD. For years, doctors tried to treat his condition with lots of drugs. He was eventually taking 8 different prescriptions totaling 33 pills a day, and still felt lost. Then he was rescued by Atlas.

When Kenny got a prescription for a service dog from his doctor at the VA he was told that the VA didn’t supply dogs. Kenny needed to find one on his own. He was surprised to learn that he either needed to pay between $10,000 and $60,000 for a dog or get on a 2 year waiting list. He spent $15,000 to buy Atlas and then was given just three days of training before he took the dog home. The first few months were difficult, but he and Atlas eventually learned how to work together. 

As Kenny saw the benefits that Atlas brought to his life he decided to do what he could to help other vets get service dogs. He founded Battle Buddy, a nonprofit organization that gives service dogs to veterans. The dogs are also trained by veterans with the specific needs of their future owner in mind. Then the new owners are given a lot more support than Kenny had as he learned how to work with Atlas.

I’ve offered to take photos at some of the organization’s fundraisers, so you’ll probably be seeing more photos of Atlas the Wonderdog.

YWCA Honors Women of Influence

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Since 1998, the YWCA Dayton WOI A wards have recognized and honored the most influential women in the Dayton area , visionaries who have made a difference in our community through their dedication to the YWCA mission of empowering women, eliminating racism , and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Last night at a social including previous honorees the new honorees were announced:

 

Women of Influence Class of 2018 are:

• Janice Allen , Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer, Trotwood – Madison City School District

• Mary Bullen , Community Philanthropist & Founder, Home Is The (HIT) Foundation

• Kim Faris , Radio Host, I Heart Media (Dayton’s Hot Country B94.5)

• Jacque Fisher , Chief, Aircraft Survivability Division, Mobility Directorate (WPAFB)

• Sharon Rab , Founder & Chair, Dayton Literary Peace Prize

• Daria Dillard Stone , Parent Advocate & Educational Consultant

Additionally, Pam Morris, founder and CEO of CareSource , will be honored with the 201 8 Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award. Morris was first named a Women of Influence Honoree in 2011.

Honorees were selected from a pool of more than 85 nominations by YWCA leadership and the volunteer WOI Committee, led this year by Chair Jenny Michael, vice president of marketing and corporate communications at CareSource, and Co – Chair Debbie Watts Robinson , CEO, Miami Valley Housing Opportunities .

Says Shannon Isom, president and CEO of YWCA Dayton, “ Occasionally, someone will ask me if we’ll ‘run out’ of influential women in the Dayton area to recognize. Clearly, we will not. We stand in awe of these women. They are thought leaders, innovators, literal care givers. They make our community stronger by sharing those gifts to break down barriers and help the most vulnerable among us thrive . That is the mission work YWCA Dayton has done for 147 years, and we are honored to lift up these women in pursuit of that vision. ”

 This year marks the 21st anniversary of the award; w ith an average attendance of 800 , it is the single largest daytime nonprofit luncheon in Dayton.

 

SAVE THE DATE:
2018 Women of Influence Awards Luncheon
March 8, 2018
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dayton Convention Center

Reserve your tickets online.

 

Holiday Gifts For The Food Lover

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 We’ve rounded up a dozen of our favorite food related gifts to help you with your holiday gift giving.  Wrap them up and put them under the tree or keep on hand for a hostess gift, or earn some brownie points by giving to your boss.  None of these will break the bank and a few may even have some side benefits for the gift givers, too.

Food Cubby Plate Divider 2 PACK

Do you know someone who doesn’t like their food items touching on their plate?

PLATE DIVIDER SEPARATES FOOD with suction cup seal to keep runny food from spreading

PORTABLE EATING DEVICE you can take anywhere to push food onto utensils or separate food

$11.99 from Amazon

Clip-On Strainer

Clip this attachable strainer securely onto pots and pans to drain out liquid seamlessly. Its heat-resistant silicone conforms to the size of the container and snaps on securely, so you can tilt and pour with ease. The built-in spout gives you control of where you pour that pasta water, grease, or whatever needs draining. Plus, its compact design easily stores in a kitchen drawer.

