My Display and Urban Nights

 My display for Urban Nights photographed by my friend Meg from She & I Photography

If you like it feel free to vote for me here

This is a last minute post but if you have time today you should definitely come downtown and check out Urban Nights. A slew of things will be going on! One being the Activated Spaces Street Team Artists project where vacant spaces are filled with art displays. I had the good fortune of being selected to participate and I created a display! You can check out my display page here. If you like it feel free to VOTE(on the sidebar to the right) for me for the People's Choice Award!

What are you doing tonight?

Why you're going to Autocomplete: A Collaborative Coloring Book Exhibit curated by Maya Drodz of VisuaLingual. You may remember my interview with here here. She is one of Midwest's finest and this exhibition is going to be stellar and I can't wait till I can see it. Here are the details

WHAT: Autocomplete 

WHEN: Opens today! - Thursday, May10th (it will be displaying till June 29th)

WHERE:  Visionaries and Voices, 3841 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45223

WHY: For this group exhibition, Visionaries + Voices artists created approximately 80 black and white images which were then "colored in" by outside artists and designers using media of their choice. The resulting collaborations are varied and surprising. The exhibition has been organized by Maya Drozdz and Visionaries + Voices. Opening reception will be on May 10th. Autocomplete will be on display at the V+V Northside Gallery May 10th - June 29th.

On a similar note, Maya invited me to curate a board on Pinterest. After more trial and tribulations than I care to remember (Pinterest seriously needs to get more intuitive!), I am contributing on Midwest Makers. It is a aboard dedicated to showcasing Midwestern artists and designers and their work. So take a gander and remember to check out Maya's show!

BAM! presents Dayton's first Cash Mob

 I'm really excited to announce yet another venture for me; BAM! What is BAM!?

BAM! is a collective of artists, designers and urban planners who create installations in public spaces throughout the Dayton area. Our installations are interactive, informational and encourages positive social change.

And who is "we"? Well, it's me (Bethany of i love SoOh not so fame) and Erin Gillespie. My friend and colleague and all around girl-on-the-scene extraordinaire. We decided we wanted to create cool events and installations in Dayton. Candy Chang is our inspiration but we hope to add our own flair and have varied projects we bring to Dayton. And our first event is Dayton's 1st Cash Mob for National Cash Mob Day on

Saturday, March 24th 2012 at 5 p.m.

at 521 E Fifth St

DAYTON, OH

Here's a the official National Cash Mob logo

This is a very exciting time for BAM! It is just the beginning but we have drummed up some decent press that I shall list:
 

• Facebook: we have 32 (hopefully in counting) rsvps, 17 maybe and 127 invitees. Help us spread the word by re-sharing!
• Twitter: we've got twitter presence that I would love beefed up, so please follow and retweet.
• It's Great in Dayton: posted about our event
• Dayton Most Metro: we are on their calendar 

• ****LOCAL NEWS****: we will be making an appearance on FOX 45 at 8:20 am on Friday, March 23rd, 2012!! - Very excited about this and any tips on appearing on tv would be greatly appreciated!

This was very inspired by the cash mobs that started in Cleveland so I want to thank them for creating such a great idea. Speaking of idea, here is the sum up of what a cash mob is:

The general idea is to encourage people to go into small, local businesses and spend their money, en masse, to give the business owner a little bit of economic stimulus.

By and large, those that organize Cash Mobs are simply people trying to make a positive impact on the businesses in their communities (and have fun while doing it)!

So please remember to re-share, tweet, and come on out for Dayton's 1st Cash Mob presented by BAM!

Go to Event: Clay Alliance Holiday Fair - Cincinnati

Clay Alliance Holiday Fair

Saturday, December 10th at 11 am - 5 pm

 Clifton Cultural Arts Center

 3711 Clifton Ave.

Cincinnati, OH 45220

This event was brought to my attention by a fellow etsian, Cathryn of Eden Pottery. Thanks so much for sending me info on this event. I love when people send me information, so please keep it coming! The Clay Alliance Holiday Fair features the work of 35 ceramic artists selling both functional and decorative art, along with jewelry, home and garden art, seasonal works, ornaments and sculptures. And my favorite part; it's free! Free parking, free admission, priceless fun!

To learn more about the artists and what work will be there, check out more here.

