💎 Let The Madness Begin (Issue #29)

Good Morning,

And welcome to another issue of Miami Valley Memo. Every week, we share events, live shows, and news curated for the Miami Valley.

This Tuesday was the Spring Equinox, the start of March Madness, and the Primary Elections. Spring is here, and oh boy are we happy about it.

In today’s issue we’ll be covering:

• Upcoming events, with some early Easter celebrations and sneak peeks

• This weekend’s live shows

• Dayton’s role as the launching pad for the NCAA’s March Madness

• WSU giving full-tuition scholarships to a dozen local smarties (who aren’t even in high school yet!)

Let’s get to it!

— Max

⚡ WEEKEND WEATHER

Friday

37° 🌡️ 60° | 🌧️ | ☔ 25% | 💨 8 mph

Saturday

25° 🌡️ 42° | ⛅ | ☔ 0% | 💨 19 mph

Sunday

37° 🌡️ 49° | ⛅ | ☔ 0% | 💨 10 mph

⭐️ FEATURED ⭐️

🐰 Easter Bunny Brunch

📅 Sat, Mar 30th: 10 am, 11:30 am & 1 pm
📍 Hidden Valley Orchards, Lebanon
💰 $30

Celebrate Easter with a festive brunch at HVO's farm! Start with a scrumptious buffet featuring favorites like pancakes, spiral-sliced ham, frittata, and much more. Enjoy drinks like water, tea, lemonade, and juice with your brunch. And if you're looking to sip something extra, the Crate Room Bar will also be open.

After brunch, head to the Easter Bunny Barn for photos and get your special goodie bag. This is a great event for folks with little ones and offers three different time slots to accommodate your hectic holiday schedule. Don't miss out on this festive blend of food and springtime cheer. Get your tickets here.*

🥃 Blind Bourbon Tasting

📅 Friday: 6:30 pm
📍 The Century Bar, Downtown Dayton
💰 $75

Delve into the world of bourbon with a unique blind-tasting event. Joseph Head, a Kentucky Colonel and Bourbon Steward, will lead the journey as you enjoy five blind pours and learn bourbon lore.

This experience is limited to 40 enthusiasts. So grab your tickets while you can if you're a big bourbon fan.

🛍️ Sweet Spring Marketplace

📅 Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm | Sunday: 11 am - 4 pm
📍 Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Dayton
💰 General Admission: $5 | Kids 12 & Under: Free

Browse an array of booths with unique handcrafted items, from candles to crochet, and pottery to jewelry. It's a great place to get neat gifts for upcoming celebrations like Mother's Day and graduations.

With a variety of crafts from local artisans, visitors are sure to find something special. Have a sweet tooth? They'll have plenty of sweet treats and Easter candy as well! Learn more here.

🎳 CCC Bowling Fundraiser

📅 Saturday: 1 - 3 pm
📍 Poelking Woodman Lanes, Kettering
💰 Adult: $25 | Kid: $20

Bowl with a purpose and show those pins who's the boss while supporting Centerville Community Chorus. They're a local non-profit bringing folks who love to sing together.

Each ticket includes 3 games, rentals, and one pizza + one pint (of soda) shared per lane. Beyond the game, participate in a silent auction to win gift baskets. Learn more about this striking good time here.

📜 Stroll Through History

📅 Saturday: 1:30 pm
📍 David’s Cemetery, Kettering
💰 Free

Explore Dayton's rich history with a guided cemetery tour by the Montgomery County chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Of the four cemetery tours they plan to do this year, David's Cemetery is the oldest.

Discover the origins of David’s Cemetery and the stories of those laid to rest there. This journey offers insights into genealogy research and a unique perspective on the Miami Valley's history. Learn more.

🐣 Oh, Hoppy Day!

📅 Saturday: 2 - 4 pm
📍 Austin Landing, Miamisburg
💰 Free

Embark on an exciting Easter egg hunt with 30,000 eggs waiting to be discovered. This family-friendly event offers a variety of activities, including giant inflatables, photos with the Easter Bunny, a petting zoo, and face painting.