$12.95 from The Grommet

 

Sriracha Hot Sauce Packets

 

  • Original Huy Fong Foods Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. Only The Best!
  • Contains 50 Sachets
  • Licensed Product And Made In The USA!
  • Sriracha Hot Sauce Is Delicious On Everything from Vietnamese Pho to Pizza

$13.50 from Amazon

 

 

Toaster Grilled Cheese Bags

Hot, melty comfort food is now popping up in a more convenient form. These pouches let you pop a cheese sandwich into the toaster for perfect grilling—no pre-heating the pan, waiting to flip the sandwich, or laborious clean up afterward. Simply lift the pouch from the toaster using the integrated handles and slide your sandwich out onto your plate. It also works for grilling pitas, heating leftover pizza and more

$ 9.99  from UncommonGoods

DIY Bacon Kit

Bacon is always great and this DIY bacon kit makes it easy to create mouthwatering, maple-cured bacon in the comfort of your own kitchen—simply add pork belly, and in seven days your slab of homemade bacon will be ready to slice, cook and devour.

$19.95 at Sur La Table

Cheese Board Set with 4 Knives and Slide 

 

The cheese board is perfectly shaped in an oval. The curved edges along with a separate compartment for utensils is ideal to serve cheese, crackers and small sized fruits. The 12 x 7.3 x 1.6 inch size is not too big for any kitchen closet, neither is it too small for enduring the pressure of cutting.  The four top notch and sturdy blades of the utensils offer accurate cutting of any form of cheese to any size and in any desired shape. The stainless steel protects the utensils from erosion of any kind including rusting and discoloring

$23.97 from Amazon

 

Taste of The Spicy Olive

6 60ml Bottles Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Combinations

Tuscan Herb Infused Olive Oil, Aged 18-year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, Blood Orange Olive Oil, Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar, Basil Olive Oil, Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

$35 from The Spicy Olive

Mamma DiSalvo’s Gift Box

Give the gift of great Italian food, made with love by Mamma- this gift box includes a jar of DiSalvos’s house salad dressing, a jar of sauce and a bottle of their house wine.  Other gift box combinations also available.

$40

Homemade Hot Sauce Kit

The secret is in the sauce — especially when you make it yourself! This hot sauce-making kit contains everything you need to craft six different 5 oz. bottles of spicy goodness, including vinegar, spices and bottles, plus our exclusive pepper puree bases for ultimate flavor. Surprise your favorite hot sauce lovers with gifts they’re sure to enjoy.

$44.95 from Gardener’s Supply Company

Kamsah Dipping Set

This handmade hamsa dish set is made up of one large plate and six smaller serving or dipping plates. When placed together, the plates create a bright, colorful hamsa hand that symbolizes peace, prosperity, and protection. Each piece is made by local women for a fair wage in Neapolis, Tunisia, a city that’s been making renowned ceramics for centuries. And Kamsah supports the region even further, giving 10% of its profits to causes that benefit its artisans.

Small $45  Large $65 from The Grommet

 

Pine Club Variety Pack

Perfect for “out of town” Daytonians or “in town” Pine Club lovers. 2 Pints House Salad Dressing, 2 Pints Stewed Tomatoes, 2 Bottles Steakhouse Sauce packed in a gift box. The box is ready as a gift and can be shipped to your friends, family or customers.

$46.95 from The Pine Club

 

It isn’t a party unless the Hidden Valley® Ranch is flowin

Height is 9.7 inches and Diameter is 6.3 inches

Stackable and holds up to 5 liters of ranch

Special inside coating meets FDA specifications and keeps the ranch tasting fresh.

Includes a year supply of Hidden Valley Ranch!  $50

**Pre-order today: Item begins shipping December 11**

 

Pasta Machine & Drying Rack

This pasta machine is a Roma traditional style hand-cranked tool. It has adjustable rollers to change the thickness of your dough, and cutters for various shapes like spaghetti.  It’s simple to use and easy to clean, even by hand. Once you’ve perfected rolling out and cutting your fresh pasta, let it dry on this bamboo rack.
$52 from Foodie52
If you’ve got a great gift for foodies, leave us a comment below!
Next up we’ll concentrate on gifts for the bar.

Hibachi up Close: Sake Japanese Steakhouse + WIN LUNCH !

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Fire it up at Sake

***COMMENT BELOW on why you love SAKE restaurant and win a lunch with the Food Adventure Crew at Sake !*** One winner will be chosen at random.

The chefs at Sake Restaurant have been tossing it, flipping it, and slicing things up for decades. The attraction here are the giant Hibachi grills that each seat 8 people. As the meal begins, so does the fun “show” of each chef demonstrating knife skills, sharpness of blade, and spatula talents. Welcome to Sake Japanese Steakhouse, my friends, a locally owned eatery, where each meal is an entertaining Food Adventure.