Price: Free!
Location: Gaslight District
Building: Clifton Cultural Arts Center

Parking: check out the map here

Go to Event: Crafty Supermarket - CIncinnati

Crafty Supermarket

Saturday, November 19th 11 am - 6 pm

 Clifton Cultural Arts Center

 3711 Clifton Ave.

Cincinnati, OH 45220

You may remember my feature on Crafty Supermarket a month or so ago. Well, the day has finally come when we can all see the Crafty Supermarket with our very own eyes! And you may also remember my feature on VisuaLingual, they will be one of the many vendors selling there! Isn't it awesome when things come full circle? And I know I have a history on not going to events...yeah, I'm outing myself because I want to state here and now, that I most certainly will be going to this!! Yup, I'm setting my self up for success or embarrassment! This is going to be a great place to buy art for our very barren walls and see all the talented indie crafters in the area. If you are going to be there as a customer or vendor, please share your excitement and/or goods!

Price: Free!
Location: Gaslight District
Building: Clifton Cultural Arts Center

Parking: check out the map here

Food: Yes!

Haunfest Review and Halloweenfare

I had a great time at Haunfest! It was incredible to see 5th street cleared of parked cars and full of people in spooky get ups. We spent the first half serving beverages and now I have officially learned how to pour the perfect libation from a tap! We were right near the stage so we got to enjoy the live music and djs. I went as this:

via Two Silly Girls

Yeaaaa...I phoned it in. I'm just too much of a cheapie to shell out for an elaborate get up. And if I did I would act like Mr. Swanson and...

...definitely wear it every single year. A good costume didn't matter to me but Kyle on the other hand was super nervous about looking silly NOT wearing a costume. So we agonized over his costume. Here were my ideas that were swiftly rejected:

 

 via Gilligan Isle

via Trailer Hut

As you can see I was determined for him to be some sort of dork that wears red. But he felt like his beard should be a part of the costume so I came up with...

 via Mike Baker

I actually had a sailor-esque jacket that I got from my lovely cousin who wore it for her Senior photos in the 90s; believe me it was epic, but it looked like a weird shrug on him because it was made for a 5'4 girl. Here's Kyle's idea but it had way too much swag to acquire...

  

via Wikipedia

And our last our failed idea...

via PaxArcana

But, wait! A stroke of genius, over here!

 

via Movie-Wallpapers

The outfit basically ended up being a red hat, light blue striped shirt with a piece of yellow yarn taped in the shape of a "Z".

And after exhaustively sharing Kyle costume folly, here is a list of just a few of the interesting/memorable costumes we saw:

Bumble-bee (a full transformer suit with lights and robot sounds that stood at least 15ft tall. It was amazing!)
Abraham...umm, flashing...
The Mad Hatter and the Red Queen from the film
Zanesville Sheriff and Animals
and of course my costume as Jo Stockton...and Steve Zissou too!

Go to Event: Factory Flea & The Factory Square Fine Arts Festival- CIncinnati

Factory Flea
October 22nd- 11am-6pm
The American Can Lofts in Northside

4101 Spring Grove Avenue

&

The Factory Square Fine Arts Festival

October 22 & 23, 4 pm-12 am

 4100 Hamilton Avenue

I knew about the Factory Flea but apparently they are teaming-up with The Factory Square Fine Arts Festival. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what all will be there (and more importantly where to park!). Sadly, I can only say I may go (I sound like a broken record) which is terrible because I missed every single City Flea event this year; Dear City Flea, please do it next year. If you can sum up both these experiences, please do so in the comments. 

Also, here's a a blurb from The Factory Square Fine Arts Festival website:

We, at parProjects, have gained a land agreement from the City of Cincinnati for the Factory Square Fine Arts Festival’s exterior programming which includes the presentation of large-scale, public artworks and a shipping container festival highlighting kinetic arts ...as well as the restoration of the former Myron Johnson Lumber Yard into a green space for the neighborhood of Northside.

Go To Event: Oktoberfest - Dayton

Oktoberfest
 

Preview Party
Friday, September 23, 7 - 11 p.m.

Festival Hours
Saturday, September 24, noon - 11p.m.
Sunday, September 25, noon - 7p.m.
  @

 The Dayton Art Institute
456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton Ohio 45405

This is another event I remember fondly from my youth. This isn't a free event but it is well worth going to. The Dayton Art Institute is a beautiful location for an event so if you haven't been before, I recommend going. Also, I think the Dayton's Oktoberfest is cute!

Price:

Advance tickets:
$5 adults and seniors
$3 students (ages 7-18)
FREE for children 6 and under 

find places to buy advance tickets here

Tickets at the gate:
$7 adults
$5 for seniors (60+)
$4 for students (ages 7-18)
FREE for children 6 and under

Preview Party Admission
Advance tickets: $45 museum members; $60 non-members
Preview Party tickets purchased at the gate are $80 

Location: Dayton Art Institute (it's a great location for festivals!)
Building: Outdoor Festival!