Admire Easter-themed Jeeps and try to find one of the 50 golden eggs for special prizes. Don’t forget to bring a basket for all the treats! Learn more.

🐾 Paws In The Park Egg Hunt

📅 Saturday: 4 - 5:30 pm
📍 Fairfield Park - Diamond 4, Fairborn
💰 Resident: $5 | Non-Resident: $6

Get ready for a tail-wagging Easter egg hunt designed for dogs! They'll sniff out eggs filled with special treats, perfect for any pup. Snap a photo with the Easter Bunny and create a memorable moment for you and your pet.

It will be a delightful day out for dog lovers and their cherished companions. Just be sure your furry friends are friendly, vaccinated, and leashed to join in the fun. Learn more.

🍽️ Corner Kitchen Fundraiser For Miami Valley Meals

📅 Sunday: 3 - 6 pm
📍 Corner Kitchen, Downtown Dayton
💰 $40

Celebrate the 4th anniversary of Miami Valley Meals with a delightful cocktail reception. Miami Valley Meals is an amazing local nonprofit combating hunger in the Miami Valley. Just last Thanksgiving they gave away over 12,000 turkeys!

With your ticket, you'll get two cocktails and savor a buffet of small bites including a pierogi bar, wings, bulgogi, and more, all prepared by the folks at Corner Kitchen. While a live DJ sets the mood, explore the Spring Dinner Menu for extra options. Get your tickets.

🥚 Egg Scavenger Hunt

📅 Thu, Mar 28th - Sun, Mar 31st
📍 Throughout Kettering
💰 Free (Registration Required)

Dive into a community-wide scavenger hunt organized by the Jeff Probst Group. This year they've placed egg signs throughout businesses and public spots in Kettering. The hunt starts on March 28th, when they'll send out an email with clues.

Then the race is on to find as many as you can before midnight on Sunday, March 31st. Build your score by submitting your answers. Winners stand to get their choice of a zoo membership or a $200 gift card to a local business. Join this exciting quest by registering today!

🏆 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition Awards

📅 Weds, Apr 3rd: 7 pm
📍 Woodbourne Library, Washington Twp.
💰 Free (Registration Required)

Celebrate the winners of the 2024 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition! Listen as they showcase their winning essays in the humor and human-interest genres. Erma's daughter, Betsy, will speak and share stories after their readings.

Erma Bombeck was an American humorist and one of the Miami Valley's most famous writers. From 1965 to 1996, her humor column about suburban life as a woman was nationally syndicated. At the height of her popularity, her writing appeared in over 900 newspapers - reaching 30 million Americans.

A Dayton native, she graduated from UD in 1949 and spent the rest of her life in Centerville. This writing competition is held every two years to honor her legacy. Register here to secure your spot!

🍸 Distillery Tour & Cocktail Class (Liqueurs)

📅 Sat, Apr 6th: 3-5pm
📍 Dayton Barrel Works, Downtown Dayton
💰 $30

Learn the art of crafting cocktails with Barrel Work’s mixologists and get an exclusive tour of their distillery. The tour and the cocktail class can be bought separately, but why settle for a single when you could have a double?

The class is all about liqueurs. We're featuring this early because these events often sell out. So if you're into crafty cocktails, get your tickets while you can.

Events marked with an asterisk (*) in the “featured” section have been sponsored by our advertising or affiliate partners. Have an event you’d like to promote? Reply and let us know!