What is the secret to their success? They have outlasted all the other Japanese steakhouses in Dayton. They are the only game like it in town, except for another locally owned restaurant in Troy called “Sakai” which is also an excellent place to grab hibachi and sushi

Dipping Spider Roll into Yum yum sauce

meals.

Sake is not a cheap outing, but is perfect for a celebration or special treat. Let’s learn more….

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY ON SAKE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE and SUSHI BAR:

—There are 3 Dayton locations of this, one on Miller Lane, one by the Dayton Mall and another across the street from the Greene.

—Hours are strange at Sake during the week.  Mon – Fri they are open 10am -2pm but they close from 2pm -4pm as a break between lunch and dinner.  They open back up at 4 and serve dinner until 10pm, 11pm on Saturday.

—Each restaurant offers seating around the hibachi grill, seating in a dining room, or seating at the sushi bar.  The menu varies on where you sit, but you can pretty much ask for everything, no matter where you are located.  We suggest to always sit at the the Hibachi grill for a full experience.

—Each restaurant offers a full sushi menu.  Each location offers discounts on sushi during

Fresh Salmon Nigiri

weekdays.  For example the Greene location offers 50% off sushi rolls, and the Dayton mall location offers 30% off.  This is for sushi rolls only and does not include pieces of Nigiri (fish over rice) or Sashimi (fish slices alone).

—Always order sushi every visit.  They serve it before your hibachi meal as an appetizer.  Do it up in style, don’t skimp on this treat.  The sushi bar is good and needs to be taken advantage of.

—Every hibachi meal starts with the chef setting an oil flame that shoots 2 to 3 feet in the air.  The chef then launches into various knife and spatula tricks and the cooking show is underway.  Expect a light comedic atmosphere, but serious flavor!

Miso Soup to start the Food Adventure

—Each Hibachi Dinner is served with Miso Soup and a house salad with house dressing.   Hibachi dinners come in one meat choices or combinations of 2 or 3 meats. Meat choices include steak, shrimp, chicken, salmon, scallops, and lobster.

—All of the hibachi entrees are served with 2 sauces. One is a brown ginger sauce used for seafoods. The other is “Yum Yum” sauce, a creamy condiment loved by almost everyone, and great on rice and steak. Both sauces are delicious. Experiment with our own flavor combinations and push the envelope. Dip the seafood in the yum yum sauce you rebel, it is actually incredible !

Yum yum and Ginger Sauce

—Our biggest tip or suggestion: Whenever you can, come to Sake for lunch because the prices are almost half as cheap and the portions are pretty much the same.  Also, ALWAYS order the fried rice option with your meal, it is their specialty.

 

Speaking of specialties.. let’s get to the menu at Sake and see the best this kitchen has to offer.  We have been exploring this place for years, and have literally eaten everything on the menu from the hibachi salmon to the Alaskan roll.  In our dozens of trips, we have compiled our patented list of “must eats.”

 

MUST EATS at SAKE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE:

—KANI SALAD:
A secret “off the menu choice,” this is a Food Adventure tip. Kani salad is shredded imitation crab strips tossed in vinegar and spicy mayo. The result is a slightly creamy, delicious delicacy. Try it, and thank us later.

 

—THE SPIDER ROLL:
For some reason, Sake has the best Spider rolls in town. These sushi rolls are made of soft shell crab with shredded celery.

 

The Spider Rolls at Sake are the best ones in Dayton.

—SALMON NIGIRI:
Nice slices of fresh sushi Salmon over rice. Melt in your mouth good, dipped in soy sauce and wasabi.

 

—HIBACHI STEAK:
Steak overs seem to love this dinner/lunch entree choice. The steak is cooked to your liking rare to well done. It is cubed and tossed in teriyaki sauce. The aroma is amazing.

 

—SHRIMP, SCALLOPS and LOBSTER COMBO:
This is the ultimate of the combo choices and Big Ragu’s all time favorite.
The hiibachi scallops are so tender and delicious, and touched off with a spray of lemon juice. The

Hibachi Shrimp,Scallops, Lobster and fried rice

same for the lobster, which is buttery and so good it is indescribable. The shrimp is always a winner and loads up the plate as well. This is the best of best at Sake.

 

The House salad

These are our must eats, but know that your best combo is what you meats you love most from chicken, salmon, steak, shrimp, scallops and lobster. Find your favorites and get them on the hibachi grill. Another tip for hot sauce lovers: Ask for Sriracha sauce and spray your fried rice with it while it is on the hibachi. Ask the chef, they will do it up and the taste is one of a kind.

