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

Archives for January 2021

The Gem City Sewing Company Opens at The Dayton Mall

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Dayton has always had the reputation for being a globally recognized hub for innovation! The Gem City Sewing Company has a goal to provide high-quality design, cut and sew training to build on local industry momentum connecting the existing collaborative community to workforce development, technology and manufacturing.

The GCSC will offer workforce development for train to sew programs in under-served communities to pair skilled sewist with sewn goods employers including the Dayton Threads and the Dayton Garment & Textile District Resource Directory, as well as manufacturing small sewing projects for paid work, earning $12-17.50 an hour.

Their Workforce Development program will work with area manufacturers and community organizations to develop our Industrial Sewing Training programs that prepare individuals for employment in the sewing industry.

They are here to make a difference and they will do this in several ways:

 

  • Teach job skills for sewing type occupations for employment or entrepreneurship, focusing on our local core
  • Foster social capital across cultural relationships in ways to lift everyone up
  • Develop & sustain community interest & involvement in social justice through our activities
  • Provide learning opportunities that will create a legacy for new generations to the creative life
  • Collaborate & cooperate with other non-profits with similar objectives

 

Training will consist of the following areas:

 

  1. Module 1 Basic Skills
  2. Module 2 Garment Introductions
  3. Module 3 Commercial Track
  4. Module 4 Quilting

 

Training Programs will consist of 3-6 months of instruction with required homework. Mandatory testing will take place after each completed module.  For more info email [email protected]

The Gem City Sewing Company is a subsidiary of The Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI) LLC,  a volunteer community Think Tank providing access for emerging designers, aspiring models, sewist, and textile makers into the fashion industry.

 

BaconFest – Now Happening at Dorothy Lane Market

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Although this year’s BaconFest may look very different without tastings and the event excitement, Dorothy Lane Market thought about it and decided that the bacon must go on! They are still raising the curtain to highlight the star of the frying pan—BACON!

We’re talking about DLM Uncured Bacon that contains no nitrates or nitrites, and is lifetime antibiotic free. During BaconFest, look for featured bacon-licious products weaved throughout our offering in just about every department, through Feb. 9th.

From Bourbon Salted Chocolate Bacon to Bacon  & Cheddar Stuffed Portobello, you’ll find bacon-centric products all around the stores. From the Bacon Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread and the Maple Bacon Baby Cake in the Bakery to Chuao Baconluxious Chocolate Bars, uncured Bacon Marmalade, Bacon Cheddar Bratwurst or Palo

Bacon Cheddar popcorn in our aisles you’ll find so many bacon infused products, all specially marked around the stores. You can even try their Bacon Roll Sushi!

 

They’ve even created a shopping checklist so that you can make sure you check out all the bacon offerings between now and February  9th.  This promotion is being held all all 3 DLM locations.

14 Montgomery County Artists Awarded Opportunity Grants

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The Artist Opportunity Grant program, which is funded by the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) and administered by Culture Works, empowers local artists to create new works and build their knowledge and skills through professional development opportunities such as workshops, residencies, and apprenticeships. Grant recipients are selected through a competitive process by an independent panel of artists, arts administrators, educators, and community leaders who evaluate each project’s potential impact on the artist’s career, potential impact on the community, and feasibility.

After reviewing applications from many outstanding candidates, the 2020-21 grant panel has awarded grants totaling $37,451 to 14 local artists to create immersive art installations, original music, virtual theatre productions, and more in the coming year.

GINNY BAUGHMAN

Opportunity: Create drawings of Dayton landmarks and develop a series of coloring books celebrating local history.

About the Artist: Ginny Baughman is a freelance artist who uses a variety of different media—including drawing, painting, chalk drawing, cut paper, and mixed media—to create both traditional and contemporary artwork. Born and raised in Dayton, she has a BFA from the University of Dayton and an MA from The Ohio State University. Ginny began her art career in central Ohio doing traditional renderings of local landmarks and then moved into contemporary artwork. Two years ago, she moved back to the Dayton area. Her work has been featured in many shows both locally and nationally, and she is looking forward to sharing her traditional artwork with her hometown through this project.

www.ginnybaughman.com

 

 

CECILIA BRENDEL

Opportunity: Complete a mentorship program with a grand master in order to further her skills in portrait and figure painting.

About the Artist: Cecilia’s professional art career took a turn from illustration art to oil painting 25 years ago. Since then, she has developed her skills by studying classical techniques combined with modern color theory to complement her own representational style. She currently serves as a resident artist at Olde Masters Galleria, where she helps to keep traditional oil painting techniques alive through workshops, private lessons, mentorships, commissions, and personal artistry.

www.ceciliabrendel.com

 

 

ZACHARY COLLOPY

Opportunity: Create an immersive art installation in the EDU Gallery at Front Street Studios using photographs, sculptures, and ceramics.

Artist Statement: “My hope is to create art that grows our collective ability to observe and cherish non-human life in our immediate surroundings.”

 

 

 

CHARITY FARRELL

Opportunity: Produce and direct the virtual premiere of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” collaborating with artists and musicians from the tri-state area and across the world.