Parking: Park for free at the Imperial Packaging Corporation parking lot, located about 1/2 mile east of UD Arena on Edwin C. Moses Blvd., and take the free Oktoberfest shuttle directly to and from Oktoberfest.
Food: German stuff, etc!

Go To Event: Oktoberfest - CIncinnati

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
Sneak Peek
Friday, Sept. 16, 2011,
noon.-midnight
Fountain Square ONLY

Festival Hours
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011,
11 a.m.-midnight
Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011,
11 a.m.-10 p.m.

  

Race Street to Broadway in 

Downtown Cincinnati.

All I want to do is share this list

• 87,542 metts 
• 80,500 bratwurst
• 64,000 sauerkraut balls
• 56,250 sausages
• 24,640 potato pancakes
• 23,004 soft pretzels
• 20,000 cream puffs
• 16,002 strudel 
• 6,000 jumbo pickles
• 3,600 lbs. sauerkraut
• 1,875 lbs. German potato salad
• 702 lbs. Limburger cheese
• 700 pigtails
• 400 pickled pigs feet

..also this...

Running of the Wieners

Price: FREE
Location: On six blocks of Fifth Street, from Race Street to Broadway in Downtown Cincinnati
Building:Outdoor Festival!

Parking: Parking is free in all lots except those marked with a $. Fountain Square Garage, $5
Food: see above

Go To Event: Urban Nights - Dayton

via Culture Works

Urban Nights
Fri, Sept 16th, 5:00 - 10:00 pm
All over Downtown Dayton

I'm so excited for this one! I missed the spring Urban Nights because we hadn't yet moved to Dayton but this time around nothing can stop me. I describe it any better than the site so here's a blurb:

Urban Nights is a free event that showcases downtown's dining, nightlife, art, music, retail, urban living options and more twice a year - once in the spring and once in the fall. The event has been described as a huge, all-inclusive street party and open house for downtown, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Also, bee sure to visit all the Activated Spaces and also check out one of my SoOh Spotlights, Temple7e, at the K12 gallery.

Price: FREE
Location:Downtown Dayton!
Building:Artists and galleries open their doors to the public, musicians and entertainers of all kinds perform throughout the center city, and downtown's most impressive urban living options are open for tours

Parking: Downtown Dayton, check out this link
Food: Restaurants offer special discounts

Go To Event: Dayton Beer Week and Alefest

via Dayton Beer Week and Alefest

Dayton Beer Week

Friday, August 19th to Friday, August 26th 2011
Numerous craft beer tastings & events will be scheduled at key retailers, taverns, & restaurants

AleFest

Saturday, August 27th 2011

@ Carillon Park

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

I'm not much of a beer drinker, that is more Kyle's department, but I fondly remember Beer Week in Cleveland where many of the restaurants/bars would have great pre-fix meals in which they would pair with the food with the beer So I'm hoping that Dayton restaurants/bars do the same. There are a number of locations participating so go to the website and check out the schedule. Dayton Beer Week concludes with AleFest on Saturday which will take place at Carillon Park.

Dayton Beer Week

Price: $-$$

Location: Retailers, Taverns and Restaurants

AleFest

Price:

$35.00 in advance ($40.00 day of the event)
Each admission includes 20 samples of craft beer, tasting glass and guide, live entertainment. Designated driver/non-drinker $10.00 - purchase at the gate. Admission includes a bottle of water and an AleFest sampling glass as you exit.
Must be 21 years of age to attend. Please sample responsibly.

Location: Carillon Park

Go To Event: Celtic Festival - Dayton

via United Irish of Dayton

Celtic Festival

Friday, July 29, 6-11 p.m
Saturday, July 30, Noon – 11 p.m.
Sunday, July 31, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

@ RiverScape MetroPark 

111 E. Monument Avenue

(review below)

The Celtic Festival is something I fondly remember from my teenager days spent in Dayton. For some reason this was the preferred festival for all my high school friends to go to. Unfortunately, being the angst-y and jaded teenagers we were, we didn't do much other than walk back and forth through the festival and not buy or pay attention to anything. With that said, this year I plan to attend and actually enjoy the festivities. It is a three day event so check out their schedule to get an idea of what you want to see, hear and do. I'll report back with my thoughts and if you have experienced this event and have any suggestions, please share!

...