There you have it .. all the fire, food and fun from Sake Japanese steakhouses.  Check out all of the locations, as they each have their special charm.  Have fun with “egg roll” and the squirting kid toy as well as the “catch a shrimp in your pocket or food in your mouth” trick too.  Lots to experience in this fun Food Adventure.

DONT FORGET –

***COMMENT BELOW on why you love SAKE restaurant and win a lunch with the Food Adventure Crew at Sake !*** One winner will be chosen at random.

Are you a foodie like us?  Make sure you check back each week for our feature article on Dayton Most Metro.  Want more Dayton food photos ?  Then follow Food Adventures us on Facebook here 

Hibachi Shrimp and more

Lobster roll and more

Sake by the Greene

Fresh, raw Salmon

Spicy Salmon Roll

Hibachi Chef

Hibachi Scallops and Shrimp

Hibachi Vegetables

Edamame

A deep fried sushi roll

Steak and chicken cooking with veggies

Big Plate of Sushi

Nigiri Sushi

Sushi

Deep fried goodness

Specials at Dayton Mall

Hibachi Salmon and Shrimp

Hibachi Shrimp and Scallops

Tuna Roll

A Sushi Boat

Rainbow and Spider Roll

The pee pee trick !

Ready to rock n roll

flaming volcano onion

Tuna

Cooking Salmon and scallops

Big Ragu – you ordered this whole page?

Sauce chef

We are hungry

Sake and chopsticks are a must

Salmon Avocado Roll

Lobster Roll

Sushi – so good

Another take on Kani Salad

Sushi Rolls 50% off at The Greene Location

Before Hibachi get a plate of sushi

Miso hungry

Cucumber Sushi

Deep Fry me

starting the fried rice

Across from the Greene location

Sushi !

A sushi roll with tuna and salmon

 

Big plate of Sushi

Electronic Music Spectacular Returns To Masque

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Dayton based EDM concert production outfit 3DMentional Entertainment will host their second “Snowed In” party this Saturday, December 2, at Club Masque. The party will feature two floors of local and regional electronic dance music DJs, along with a headlining set from internationally recognized DJ/producer J.Phlip.

 

Ever since the purchase of a cheap set of belt-drive turntables and a mixer on her 19th birthday, Jessica “J.Phlip” Phillippe really hasn’t looked back and, after completing her studies in Engineering, the straight-A student jumped head first into her true passion, music. She won a DJ competition in 2005, toured the USA and moved from her hometown, Champaign, Illinois, to the birthplace of house music, Chicago. In the Windy City she endured the struggle that many musicians go through on their pathway to glory but never lost sight of her dream.

 

After a move to San Francisco, Phillippe’s dedication eventually led her to linking up with Claude VonStroke, the founder of one of electronic music’s most prominent record labels, Dirtybird. This connection led her into the world of constant touring and festival slots all around the globe. 2017 alone has seen Phillippe in the biggest music cities in the nation, along with slots at prestigious festivals like HARD Summer, Holy Ship!, Middle Lands, and the Dirtybird Campout.

 

Dayton is no stranger to Phillippe’s infectious live sets. Her appearance at Therapy Café in February of 2015 brought a stellar crowd that enjoyed every second of distinguished, danceable beats. She mixes a ridiculous remedy of old school and new age house and techno tunes that are nearly impossible not to groove to.

 

The party will feature music on both levels of Masque. 3DMentional’s last party that featured two levels of sound was without a doubt one of the Dayton’s largest electronic music parties ever. Along with the second level featuring state of the art live sound and technical lighting, the first floor will feature world class LED lighting rigs and a professional visual show that will stimulate the eyes while the ears are serenaded with great music.

 

Both levels will feature a stellar regiment of local and regional DJs to support Phillippe, all with a different style to help please every electronic music lover that walks through the doors. Featuring everything from house, techno, bass music, breaks, and saxophone laden live electronic music, the evening will be an amazing way to dance off the winter blues from start to finish.

 

Doors will open at 9pm and tickets for those 18+ can be purchased at the door. Hard copy tickets can be purchased at Club Masque, Clash Dayton, and Shake It Records in Cincinnati for $18. Online tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/SnowedIn2017. VIP and bottle tables can be secured by contacting Billy Dickensheets at [email protected].

 

 

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3DMentional Entertainment is an outfit known for throwing top-notch, innovative, and music-centric events in Dayton.