About the Artist: Charity Farrell has been traveling the world performing professionally for the last decade. Having recently moved back to her hometown of Dayton, Ohio, she hopes to bring the lessons she learned to the local community via Virtual Venue.

www.charityfarrell.com

 

 

LEESA HAAPAPURO

PHOTO BY GARY MCBRIDE

Opportunity: Collaborate with members of the community to build a temporary site-specific art installation entitled “Bridges” at the main branch of the Dayton Metro Library.

About the Artist: “Leesa Haapapuro is known for the way she gets people to create art while also creating a greater sense of community,” said Bill Franz, author of Dayton at Work and Play. Haapapuro recently worked with the Kennedy Heights Arts Center in Cincinnati as the artist in (virtual) residence, developing her Garden of Hope project. Due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, all in-person workshops were replaced with online alternatives. Haapapuro plans to incorporate online engagement methods in her future work.

Artist Statement: “I use a wide variety of materials and techniques, and I work with people of all ages and skill levels to create socially engaged/collaborative community art. By sharing my interest in the process of art making and inviting participants to contribute elements to my installations, I hope to bring people together.”

leesahaapapuro.com

 

 

UMVIKELI G. SCOTT JONES

Opportunity: Create an album of original music that blends jazz, hip-hop, and classical styles and features members of the Miami Valley musical community.

About the Artist: Umvikeli G. Scott Jones is a music educator, performer, and composer. He currently serves as Director of Bands at Thurgood Marshall STEM High School and Wogaman Middle School in Dayton, Ohio.

Artist Statement: “My goal as an artist has always been to bring new and meaningful experiences to my audience. I compose and perform from the heart so that listeners may connect to the music in meaningful ways.”

 

COLLEEN KELSEY

Opportunity: Create a new body of paintings and drawings that explore color relationships in the medium of gouache and oil painting during an artist-in-residency at the A.I.R Studio in Paducah, Kentucky, in the summer of 2021. The artwork is to be exhibited at the Dayton Metro Library.

About the Artist: Colleen Kelsey is a painter and educator who has exhibited her artwork both nationally and internationally, including at the Carnegie Mellon Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center. She received an MFA in painting from American University and spent several summers studying painting at the Chautauqua School of Art in Italy. Colleen is a visual art teacher and lives with her husband and their three children in Oakwood, Ohio.

Artist Statement: “Within the paintings I aim to create an inherent light with color sensations where color is experienced psychologically. Color intensity is not determined by saturation but by the context of its surroundings. I aim to create an ideal harmony of unified or disjointed colors from the here and now in a partnership within the narrative. The narrative comes from years drawing directly from the figure and nature and explores the relationship to self, memory and family.”

www.colleenkelseyart.com

 

 

ANN B. KIM

Opportunity: Frame recent work for Build It: Artists Creating Community in Ohio, a four-person exhibition at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, curated by Erika b Hess, and complete a new body of work, which will be presented as an artist lecture through the Dayton Society of Artists.

About the Artist: Ann B. Kim is a Dayton-based mixed-media artist and art educator who is currently an Associate Professor of Fine Arts and the Chair of Fine and Performing Arts Department at Indiana University East. Born in New Jersey, she grew up mostly in Seoul, Korea, Los Angeles, and Southern Illinois before heading back out to California to pursue her art education. She has a dual BA in art history and art practice from UC Berkeley and an MFA in studio art from Mills College with concentrations in painting and drawing.

Artist Statement: “My interests include cultural migration, fusion, and clash of culture, the way we understand time, history, place, and space. Recently, I have been using the concept of antipodes to connote the sense of opposites in my work, and this interest has brought me to my current series about mapping and how we visualize the world and its implications in terms of the visual dominance we assign to places.”

annbkim.com

 

 

AMY KOLLAR ANDERSON

PHOTO BY ANDY SNOW

Opportunity: Create a large-scale, textured painting on wood panel to explore various paint layering techniques that will result in a new public art portfolio piece to be installed at the Dayton Big Brothers Big Sisters office.

About the Artist: Amy Kollar Anderson received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and she earned a Master of Humanities, with a focus in fine arts, from Wright State University. Until recently, she was the Gallery Coordinator for the Rosewood Gallery, but she left that position to pursue her art career full-time.

Artist Statement: “The past few years have been focused on playing with materials and combining these experimental techniques with my tightly rendered narrative images. Since I spend most days in my home studio, I am thinking more about personal space and my place in the world. I enjoy layering untraditional materials such as glitter, mica, and metal foils into newly formed surfaces or investigating complex narratives that explore identity, obsession, and transformation.”

kollaranderson.com

 

 

JEREMY LONG

Opportunity: Design and print a catalogue for a solo exhibition at Bowery Gallery in New York City. The local community will be able to experience the work through a special preview exhibition in Dayton.

About the Artist: Jeremy Long was born in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1995, Long went on to receive his MFA at American University in 2000. Today, he lives with his family in Dayton, Ohio, where he is an Associate Professor teaching painting and drawing at Wright State University.

 

 

JES MCMILLAN

Opportunity: Take portrait painting lessons from two artists, with very different styles and backgrounds, in order to develop and improve the skills necessary to produce a life-size mosaic portrait.