Review

Thanks to a commenter at my Germanfest post, I was reminded that I never wrote a review for this event so here it is! Kyle and I went on Saturday during the day and it was awesome. The festival has gotten so much bigger than what I remembered; they had two streets dedicated to food vendors, a lot size area for arts and craft vendors, a kids' area and three stages with bands playing Celtic rock and classics! We weren't too adventurous with the food (no turkey leg for us) but we had the delicious stand-by of fish and chips from the Dublin Pub vendor. I also indulged in a chocolate covered cheesecake which was quite refreshing. We were lucky with the parking and parked near the library for free but they did have $5 parking if you didn't feel like hunting. This festival has obviously become one of the bigger festivals in Dayton perhaps on the same lines as City Folk (don't quote me on that because I didn't make it this year but I will next year). My only complaint was the oppressive (no fault of the festival of course) and the limited amount of shade. The best shade was underneath the concert tents and people packed underneath them like sardines but it was all good because the spirit of festival was fun and friendly!

Price: Free to get in

Location: RiverScape MetroPark is located in Downtown Dayton at 111 E. Monument Avenue between Patterson Boulevard and N. Jefferson Street.

Building: Open air tents 
Food: vendors with varying prices

 Here are some photos:

 

Go To Event: GermanFest Picnic - Dayton

GermanFest Picnic
Fri, Aug 12th 5pm - 11pm

Sat, Aug 13th 12pm - 11pm

Sun, Aug 14th 12pm - 6pm
@ Carillon Park

1000 Carillon Blvd

Dayton, OH 45409

I've been meaning to go to Carillon Park for a while now and the GermanFest Picnic is the perfect motivation to get me there. It is a 3 day event of German cuisine, Belgian beer tasting, craft vendors, Bavarian fashion show (insider tip: Kyle, who is first-generation German, says Bavaria is a small section of German culture and is considered cheesy in Germany), and live music! If we make it, I'll be back here posting my review with photos.

Price: Free

Location:Carillon Park

Building:I believe outdoor with tents
Parking: On-site parking lot; cost $2
Food: yes! German! (my advice si bring cash as with all festivals)

Go To Event: City Flea - Cincinnati

via Urban Cincy

The City Flea

11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Saturday, August 6[update hrs 10-4] and September 3

@ Central Parkway and Vine Street at the Cincinnatus Mural.

I about squealed when I learned about The City Flea in Cincinnati (courtesy of 365 Things to Do in Cincinnati). From The City Flea vision page:

The City Flea is a place for the city's countless creative minds and skilled hands to share what they are working on or collecting. 

This is what big cities should be made of and it's very exciting that Cincinnati is now one of those cities. The City Flea is brought to us by a couple who were inspired by their time spent in New York attending the Brooklyn Flea. There is a lot of talent in Southern Ohio and it is great that this couple created a venue for artists and entrepreneurs to showcase their work and passion. I'm so excited to show up and support such a great idea...and of course shop and buy lots of items! The first two were held June 4th and July 9th but I definitely intend in going to both the August 6th and September 3rd dates. I'd love to hear about what people saw and experienced at the first two, so please comment. Lastly, check out their blog which is a great source to learn about people and places in Cincinnati.

Price: Entrance to The City Flea is free to all
Location: In front of that cool mural you see above!
Building: Open skies

Parking: Parking is available at meters on street or at adjacent paid parking lots. The Kroger Garage is across Central Parkway.

Food: most vendors are CASH ONLY
 

Go To Event: Miami Valley Restrauant Week - Dayton

via Dayton Most Metro

Miami Valley Restaurant Week

July 24-31, 2011 

@ over 60 restaurants

I remember Restaurant Week popping up as a kid and I never thought much of it. Now that I'm an adult and happen to enjoy dining out, I'm eager to take advantage of it. For one, it gives me a chance to try out more local restaurants at a good deal. Secondly, the prefix! Some people may think prefix seems tacky but I really enjoy them because usually the restaurant creates a prefix that demonstrates the overall taste of their menu. Here is the list of the participating restaurants. I read some great tips at Dayton Most Metro and here are a few that I felt were the most useful:

• Expect Crowds - which for me is part of the fun right?

• Many Restaurants are closed Sunday and Monday so check

• Make reservations when you can

• Splurge on Wine - I agree with the write here; have some wine to support the restaurant and since you are getting a great deal this won't hit the wallet too hard.