 

Jingle Bell Run Benefits Arthritis Foundation

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Be part of the longest-standing, holiday-themed 5K race series anywhere – and fight with us to conquer arthritis!The Arthritis Foundation’s original Jingle Bell Run is a fun way to get decked out and be festive, while racing to raise funds and awareness to cure America’s #1 cause of disability.

Nov 27th Mystery Monday

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Last week’s photo was an easy one.   Katelyn Brink was our winner who correctly identified our photo of Clifton Mill and she’ll be enjoying Rapid Fired Pizza soon.

For three decades Clifton Mill has been lighting up the winter holidays. What began as a simple idea of stringing a few strands of lights on the historic mill for the enjoyment of family and friends is now one of the largest outdoor holiday displays in the country. The Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill now features 4 million lights which decorate the mill, trees, river banks and almost everything in between. Including the water wheel.  One of the big crowd pleasers is the covered bridge synchronized light & music show, which occurs hourly each night, now through New Years.  For directions to the Mill, click here.

And now for this weeks photo, if you can identify the location, please submit your answer here:
http://goo.gl/forms/dyU55fzc48.  We’ll let you know next Monday if you got it right!  Good Luck!
And now for this weeks photo, if you can identify the location, please submit your answer here:
http://goo.gl/forms/dyU55fzc48.  We’ll let you know next Monday if you got it right!  Good Luck!

Giovanni’s Presents Feast of Seven Fishes

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Celebrating an Italian tradition usually observed on Christmas Eve, Giovanni’s will present the Feast of Seven Fishes on Monday, December 18th at 6:30pm.

According to Eataly.com the ancient tradition dates from the Roman Catholic custom of abstinence from meat and dairy products on the eve of certain holidays, including Christmas.  The number seven is rooted back in ancient times and it can be connected to multiple Catholic symbols: in fact, the seven seems repeated more than 700 times in the Bible. Also, according to the Roman Catholic Church, seven are the sacraments, the days of the Creation, as well as the deadly sins. Hence seven courses!

The seven course meal will  include favorites like Crab Bisque, Linguini with Clams and Lobster Risotto. Not only this, but dinner will also include 3 glasses of wine, an after dinner drink, as well as a dessert from Cake, Hope, and Love.  The feast is  just $65.99 per person.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling the restaurant at 937-878-1611.

Giovanni’s Fairborn is located at 215 W Main St, Fairborn, Ohio 45324

Mexican Culture & Music Come To Life in Coco

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Pixar Brings Mexican culture, music to life in animated smash Coco

“We have no Auto-Tune … I hope we’re good!” Aspiring musician Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) teams up with a charming trickster named Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal) to unravel a generations-old family mystery. Their extraordinary journey through the Land of the Dead includes an unexpected talent show performance of “Un Poco Loco,” an original song in the son-jarocho style of Mexican music written by co-director Adrian Molina and Germaine Franco for the film. Credit: © 2017 Disney•Pixar. All rights reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 




KEY CAST MEMBERS: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor and Jamie Camil

WRITER(S): Lee Unkrich, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich and Adrian Molina (original story by); Matthew Aldrich and Adrian Molina (screenplay)

DIRECTOR(S): Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina

 
WEB SITE: http://movies.disney.com/cocoHERE’S THE STORY: Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) is a boy who loves music … and that’s a problem because in his family – in the wake of his great grandfather Ernesto (Benjamin Bratt) who left them to become the greatest musician the world has ever known – music is seen as nothing short of pure evil that rips relatives apart. Miguel, however, is undeterred in his quest to become a musician himself, which is why on the Day of the Dead – in which families visit the graves of their lost loved ones – Miguel sneaks over to the mausoleum containing a guitar that once belonged to Ernesto. But once Miguel plays the guitar, he  – along with his faithful dog Dante – finds himself now in the land of the dead, which is where he sees several family members including his Mamá Imelda (Alanna Ubach), who will only give Miguel her blessing to return to the land of the living on one condition: He give up his dream of becoming a musician forever.


Of course, this makes Miguel hightail it away from Mamá Imelda and the rest of his family, which is how he runs into Hector (Gael García Bernal), a trickster desperate for Miguel to return to the land of the living and take his picture with him. Why you ask? All will be revealed throughout the course of the night.


All Miguel has to do is stay alive in the land of the dead long enough to bring our story full circle.

