| *** 😊Around Town: Things to do in Dayton this weekend Stubbs Park Amphitheater. CONTRIBUTED Credit: Contributed Comic books, science, ponies, concerts and classic cars are among top attractions around the Dayton region this weekend. Click here. ⭐Around Town: Things to do in Dayton throughout July Gem City Comic Con held at the Dayton Convention Center Saturday and Sunday. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF Looking to fill your calendar this month? A wide range of activities from comedy, county fairs and food festivals to summer camps, golf outings and theater can be found across the Dayton region. Click here. ☀️Outdoors: West Carrollton’s popular Hot Air Balloon Glow returns this month The City of West Carrollton hosted a hot air balloon glow by the Askren Air Balloon Team with food trucks, beer and a concert featuring The Fries Band on Friday, July 12, 2024 at 1 S. Elm St. TOM GILLIAM / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Credit: Tom Gilliam West Carrollton’s Hot Air Balloon Glow returns July 12 with music, food trucks, vendors and more. For a look at this year’s performers click here. ⭐Community Gems: Nominate someone who is making a difference Dayton Daily News Community Gems logo The Dayton Daily News Community Gems initiative highlights people who give their time and effort to improve the lives of their neighbors and community. Do you know someone like this in your community? Follow this link to nominate them. 🖼️Visual Arts: ‘The View’ exhibition at Kettering gallery showcases local landscapes 'Field Houses' by Craig Lloyd is an oil painting on display at the 31st annual 'The View' juried landscape show in Rosewood Art Center. The exhibition is open to the public from June 9 through July 19, 2025. HANNAH KASPER/CONTRIBUTED Credit: Hannah Kasper The 31st annual “The View” juried landscape show at Rosewood Arts Center in Kettering includes painting, photography, printmaking, textiles, sculpture and jewelry. Click here. 🎤Around Town: Fourth week of Summer Arts Festival in Springfield: What to expect Summer Arts Festival at Veterans Park Amphitheater. FILE Credit: Bill Lackey The 59th season of Springfield’s Summer Arts Festival continues this week with Brass Tracks Band, playing songs by legendary horn bands such as Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire, and the Jimmy Buffett tribute Parrots of the Caribbean. Click here. 🎭Theater: The stars of this event are playwrights who are treated like celebrities while in Dayton Discussions in the lobby and gardens are one of the highlights of FutureFest.Contributed Credit: RAY GEIGER The Dayton Playhouse’s annual FutureFest of new plays is a beloved July theatergoing tradition. Five playwrights from across the country will have their works professionally adjudicated followed by questions from the audience. To find out more about this year’s lineup click here. 🏨Around Town: A look inside Hotel Ardent, where the interior design pays tribute to Dayton’s history Hotel Ardent design pays tribute to Daytons history of innovation. Dayton inventions are on display at the front desk. An NCR cash register is displayed in the private dining room. Guestrooms feature framed patents. A Rube Goldberg-like "Negroni Machine" makes cocktails with a press of a button. CONTRIBUTED/HANNAH KASPER Hotel Ardent in downtown Dayton offers a curated assortment of invention-themed artifacts and nods to Dayton’s history of innovation. In addition to model airplanes and mechanical pieces, custom artwork celebrating historic patents and industrial-style finishes “blend modern comfort with a sense of place.” Take a closer look inside the hotel here. 🖼️Visual Arts: An architecture firm in Yellow Springs is showcasing a local artist’s works The series explores the beauty and burden of inheritance (building) compositions that reminisce on Black excellence and the role that the arts have played in that throughout history, said artist Joshua Whitaker of his show at CROME in Yellow Springs. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Credit: Contributed A solo exhibition by mixed media artist and musician Joshua Whitaker titled “Peace Love and Perfection” has opened at CROME Yellow Springs. The exhibit examines iconic Black figures such as Maya Angelou and Martin Luther King, Jr. through collage and assemblage art. Click here. ☀️Outdoors: Ohio Challenge hot air balloon festival adds giant kites to event with drones, skydiving and more The Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon and Skydiving Festival kicked off the weekend event Friday, July 19, 2024 at Smith Park in Middletown with balloon launch and glow, flag and pyrotechnics jumps by Team Fastrax, fireworks show by Yokum Fireworks, a drone show and more. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF Credit: Nick Graham The Ohio Challenge will return to Middletown July 18 and 19 featuring colorful hot air balloons, laser light shows, fireworks, a drone show, skydiving, a car show, a Kid’s Zone and giant kites. Click here. 📷Photos: Wright Dunbar Day Block Party, Huber Heights Star Spangled Heights Parade, The Avett Brothers perform at Fraze Pavilion, and Gem City Groundlings present ‘Macbeth’ at Levitt Pavilion The City of Huber Heights Star Spangled Heights Parade took place on Saturday, June 28, 2025. TOM GILLIAM / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Credit: Tom Gilliam The sixth annual Wright Dunbar Day Block Party was celebrated Sunday, June 29. The city of Huber Heights Star Spangled Heights Parade took place Saturday, June 28. Grammy nominees the Avett Brothers made a tour stop at Fraze Pavilion in Kettering Saturday, June 28. The Gem City Groundlings presented “Macbeth” at Levitt Pavilion Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27. 🩰ICYMI: New season of performances announced: Dayton Contemporary Dance Company has full lineup The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company presented 'Power & Presence' at Victoria Theatre in downtown Dayton on Sunday, Mar. 2, 2025. Here are highlights of "Call(ing)" by DCDC Associate Artistic Director Qarrianne Blayr, performed by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. TOM GILLIAM / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Credit: Tom Gilliam Described as “powerful, unapologetic and deeply human,” the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s 57th season offers four productions spanning history, hope and culture. The lineup incudes the holiday return of “The Littlest Angel” and a funk music collaboration with Dayton Ballet. Click here. CONNECT WITH ME Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter. I encourage you to keep in touch. Share story tips or feedback about this newsletter by emailing me at Russell.Florence@coxinc.com. | 