Price: Restaurant chooses tier pricing of $20.11, $25.11, $30.11

Location: all over

Food: all kinds

Go To Event: Dayton Air Show - Dayton

via Dayton Air Show

DAYTON AIR SHOW 

July 23-24, 2011

9:00 am - 6:00 pm
@ Dayton International Airport

3600 Terminal Drive
Vandalia, OH 45377

I was watching the Dayton local news just a few hours ago when I learned that the Dayton Air Show is this weekend. This very weekend! I've been too reliant on my Network Netflix and I've spent little  to no time watching television not even the local news. It goes to show that without watching the local news occasionally it makes you feel like you've been living under a rock. Anyway, I may or may not have gone to this when I was a kid. It's one of those hazy memories of my misspent youth, but it's never too late to create new memories of going to the Dayton Air Show. If you go, remember to wear your sunscreen and bring your umbrella; it's gonna be a hot and rainy one!

Ticket:

Internet and  Main Gate (Internet sales end at Noon, Friday, July 22nd) Adult $20.00 Youth (6-11) $15.00 Senior $15.00 Ages 5 and under Free (General Admission only)		Cincinnati/Miami Valley area Kroger's (starting June 6th, 2011 with Kroger Card) Adult $17.00 Youth (6-11) $12.00 Senior $12.00 Ages 5 and under Free (General Admission only)
All Ticket Sales are Final, No Refunds, No Rain Checks | Each ticket is only good for ONE day

Parking: Parking is $10 per car and $20 per bus and recreational vehicle.
Building: N/A; under an open sky

Go To Event:: Yellow Springs Farmers Market - Yellow Springs

via Yellow Springs Farmers Market

YELLOW SPRINGS FARMERS MARKET

Every Saturday

May 1st thru Oct 31st

7:00 am - 12:00 pm

King’s Yard parking lot

behind Ye Olde Trail Tavern 

228 Xenia Ave 

Yellow Springs Ohio, 45387

This go to event is brought to you by YS Chamber Calendar. I'm always up for a good fresh market and Yellow Springs Farmers Market includes three certified organic farms along with a number of other vendors. Here are the things they sell:

Vegetables: bedding plants, baskets and herb or vegetable plants

Meat: fresh buffalo, beef, poultry or pork for the grill

Locally grown: greens, vegetables and fruits

Bread: breads, pies, cakes & muffins

Etc: honey, jams, fermented veggies, salsas, garlic, herbs & cheese

Body: homemade soaps & creams to soothe the soul

 I can't wait to check this out and the next one coming up is this Saturday, July 23rd 2011.

Go To Event: Dayton Street Cirque Carnival - Yellow Springs

via YSNews

DAYTON STREET CIRQUE CARNIVAL
Friday, July 5th 2011
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
@ Dayton Street Gulch

128 Dayton St., Yellow Springs, OH, 45387

(see below for review!)

I've been making an effort to find go to events in Dayton and so far I've had luck finding things at Active Dayton. Not the most aesthetically pleasing website but the information is there. And because I want to be constructive with my criticism and on the off chance that anyone who matters from the site reads this, the blue type on grey is not the easiest to read and the quips at the top seem out of place and at first I thought they were comments. They aren't all that funny and definitely not useful; they just take up space that could be nice negative space for the already cluttered website. End of (what I hope is) constructive criticism.

Ok so this festival looks awesome from the few pictures I've seen at YSNews. I had to do some sleuthing to find info on the festival and the best info I could find was about last years festival at Zattana.net. Most of the info is regarding their act which happens to be belly dancing. So based on these tidbits: it starts at a bar, it may have belly dancers this year like last year, a kid wore a feather mask, jugglers were there and it is in Yellow Springs a place I've been wanting to go to...I am definitely going! I will post pics and a review of the festivities this weekend.

...

If anyone's been to it before please share your experience!

...

Review

Well I had a great time at the Dayton Street Cirque Carnival. There were jugglers, people on stilts, fire dancers, belly dancers, face painters, ice-cream and the shops along the street were open! Kyle and I were joined by two friends which made it all the more fun. It is a great place to go to as a group of friends and it is also kid-friendly. The day time was dedicated to tamer acts like the juggling (albeit they did have knives!) and the evening had more thrilling acts like the fire dancers and a circus act suspended in air (which I missed!). The music there was fun with a younger band in the day and at night it finished with a folksy jam band. I want to give a shout-out to the guy who had been on the stilts earlier in the day dancing and later was dancing on foot to the jam band. He was so full of energy and you need people like that to keep the energy so who ever you are, thanks!

Price: $-$$ (we went to Peach's Grill but they did have street food vendors)
Location: Yellow Springs; it was so quaint and rural there, I can't wait to go again!
Building: None for the carnival was outside but the shops that were open were all nice and had cute store fronts.

Here are some highlights:


Jugglers with Knives



This was the high-energy guy, he was awesome!



Peach's Grill



Oooo, aaaaaah