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Disney•Pixar fans; people who will find the story culturally respectful and enriching


WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Those who will see the film as somehow not following enough realities of Mexican culture

SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? At this point, Disney•Pixar has pretty much proven anything they release is gold; Coco – a film that cleverly reveals its title’s significance late in the story – is just evidence that the company can make it regardless of what language/culture its character make speak or from which they come.  


Coco features superb visuals, an original story with enough twists to entertain adults while making children smile; then again, it wouldn’t quite be a Disney•Pixar movie without some testing of your tear ducts, so one should expect the heartfelt story to make having a box of Kleenex close by a good idea. The vocal cast – Gonzalez in particular – nails each of their roles to the point you forget you are watching an animated film as the exploration of the Land of the Dead is fantastically splayed across the screen. There is enough depth to each of the critical characters to keep the story moving along at a brisk pace, all while co-writers/directors Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina provide a rich landscape of both music and humanity akin to Disney classics of yesteryear.


In short, if there is a flaw with the film, it may be that the film wraps up so succinctly you wonder how in the world its creative team will come up with a sequel worthy of Coco itself; for one will likely be heavily inclined to want to spend time with its characters again.


Who knew a journey to the Land of the Dead could be so life affirming?

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

Grande Illumination & Dayton Children’s Parade

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Downtown Dayton will celebrate 45 years of the holiday season during the month-long Dayton Holiday Festival, presented by DP&L, which kicks off with the Grande Illumination and Dayton Children’s Parade Spectacular in Lights from 4 to 9 pm Friday, Nov. 24. Courthouse Square will be the center of the evening full of family entertainment.

Activities planned for the day include the Grande Illumination tree-lighting ceremony. Use the magic glasses, sponsored by CareSource, to reveal the special pattern. Other activities for the day of family fun include live musical entertainment on the main stage; carnival rides and games,  holiday crafts and games, the Junior League of Dayton’s Holiday Adventure, horse-drawn wagon rides; and a gingerbread house display. The suggested cost for wagon rides is $1 per person, but all other activities are free.

 

Returning this year is the fan-favorite photo station featuring live reindeer! The exhibit includes a sleigh and reindeer that create the perfect backdrop for holiday cards or photos. There’s also a petting area for interactive fun. The display is a gift to the community from presenting sponsor DP&L.

A tree-lighting ceremony will take place at 7:45 pm on Courthouse Square, followed immediately by the Dayton Children’s Parade Spectacular in Lights. Thousands of lights will illuminate the 45-minute parade, featuring a variety of festive floats, entertainers, animals and several surprises.

“The Grande Illumination and Dayton Children’s Parade Spectacular in Lights is a great night for the entire family to come downtown,” said Sandra Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership. “It is a magical night guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit.”

The Dayton Holiday Festival continues throughout the month of December with such activities as the Family Movie Series at The Neon, the Tike’s Shoppe, Virginia Kettering’s Holiday Train Display, animated window displays and entertainment in the Schuster Center Wintergarden, and more.

New this year is a fun method of transportation to downtown destinations. The popular bicycle pub crawl companies are rolling out from 6-8 pm Fridays and Saturdays in December as the Sugarplum Shuttle, presented by PNC Bank. Guests – including kids – can hop on the bikes and ride to designated stops in the Oregon District, RiverScape MetroPark, and the Schuster Center. Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate on this non-alcoholic shuttle service as riders pedal near downtown’s major holiday attractions.