Artist Statement: “I am a mosaic artist of 22 years with degrees in Industrial Design and Applied Arts. I love my Gem City! Through social entrepreneurship and giving I have been able to transform my artistic process to lead thousands of people, of all backgrounds, in efforts to create large-scale public works. Over the next 10 years, it is my goal and commitment to Dayton to put three sidewalk mosaics in the ground each year. One day Dayton will not only be known as a city of innovation and flight, but as a city filled with interactive mosaic games, created by the communities who live here. We have reached that goal for 2021 already as we are in production of Flight Games (Wright Dunbar), Learn to Earn HOPE gameboard (Omega Campus), and the Unity Gem (Dayton Arcade), all set for installation this summer. Look out for some epic art coming your way and don’t miss the opportunities to be a part of it all. Follow the Mosaic Institute on Facebook for more information.”

midayton.org/jesmcmillan

 

 

MYCHAELYN MICHALEC

Opportunity: Create and document work for her first major solo exhibition of textile work, which will take place at The Contemporary Dayton and be curated by Michael Goodson.

About the Artist: Mychaelyn Michalec is a fiber artist and painter working in Dayton, Ohio. She earned a BFA with distinction in painting and drawing and a BA in art history from The Ohio State University and an MLIS from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has shown her work internationally and has been awarded residencies at The Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont, the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts Residency in New Berlin, New York, and The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Her work has been published in Friend of the Artist, Create! Magazine, and Art Maze. A review of her recent two-person show, Femme Maison at Houseguest Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky, was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.

www.mychaelynmichalec.com

 

 

MARSHA PIPPENGER

PHOTO BY BILL FRANZ

Opportunity: Create a three-dimensional immersive art installation inside a 20-foot shipping container that will transport viewers to a new metaphysical place as well as challenge and enhance her artistic abilities.

About the Artist: Marsha has been active in Dayton’s arts community for more than 30 years, creating and exhibiting her colorful collages and promoting the visual arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ohio Northern University, a Master of Humanities from Wright State University and is a Kennedy Center certified arts integration specialist. Through Central State University, she completed independent coursework with local artist and educator Bing Davis.

Artist Statement: “I am an artist/maker. I gravitate to color and texture; papier colle, commonly called collage, is perfectly suited to my philosophy of visual expression. It is at once painting, drawing, sculpture, and assemblage. Creating values and dimensions with paper, exploring new materials and combinations of objects to create a unified whole is always an exciting challenge.

With this new work I will be layering together mirrors and mirrors in the shape of trees to create an immersive experience for the viewer. This project is inspired by the Japanese artist Yayou Kusama as well as a piece I created as an example for students in my 3D art class at Kettering College.

As an installation, it too is a combination of sculpture and assemblage only with new and different materials. It is an immersive ‘collage’ environment in which the viewer will actually walk through the space in a transformative, meditative, emotional experience. My goal is to expand not only my own artistic practice but to grow the viewer’s experience as well, allowing them a pause from their daily world and a chance to enter another kind of universe.”

www.pippengerart.com

 

 

COUNTESS V. WINFREY

Opportunity: Complete training to learn injury-prevention methods to increase the longevity of dancers’ careers.

About the Artist: Countess V. Winfrey began her dance training at the age of 11 at Wharton Arts Magnet Middle School and continued at Nashville School of the Arts before pursuing dance as a minor at the University of Memphis. Countess joined Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s pre-professional ensemble in 2012, which led to a professional dance career with DCDC. Since then, she has performed internationally in Kazakhstan, China, and Russia, where she appeared in two sold-out shows at the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

The Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District is preparing to for the 2021 Special Projects Grant which is administered via Culture Works. To help you prepare to submit your application,Culture Works is hosting an Info Session for the 2021 Special Projects Grant on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 12 PM EST – 1:15 PM.

Register to attend here: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/reg…/WN_xPrOtDKoTL68shgmmNkW8g
The Special Projects Grant program is open to small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations, other nonprofits, schools, colleges, universities, municipalities, and government agencies located in Montgomery County. Collectives and other unincorporated organizations may also apply in partnership with a nonprofit, tax-exempt fiscal agent. Arts and cultural organizations–and their auxiliary groups–that already receive general operating support from MCACD are not eligible to apply.

Wiley’s Wings Tenders and Fries Opens in Huber Heights

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Officially opening today at  2pm on Brandt Pike in Huber Heights, Wiley’s Wings Tenders and Fries, is the latest from the team that brought you Rapid Fired Pizza and Hot Head Burritos. With a simple menu featuring fresh never frozen wings, hand battered tenders and crispy french fries, garlicky Texas toast, and Pepsi products it’s is a quick option for a meal “where you can get amazing wings in 3 minutes or less,” according to owner Ray Wiley.

As you enter the restaurant you’re greeted by Wiley the mascot, directing you where to go. To the left if you need to order, or to the right to pick up your online order.  They’ve also designated 6 spots fo curbside delivery designated by cute  signs with sayings like “Winner Winner Fresh Chicken for Dinner” and “Good Wings Come To Those That Wait.”  Or perhaps you’ll choose to use the drive up window to order, according to co-owner Kelly Gray, that was one of the features that made WTF choose this location to launch their new concept. Gray also shared with us that one of her favorite things on the menu is their house made ketchup that has a little zip and is perfect with their crispy fries.