🎶 LIVE MUSIC 

Friday

Doug Hart | Jayne's On Main | 7:30pm | Free

Dirt Floor Pour | Phone Booth Lounge | 8pm | Free

Wright Brothers III | The Barrel | 8pm | Free

Southern Saviour | Mr. Boro's Tavern | 8pm | Free

Seth Gilliam & The Fake News, Echo Days | Yellow Cab Tavern | 8pm | Advance: $9, Doors: $12

Short Of Stable | Good Time Charlie's | 8:30pm | Free

Sean Lamb & Janet Miller | The Brick Tap & Tavern | 8:30pm | Free

Rocko and Pat Acoustic | Courtyard Lounge | 9pm | Free

Saturday

Glostik, Subterranean, Probably Just Paranoid | Hidden Gem Music Club | 7pm | Advance: $15, Doors: $20

Kierstead | Jayne's On Main | 7:30pm | Free

A Vicious Cycle | Katz Lounge | 8pm | Free

Suburban Riot | Phone Booth Lounge | 8pm | Free

Whiskee Bizzness | The Barrel | 8pm | Free

Ashley Paige Band | Mr. Boro's Tavern | 8pm | Free

Turboslacker, Black Signal, Multimagic, The Social Q | Yellow Cab Tavern | 8pm | Advance: $8, Doors: $12

The Filthy Heathens | Good Time Charlie's | 8:30pm | Free

Driving Force | The Brick Tap & Tavern | 8:30pm | Free

Blackwater Voodoo | Courtyard Lounge | 9pm | Free

🎭️ LIVE THEATRE

Friday

Guys and Dolls | La Comedia Dinner Theatre | 7:30pm | $70+

Saturday

Guys and Dolls | La Comedia Dinner Theatre | 7:30pm | $70+

Sunday

Guys and Dolls | La Comedia Dinner Theatre | 7:30pm | $70+

😂 LIVE COMEDY

Friday

Raanan Hershberg | Dayton Funny Bone | 7:30pm | $20

Comedy All Stars | Wileys Comedy Club | 8pm | $20

Saturday

Raanan Hershberg | Dayton Funny Bone | 6:30pm | $20

Campfire Comedy | Wileys Comedy Club | 7:15pm | $15

🗞️ LOCAL NEWS

🏀 March Madness Begins In Dayton

March Madness is here and has kicked off in Dayton! The First Four games were played at UD this Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing thousands of visitors to the Miami Valley.

And those visitors don't just bring their fandom — they bring their dollars. The Big Hoopla, the local nonprofit responsible for organizing the First Four, estimates this event brings in nearly $5 million to our local economy.

Businesses like Milano’s anticipate a 10-15% rise in sales alone. That might not sound big, but imagine how that increase across multiple businesses in the area compounds.

Dayton has hosted these games since 2001. From 2001 - 2010, there was only one game played. The "First Four" started in 2011, when the NCAA expanded the total pool from 65 teams to 68. Now, eight teams compete to earn their spot in the main 64-team bracket for the championship.

One of the major reasons we've held this honor is our optimal location. Over 53% of America's population is within a 600-mile radius of Dayton. Couple that with our hospitality and love of college basketball, and it's obvious why we make great hosts.

Here's to an exciting March Madness ahead and to Dayton continuing to be where it all begins! [WDTN]

🎓 WSU Gives Full Rides To STEM Stars

As part of the First Four festivities, the Big Hoopla hosted a STEM challenge last Sunday (March 17th), making STEM topics more fun and accessible through basketball and sports.

Students (K-8) engaged in activities like a "hot shot" competition, STEM demos, and more. Over 500 kids participated, with 12 emerging as finalists from the day's competition. But little did they know that recognition was just the beginning...

Two days later, at Tuesday's First Four game, Wright State University surprised everyone with amazing news. They would be awarding each student finalist a full-tuition scholarship to WSU!

This is incredibly impactful for those students and their families. These kids aren't even in high school yet, and they already have college taken care of! Kudos to them for winning and to WSU for always being involved in our community.

It's never too early to start fostering the next generation of inventors and leaders! [Wright State Newsroom]

🙏 THANKS!

That’s all for today. Thank you for reading this week’s memo!

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Hope you have a great weekend, and we look forward to seeing you next Thursday!