Grande Illumination & Dayton Children’s
Parade Spectacular in Lights Schedule

  • Grande Illumination― The tree-lighting ceremony will take place at 7:45 p.m. on Courthouse Square. Media sponsor: BIG 106.5 FM
  • Dayton Children’s Parade Spectacular in Lights ― More than 100,000 lights will illuminate the floats and other units in the parade, which starts immediately following the Grande Illumination. The route: West Second Street to Main Street, south on Main Street to Fourth Street, and then west on Fourth Street.
  • Live reindeer photo station — Take a family photo with a sleigh and live reindeer. It’s unique and fun way to capture your memories of the Grande Illumination and Parade!
  • Main Stage Entertainment ― Enjoy live entertainment on the Courthouse Square stage. Performances begin around 4 p.m. The schedule is:
    • 4:00-4:20 pm – Miami Valley Music Men
    • 4:40-5:00 pm – Deron Bell Band
    • 5:10-5:30 pm – Berachah Valley
    • 5:40-6:05 pm – Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus
    • 6:20-6:55 pm – Alexis Gomez Trio
    • 7:10-7:45 pm – Dayton Celebration Chorus
  • Gingerbread Homes for the Holidays Contest― Contest entries will be on display in the Old Courthouse. The top amateur and professional houses each will receive $500! Winners will be announced on the Main Stage before the Grande Illumination.
  • The Holiday Village -Located in the lobby of the Kettering Tower from 4-9 pm, this is a favorite stop for children, featuring free crafts and games for kids and Mrs. Virginia Kettering’s train on display. Kids also can make holiday arts and crafts and play games. The Holiday Village Stage schedule includes live performances.
  • Street Fair on Third ― At this holiday street fair, free rides will be set up on Third Street between Main and Ludlow streets.
  • Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides ― From 4 to 7:30 p.m., wagons will pick up passengers at the corner of Second and Main streets for a ride through downtown. Rides are $1 per person. Lines can be long, so come early.
  • The Tike’s Shoppe― For decades, children in Dayton have been able to shop for their loved ones in a store that’s just their size. The shop will be located in the Schuster Center Wintergarden near the entrance at Ludlow and Second streets, and will officially open the day of the Grande Illumination. The Tike’s Shoppe will be open on selected dates through Dec. 23. For specific times, call (937) 301-8349.
  • Junior League of Dayton’s Holiday Adventure – Kids will go on an adventure around the festival footprint. Children who visit all the stops will receive a free book.
  • Magic Glasses― Look for volunteers passing out these special glasses on Courthouse Square prior to the tree lighting.

MetroParks Ice Rink Opens For The Season Friday

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The region’s largest outdoor ice skating rink opens Friday, Nov. 24, for season-long, family-friendly fun on the banks of the scenic Great Miami River in downtown Dayton. Admission to the MetroParks Ice Rink under the pavilion at RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E. Monument Ave., is $5 daily, and visitors can rent ice skates for $2.

Work off that extra piece of pumpkin pie and treat out-of-town guests to a seasonal skate during the grand opening weekend following the Thanksgiving holiday. Opening weekend hours for the MetroPark Ice Rink are:

  • Friday, Nov. 24, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Saturday, Nov. 25, 11 am to 10 pm
  • Sunday, Nov. 26, 1 to 5 pm

 

The MetroParks Ice Rink is sponsored by WMMX and will be open through the end of February, including special holiday hours during Christmas, New Year’s and more. Visit metroparks.org/icerink for a complete schedule.

Season passes are available: $90 family passes cover season-long admission and skate rentals for up to five people, and $30 individual passes cover the same costs for one person. New this year, season pass holders will also enjoy 25 percent off all products at the RiverScape Café. Buy season passes before Friday, Nov. 24 and receive 20 percent off your purchase. Those who visit the rink on opening day and purchase a season pass will receive an extended 15 percent discount. Gift certificates are also available for purchase on location.

Friday nights throughout January and the beginning of February are reserved for themed music and family-friendly fun. All events are held from 7 to 10 pm. Themes include:

  • Jan. 12: Top 40
  • Jan. 19: Michael Jackson
  • Jan. 26: Frozen on Ice
  • Feb. 2: School Pride

 

While at RiverScape MetroPark, visitors can warm up by the fire and grab snacks, hot chocolate and more at the adjacent snack bar which will be open during rink hours.

 

Skating lessons for children, teens and adults are held at the rink throughout the season and cover basic skills that will have participants moving comfortable on the ice. Visit metroparks.org/skating to register or to view a list of lessons and other events that will be held at the MetroParks Ice Rink.

In addition, registration is now open for the 2018 curling and broomball leagues. Visitors also can try these sports at Try Broomball or Casual Curl, held on various dates in November and December.

 

“When it’s chilly people typically head indoors, but the rink gives families an excellent reason to get outside during the winter months,” said James Carter, RiverScape MetroPark operations coordinator. “Ice skating during the holidays is a great activity for the family and I imagine with the 2018 Winter Olympics approaching, people will be inspired to try new skating activities.”

 

Try Broomball

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This session is for new players or players with limited experience (sorry established players-this is not a practice session). DBA members will teach the basic rules/techniques. afterwards, players will have open ice and scrimmage. Helmets, sticks, and balls will be provided. We recommend you wear gloves and knee pads. If you have shin guards (hockey or soccer) thsee would be a bonus.

Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill Celebrates 30 Years!

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The 30th Anniversary of the ‘Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill’ presents it’s opening night Friday, November 24, 2017. Gates open at 5pm, and precisely at 6pm, with the flip of one switch, 4 million lights turn-on instantly, transforming the night into a shimmering world of Christmas wonder. We then open nightly through December 31.