Owners Ray Wiley and Kelly Gray (both in orange) work the dining room.

 

Wiley’s WTF makes it easy to order-just pick a combo:

 

Then decide on a sauce or a rub and your order will be ready in about 3 minutes. Marketing Manager J Stanton suggested his favorite sauce, Sriracha Bourbon BBQ to accompany my first taste of the tenders. Kelly Gray likes the Buffalo Ranch, while founder Ray Wiley likes it hot with the pineapple ghost sauce.  Speaking of Wiley, he shared that featuring his name on the restaurant was not his idea, but rather his management teams, who he gives all the credit to for being incredibly dedicated to making this venture a success.

 

Some reviews we heard from attendees at the sneak peek last night:

“Tasty”
“The literal best Texas Toast I’ve ever had”
“I’ve got to be back soon to work my way through all the sauces”
“Definitely will make a return visit if I’m in the area!”
“I couldn’t finish my 6 piece combo- it’s a lot of food.”
“The coleslaw was delicious and we tried several sauces… all were amazing!”
“The Moonshine BBQ = SO good!”

If you make it out to Wileys WTF, let us know what you thought in the comments below.

Wiley’s Wings, Tenders, and Fries

6315 Brandt Pike
Huber Heights, OH 45424

937-236-3000

6 piece tender combo

Colin Firth in SUPERNOVA and Stunning MALCOLM & MARIE at The Neon

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We have two films with a lot of star power opening this Friday. SUPERNOVA stars two NEON heavyweights – Colin Firth (THE KING’S SPEECH and several others) and Stanley Tucci (SPOTLIGHT & MARGIN CALL). On our other screen, we’ll have MALCOLM & MARIE starring Zendaya (known for bigger Hollywood films like THE GREATEST SHOWMAN and SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME) and John David Washington (known for his roles in BLACKKKLANSMAN and last summer’s TENET…though he did have a small role in the NEON hit OLD MAN AND THE GUN). We hope you’ll join us to see these new films on the big screen. Next Thursday, we’ll offer a preview screening of LITTLE FISH before it officially opens on Feb. 5. PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN is still performing quite well – so we found a way to bring it back again this weekend. If you still need to see THE DIG or MLK/FBI, you need to hurry down.
In our Virtual Cinema, we will open RAMS – an Australian remake of a beloved Icelandic film. This new version stars Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson and Michael Caton.
NEW IN-PERSON SCREENINGS
Synopsis for SUPERNOVA: “Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci), partners of twenty years, are travelling across England in their old campervan visiting friends, family and places from their past. Following a life-changing diagnosis, their time together has become more important than ever until secret plans test their love like never before.” (Bleecker Street) Click the image below to watch the trailer. Tickets for the Jan. 28 preview are on sale now!
Synopsis for MALCOLM & MARIE: “Sam Levinson teams up with Zendaya and John David Washington for an achingly romantic drama in which a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) return home following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what’s sure to be imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love. Working with cinematographer Marcell Rev, Levinson creates a film of rare originality; an ode to the great Hollywood romances as well as a heartfelt expression of faith in the medium’s future.” (Netflix) Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer. Tickets for the Jan 28 preview screening are on sale now!
Synopsis for LITTLE FISH: Preview screening on Thursday, Feb. 4! “LITTLE FISH, the fourth feature film from director Chad Hartigan, is a romance set in a near-future Seattle teetering on the brink of calamity. Starring Olivia Cooke, Jack O’Connell, Soko and Raul Castillo, the film opens in the midst of a global epidemic: Neuroinflammatory Affliction, a sever and rapid Alzheimer’s-like condition in which people’s memories disappear. Couple Jude Williams and Emma Ryerson are grappling with the realities of NIA, interspersed with glimpses from the past as the two meet and their relationship blooms. But as NIA’s grip on society tightens, blurring the lines between the past and the present, it becomes more and more difficult to know what’s true and what’s false.” Click the image below to watch the film’s trailer.
NEW IN OUR VIRTUAL CINEMA
Synopsis for RAMS: “Brothers Colin and Les have been fighting for decades. Both are award-winning sheep farmers but when disaster strikes and disease threatens their flocks, will they be able to work together to save their sheep, their legacy, and their community?” This 2020 remake of the 2015 Icelandic film stars Sam Neil, Michael Caton and Miranda Richardson. This film is available to watch on your computer or mobile device. It is also available to watch via Chromecast. For help regarding accessing this title, please visit the Samuel Goldwyn VHX Help Page HERE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and gain 72 hour access to the film for $12.
Synopsis for SOME KIND OF HEAVEN: “SOME KIND OF HEAVEN explores life inside the palm-tree-lined streets of The Villages, America’s largest retirement community in Florida. Referred to as the ‘Disneyland for Retirees,’ this planned community is home to over 130,000 seniors. It offers residents a utopian version of the American yesteryear: wide, safe streets, perfectly manicured lawns, and countless activities all in service of enjoying their golden years. While most residents have bought into its packaged positivity, we meet four residents living on the margins, striving to find happiness. By turns biting, tender, and surreal, the film demonstrates that no matter our age, we are always becoming. With strikingly composed cinematography, SOME KIND OF HEAVEN challenges our stereotypes around aging, emboldening its characters to live as vibrantly as possible in the time they have left.” Tickets are $12 for 72 hour access. This film can be viewed on your computer or mobile device or via your TV with Apple TV or Roku. Additional instructions can be found on Eventive’s HELP PAGE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and reserve access to the film.
Synopsis for MY REMBRANDT: Available starting Jan. 22! “Rembrandt, the grandmaster of intimacy rocks the art world; 350 years after his death, many people, even entire nations are obsessed with his paintings. Aristocrats cherish, experts rule, art dealers investigate, collectors hunt, museums battle. The epic documentary MY REMBRANDT dives deep into the art world of Old Masters, exploring the motives of its elite.” Tickets are $12 for 72 hour access. This film can be viewed on your computer or mobile device or via your TV with Apple TV or Roku. Additional instructions can be found on Eventive’s HELP PAGE. Click the image below to watch the trailer and reserve access to the film.
To read more about all the films that are still available in our Virtual Cinema, please visit our WEBSITE. Here’s a LINK with a video I made about how Virtual Cinema works.

Design a T-shirt for Giovanni’s – Win Pizza For a Year!

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Giovanni’s in Fairborn is looking for some creative new shirt designs to represent their business.  Here are some of their previous shirts:
You may send your design to them by mail, drop off at the restaurant or send by messenger on Facebook.

Two winners will be declared.  One will be chosen by Giovanni’s and the 2nd will be chosen by voters on social media.
Winers  will be awarded 1 free large pizza a month for 12 months!
All designs are due by March 1st 2021
Please let me know if you have any questions!!

 

Giovanni’s Fairborn

215 W Main St
Fairborn, OH 45324
(937) 878-1611
Wednesday – Sunday  11am – 9pm

Reservations suggested for dine in

Uncover the Clues and Solve This Virtual Murder Mystery

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Saint Anne’s Cheese Co is hosting a virtual murder mystery event this Saturday that will be available via zoom.  According to the owner of this virtual cheese business and education company, Annie Foos, she’d worked with this company to host a mystery dinner at her house and had such a great time doing it, she wanted to bring some fun into the doldrums of winter. So invite some friends or family (that are in your covid safe pod) over, open a bottle of wine and serve up some snacks and engage in an interactive mystery event brought to you on ZOOM. Enjoy the show, play detective and question the suspects in real time.

Synopsis of the show:

It was an evening of wine and St. Anne’s cheese at the Maize Valley Winery in the Ohio Valley. The occasion: a celebration of the winery’s tenth anniversary. Owner Todd Melee took great pride in pouring his world-famous Big Red Pecker, the wine with the rooster on the label that tickles the palates of wine connoisseurs everywhere. Over the past decade, his small operation had built a record of supplying a quality product, but Melee’s surly personality had produced more adversaries than advocates.

As the gathering broke up about midnight, Melee bade “farewell” to everyone and said he would stay around to turn out the lights. But the next morning, it became deadly obvious that someone had planned lights out for him. Melee’s lifeless body was found at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the oak casks in the wine cellar. Someone had put the cork on Melee and taken action that would squeeze the winery’s reputation.
You can assist the Ohio Valley Sheriff’s Department in solving this case. Join a dedicated cadre of super sleuths on Saturday, January 30th to investigate the homicide and to identify the killer lurking among the eight suspects. You’ll meet them online via Zoom, and even be able to question them to discover key facts. Reserve your spot TODAY. Space is limited and you won’t want to miss out on the exhilarating prospect of drinking it all in.
You’ll be competing with groups from across the country to solve the mystery, with about 30 different zoom links.  You’ll watch the first act of the show, then have a chance to go into break out rooms to question the suspects and then provide your teams verdict on the murderer. Then the entire group will go back to the main room and you’ll watch the conclusion of the play and see if you guessed right.

Ticket Links:

Whodunnit Zoom Event- Jan 30th @ 3pm EST. $40

Whodunnit Zoom Event- Jan 30th @ 6pm EST $50

Whodunnit Zoom Event- Jan 30th @ 9pm EST $45

DaytonMostMetro.com readers:
Use code Mystery5 for $5 off your purchase! 

You will receive an email with a link to the ZOOM event shortly before it begins.

Presented by murdermysteryparties.us and featuring St. Annes Cheese Co. and Ohio Wine Company.

Stop by The Ohio Wine Company at 1006 E. Dorothy Lane to pick up a party poison pack, highlighting some of the wine and cheese that will be featured in the zoom show.

 

4th Annual Oyster Fest at Lily’s!