For three decades Clifton Mill has been lighting up the winter holidays. What began as a simple idea of stringing a few strands of lights on the historic mill for the enjoyment of family and friends is now one of the largest outdoor holiday displays in the country. The Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill now features 4 million lights which decorate the mill, trees, river banks and almost everything in between. Including the water wheel.

One of the big crowd pleasers is the covered bridge synchronized light & music show, which occurs hourly each night. And, a few more surprises added for 2017.

Also 30 years ago, the owners began work on a miniature village with scaled downversions of some of Clifton’s historic buildings built by an artisan in Pennsylvania. There have been new additions each year by a variety of artists and today it is a sight to behold with street after miniature street of scaled down homes and businesses, a tiny Fire Dept. putting out a “house fire”, an outdoor train, a 1950s drive-in theatre, a County Fair and much more lit up for the holidays! Clifton Mill has over 3000 examples of ‘Santa Claus’ on display dating back to 1850. Some are toys, some used for advertising, odd to elegant, all are interesting. Plus, a real live Santa popping out of the chimney.

The Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill opens nightly from the day after Thanksgiving November 24, through December 31. It is an outdoor event and weather permitting. Call beforehand. Admission is $10 per person for everyone age 7 and older. Concession Food is available.

DaytonMostMetro Ticket Giveaway:

We’ve got several four-packs of tickets we’d like to give to one of our readers!   Like and share this post and leave us a comment below on why you should win these tickets to see the Legendary Lights!  We’ll post our winners here  on Saturday, Nov 25th, so check back to see if it’s you!

Clifton is in Greene County, three miles east of Yellow Springs on State Rt. 343, six miles south of Springfield on State Rt. 72, and three miles north of Cedarville on Rt. 72.

 

Historic Clifton Mill
75 Water Street
Clifton, Ohio 45316

(937) 767-5501

www.cliftonmill.com

‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ Review – Young at Heart Players – Life Lessons

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Young at Heart Players presents an excellently heartrending production of Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher’s stage adaptation of Albom’s 1997 best-seller “Tuesdays with Morrie” at the Dayton Playhouse.

(left) Patrick Allyn Hayes and Jamie McQuinn star in Young at Heart Players’ production of “Tuesdays with Morrie.” (Photo by Fran Pesch)

Fluidly co-directed by YAH founder Fran Pesch and her daughter Annie Pesch, this effectively scaled down two-hander absolutely thrives on the terrific performances of Patrick Allyn Hayes as sports reporter Albom and a remarkable Jamie McQuinn as Albom’s former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz. Believably bonded in the past and present, Hayes and McQuinn forge a fascinating journey unabashedly sentimental at its core but also very enlightening. Significant and meaningful life lessons arise notably rendered by McQuinn with eloquent earnestness.

The story is based on Albom’s endearing reflections with Schwartz, whom he visited over the course of 14 Tuesdays while working for the Detroit Free Press. He hadn’t seen Schwartz since graduating from Brandeis University 16 years prior, but his travels from Michigan to Massachusetts became an important lifeline particularly as drama at work threatened to consume him. As Schwartz battles Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Albom ultimately realizes the importance of living life to the fullest.

In his first major leading role, McQuinn soars in a quietly astute performance blending charm and whimsy with beautiful sensitivity in a father figure capacity. As Schwartz’s health deteriorates, the script naturally allows McQuinn to become more profound and he certainly succeeds in doing so. When Schwartz reminds Albom to “forgive everyone everything” before it’s too late, it’s difficult not to fall under McQuinn’s gentle and inspiring spell. At the same rate, Hayes, in one of his most vulnerable, emotional and understated performances, equally resonates. He displays great narrative skill and appealingly reiterates Albom’s openness to learn and really grasp Schwartz’s morsels of goodness with each meeting. Hayes and McQuinn are also required to go out of their comfort zones a bit (Hayes mimics playing piano; McQuinn attempts a few dance steps) but do so admirably.

“When you age you grow and when you grow you learn,” says Schwartz. This Thanksgiving, let us be thankful for the special teachers who made a difference in our lives. Be sure to stop by the Playhouse and spend time with one of the greats.

 

“Tuesdays with Morrie” continues through Nov. 26 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. The play is performed in 90 minutes without intermission. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at the door. For reservations, call Fran Pesch at (937) 654-040. For additional information, visit youngatheartplayers.com