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From Tuesday, January 26-Sunday, February 7 (excluding Mondays when they are closed) from 5-9pm Lily’s  will be celebrating these delightful bites of pure ocean flavor! Guests can enjoy a massive selection of the oysters prepared in a myriad of ways at this Oregon District eatery.  What you’ll find on the Oyster Fest Menu:

RAW

Oysters on the half shell choose either Assorted East Coast (Washburn, Bluepoint; typically ‘meatier’ but individual sizes vary) or West Coast (Barron Point-typically deep-cupped and more petite) $2.50 each choose up to 1 sauce per 2 oysters: horseradish, cocktail sauce, or lemongrass mignonette. Saltines and hot sauce available at no cost upon request

Oyster shooter – ‘Bloody Mary:’ Belle of Dayton Vodka, Lily’s signature Bloody Mary Mix, celery& raw oyster 7

Bloody Mary Shooter. Photo by Donald Lawson

Sake: Chilled sake, ponzu citrus soy vinaigrette, sesame seed, raw oyster 7
SOUP AND APPETIZERS:

Oyster and potato leek New-England style chowder 6

Oysters “Cochon-feller”: oysters baked on the halfshell with butter, garlic, and sambal, inspired by Emily’s favorite oyster preparation from her former employer, Cochon, in New Orleans 12 add freshly baked rosemary-garlic focaccia bread for dipping +5

Photo by Donald Lawson


add freshly baked rosemary-garlic focaccia bread for dipping +5


Fried Oysters with Lily’s spicy remoulade 10

Fried oysters. Photo by Donald Lawson

ENTREES:

Oyster Scampi: shucked oysters and angel hair pasta in a white wine, garlic, and butter sauce with fresh herbs and oven-roasted cherry tomatoes 20

Fried Oyster Po-Boy: Fried oysters on french bread, ‘dressed’ with lettuce, tomato, and lily’s remoulade, served with house garlic fries 17

Oyster Po Boy. Photo by Donald Lawson

Lily’s is also offering specials on champagnes and sparkling wines, which serve as the perfect beverage to pair with oyster.
CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING WINE SPECIALS:

LAURENT-PERRIER Brut Champagne (187mL-enough for two to toast)
Crisp, fresh and elegant, Brut LP is a pale golden hue, with fine and persistent bubbles. $16
CANARD DUCHENE Authentic Brut Champagne
Freshness and intensity bring together nobility and nature. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the wine is characterized by fresh fruit aromas jostling with brioche notes. The fruit aromas carry through to the palate and intermingle with pastry notes. $60
JCB NO. 21 FRENCH CREMANT
This is a top-of-the-range crémant that is crisp and textured while also fruity. It has richness, laced with acidity and citrus. Fresh and full of apple flavor, it’s an impressive wine that offers Champagne taste at a kinder price point. $38
POEMA CAVA BRUT ROSE
Fresh and elegant notes of strawberry, raspberry and rose petals. Balanced acidity keeps the wine light and fresh. $30
GIANCARLO PROSECCO
Easy drinking bubbles from Italy $28

Lily’s Dayton

Oregon District
329 E 5th St
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 723-7637
Tuesday- Thursday:  5-9pm
Friday: 5-10pm
Saturday: 10am-2pm (Brunch) 5-10pm

Sunday: 10am-2pm (Brunch) 5-9:30pm

Register Now for MetroParks 2nd annual Trails Challenge

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The MetroParks Trails Challenge is back for 2021, with new trails and more time in which to complete them. Starting Feb. 1 and running through Oct. 31, participants can check off 28 trails for hiking, walking, cycling, paddling, running, mountain biking and even horseback riding.

Five Rivers MetroParks locations’ are home to 160 miles of natural surface trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The greater Dayton region is home to more than 340 miles of paved trails — the nation’s largest paved trail network — and 270 miles of river corridor.

More than 900 people registered for the inaugural 2020 MetroParks Trails Challenge, with participants completing more than 4,000 miles of human-powered travel — that’s longer than the Amazon River.

“Because participants explore the trails on their own time and in their own way, it’s easy to practice safe social distancing while participating,” said Randy Ryberg, MetroParks outdoor recreation coordinator. “The MetroParks Trails Challenge is a convenient way to improve your physical and mental health while connecting with nature and enjoying an active lifestyle.”

How to participate:

How to win prizes:

  • Complete just one trail in the challenge, and you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift card to a local outdoor gear or bike shop of your choosing. You’ll receive one entry for each trail you complete. Complete all 28 trails and get 28 chances to win.
  • New for 2021, youth ages 14 and younger who complete just one trail will be entered to win a Kids Adventure Pack, which includes cool outdoor gear. Youth also will receive one entry for each trail they complete.
  • Also new this year, everyone who completes just one mountain bike trail will be entered to win a Huffy Mountain Bike. Participants will receive one entry for each mountain bike trail completed. Complete all three trails and get three chances to win.
  • Everyone who completes at least 18 trails will receive a MetroParks Trails Challenge sticker. Also, 100 people completing at least 18 trails will be selected at random to receive a MetroParks Trails Challenge T-Shirt.
  • Winners be notified by e-mail or phone. Prizes will be distributed after Oct. 31.

How to plan ahead:

  • Some of the trails in the challenge are segments of larger trails, so participants may have to hike, bike or shuttle back to their starting point. Other trails included are loops, starting and ending at the same point.
  • Some of the trails require special gear, such as a mountain bike or kayak, but participants can walk, hike, run or jog 21 of the 28 trails.
  • Participants must use necessary safety equipment, including a helmet and lifejacket, during their adventures.
  • Some park and trail amenities, such as water fountains, remain closed to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Please visit www.metroparks.org/covid to learn which amenities are closed.
  • Check the status of trails at MetroParks’ alerts page (metroparks.org/alerts), the Miami Conservancy District’s Trail Conditions page and the Miami Valley Trails’ alerts page.

 

Participants and Five Rivers MetroParks visitors should always follow the CDC’s recommendations, particularly for social distancing and wearing face coverings, while spending time outdoors.

New Startup Offers Line of Sage Sprays, Healing Oils

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Spoken word poet and leader of the Dayton Urban Creative Movement Sierra Leone has long utilized smudging, the indigenous practice of burning sage to cleanse energies in a space. But there are some public spaces where it simply isn’t possible to burn sage — so Sierra and her partner, Nate Leone, developed a process to capture the energy-cleansing power of smudging and bottle it.

Sierra (left) and Nate (right) Leone Photo Credit: Launch Dayton

Sierra (left) and Nate (right) Leone Photo Credit: Launch Dayton

The couple launched Acacia Health & Wellness in late summer 2020. The new company offers a line of sage sprays, developed by Sierra, and a line of healing oils, curated by Nate.

“We’ve been making and using these products for ourselves for many years,” Sierra said. “I always wanted a clean space with me, a clean aura and presence.”

Sierra and Nate both come from a long line of healers. Nate’s great-great-grandmother was a Cherokee healer and many ancestors were preachers and faith healers. Sierra comes from a long line of nurses and caregivers. They have long run service-based businesses — Acacia Health & Wellness is their first foray into a product-based business.

“It was born out of our time at home together, something we’re doing as a family. When COVID was most harsh, working on these products became a part of science class, history class, business class for our children,” Sierra said. “The products are adding to who we are. They’re authentic, and we believe they will make a positive impact in the world.”

Different sages focus different energies — some sage works to bring positive energy, others are used only in ceremonies. Acacia’s sprays use sacred white sage, which focuses on clearing energy. They work with Native American women in California to harvest the plant so each step in the process remains sacred, Sierra said.

“We have a whole generation now that doesn’t want to suppress the energetic, spiritual side just because they can’t see it,” she said.

Sierra describes the sage sprays as an “energy freshener.”

“Set your intention and use the sprays to decrease stress, remove brain fog, unstuck energy, elevate the mood, get in a flow,” Sierra said. “In these stressful times, my customers use the spray to set positive intentions and affirmations or to clear negative energy after a tough meeting or too many Zooms.”

Sprays are misted over your head with 3-5 pumps. When clearing a room, spray clockwise in all four corners, then once in the center of the room.

Oils are rubbed into the body to accelerate healing — they have been used as far back as Biblical times to bless and heal, Sierra said.

“Reclaiming our power in a time of need has allowed us to fully develop a product that supports energy centering, inspires creativity and healing,” Nate said.

Sierra brings several cultural identities to her journey as an entrepreneur.

“I get to completely be the woman I am, born as an African American whose lineage extends beyond slavery. I get to bring a culture of innovation that is birthed from an understanding that I don’t have to live life as a fixed asset because of my ancestors’ experience. We get to be responsible for positive or negative energy that we create or leave,” she shared. “I bring a culture of knowing that we are better together. I come from a big family and I do truly believe if you want to go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go together.”

Sierra is a graduate of the fall 2020 Early Risers Academy cohort. Early Risers Academy is a free, 10-week business-building bootcamp managed by Launch Dayton partner Parallax Advanced Research. Her cohort was the first with all Black women-owned businesses.

“I have an MBA, but there is something to be said for working in an environment that is professionally supportive and culturally safe,” Sierra reflected. “Authenticity was at the forefront and welcomed. So many layers were peeled back, you didn’t have to explain or go underneath or hide or suppress. The experience is competitive, but you’re pouring out your entrepreneurial soul and you know it won’t be used against you.”

Our entrepreneur and small business coverage is powered by Launch Dayton, an organization that seeks to connect entrepreneurs to peers, resources and supporters while telling the story of the region’s thriving entrepreneurial community.

SPACE: A Journey to Our Future – AF Museum’s Newest Exhibit

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A new interactive exhibit designed to spark imaginations by igniting the desire for space exploration and discovery, and inspire new generations of explorers to dream of the possibilities that lie ahead, will be on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force from Jan. 28-Sept. 6.

The exhibit, titled “SPACE: A Journey to Our Future,” is being provided by Evergreen Exhibitions and allows visitors to experience explorations of the past as well as our future destiny in space. Highlights of the exhibit include touching actual rocks from the lunar surface of the moon and the red planet of Mars; exploring a Mars Base Camp while walking through a full-size habitat and work pod; taking a spin on a centrifuge that is powered like a bicycle; getting an up-close look at a wide range of artifacts from the space program; and looking into future explorations of the universe.

 

Note: COVID-19 safety precautions will include issuing gloves to each visitor interacting with the exhibit, as well as cleaning and sanitizing the exhibit throughout each day. Visitors ages three and up are required to wear masks during their visit to the museum.

 

The exhibit, which will be located in the museum’s fourth building, features content provided by NASA and the National Science Teachers Association, and introduces visitors to generations of dreamers and thinkers who have at times risked their lives to provide a better understanding of who we are and how we fit into the universe around us. Visitors will also meet today’s explorers who are on the forefront of the search for answers to questions about the universe including how to protect it and what life exists out there.

 

According to National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Education Chief Mike Brimmer, the exhibit ties in perfectly to the museum’s mission of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and complements the permanent space exhibits already on display, which include space suits, rockets, a Space Shuttle exhibit, satellites, capsules and many more space related artifacts.

 

“STEM education and inspiring youth to pursue careers in these fields is the heart of our mission at the museum, and space is a topic that keeps the interest and attention of almost everyone,” said Brimmer. “Exhibits such as this provide students and visitors of all ages with an exciting, hands-on way to learn; supports many of the education standards that are being delivered in classrooms; and can even serve as a catalyst for making amazing achievements in their own chosen professions someday.”

RTA CEO To Retire after 45 Years of Public Transit Service

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From bus driver to executive of an urban transit system, Greater Dayton RTA’s CEO has spent his entire career in public service. After 45 years—15 of which were in Dayton—Mark Donaghy will retire, effective April 1, 2021.

 

Donaghy began his transit career in 1976 as a driver for the Omaha Public School system in Nebraska. At the time, the system was in turmoil as a federal court mandated busing of Black students to predominantly white schools in Omaha in order to desegregate schools. Donaghy was one of the first to drive a school bus for the new system as part of the desegregation process. Throughout his career he’s held various leadership positions at other transit agencies, including Columbia Transit, Manchester Transit Authority, Missoula Urban Transportation District, and the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, or TANK, where he eventually became CEO. He went to First Transit Inc. before joining Dayton RTA as CEO in 2006.

 

During his tenure, Donaghy successfully fought for equal access for bus service in Beavercreek, a battle which was the basis for the award-winning “Free to Ride” documentary produced by The Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. He helped shepherd innovative partnership programs such as Dayton’s downtown circulator bus The Flyer, the LINK bike share program, and RTA Connect On-Demand where traditional service is limited.  One of his greatest achievements was the rebuild of Dayton’s electric trolley system through infrastructure upgrades and the creation of the new NexGen dual-mode trolley bus, which can run off-wire for 15 miles, expanding RTA’s electric bus service without increasing overhead wire.

 

“It has been a privilege to serve with many great employees, board members and stakeholders in the Dayton Region over the past 15 years,” Donaghy said. “I am proud of my 45 years of service in the transportation industry and have been fortunate to have worked in nearly every aspect of it, starting as a bus driver in 1976 in Omaha and as a CEO for more than 30 years. The Dayton region is a special place where the public and private sectors collaborate in a determined effort to improve the quality of life for every citizen and being part of that regional infrastructure has been the highlight of my career. RTA is well prepared to serve the Miami Valley for generations to come as it has for more than 100 years thanks to the collective efforts of our employees, board of trustees and our regional partners.”

RTA’s board of trustees thanks Donaghy for his service, especially during the unprecedented COVID-19 health crisis, in which Donaghy maintained full service levels to ensure essential workers could get to their jobs, and RTA employees maintained employment.

“Mark has been an extraordinary leader in extraordinary times. Recently, Mark has kept access to reliable transportation available through an unprecedented health crisis, devastating tornadoes, a horrific mass shooting, and civil unrest,” said David Williamson, president of the RTA board of trustees. “Mark championed expanded service for employees to get to work, for the underserved, and for innovative ideas like The Flyer. The Board of trustees fully appreciates Mark’s resolve to keep the buses running and his firm and steady hand on the wheel. He will be missed.”

The board will recognize Donaghy’s extraordinary achievements for public transit at their regularly-scheduled meeting set for Tuesday, March 2.

Local Artist Spreading Love Through Art

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Prolific Local Artist Mike Elsass is working overtime to give back to the local community by launching a new charity project to benefit Dayton-area nonprofits.

Elsass announced the project this week, when he told his followers on social media if they could provide proof of a donation to a local nonprofit, he would reward the contribution with a gift of art. The idea picked up momentum quickly, and Elsass has since implemented a structure to best support the collaborative project.

Patrons can email ​[email protected]​ with proof of a donation to a local charity. Contributions more than $50 in value will receive an email notification to be printed and taken to Elsass’ studio at Front Street, where they can be exchanged for an original piece of art valued at $150-$300.

Elsass said the project was an effort to keep up momentum for local nonprofits in the wake of the global pandemic, which continues to have a devastating effect on small businesses, as well as local charities. The project is designed to keep people enthusiastic about the art community in Dayton and also show the commitment of the arts to continue working collaboratively throughout the community.

The project will continue until March 21. Proof of donations will only be accepted at the Mike Elsass Charity Project email address, and contributors must present the email response, as well as valid ID to pick out their art at Front Street, which they can do from 9 am to 3 pm daily or during First Friday or Third Sunday events.