💎 Flying Taxis In Dayton (Issue #4)

Guten morgen,

And welcome to the 36 new subscribers that have joined us since last week! We’re your cool friend that let’s you know what’s going on and coming up in the Miami Valley every week.

Given that it’s Oktoberfest weekend downtown, it seemed appropriate to greet you in all of the German I still remember from high school. As you can tell, I’m practically fluent.

Today we’ll be covering:

• Fun events to kick off the fall season

• Production of flying taxis coming to Dayton

• Wright State’s enrollment increasing for the first time in years

• Where to get a free donut after a Bengals win (🤫 it’s Kroger)

• A new fusion restaurant, CULTURE, open now in the Oregon district

• A local spotlight on a sweet gem of the Miami Valley - Bill’s Donut Shop

Let’s get to it!

— Max

⚡ WEEKEND WEATHER

Friday

55° 🌡️ 83° | ☀️ | ☔ 10% | 💨 8 mph

Saturday

52° 🌡️ 81° | ☀️ | ☔ 10% | 💨 9 mph

Sunday

56° 🌡️ 80° | ⛅ | ☔ 10% | 💨 8 mph

📅 EVENTS

🤣 Trae Crowder (21+)

📅 Thursday: 6:30pm
📍 Dayton Funny Bone at The Greene, Beavercreek
💰 $32

Dive into an evening of humor with the "Liberal Redneck," Trae Crowder. Known for his viral "porch rant" videos, Trae has toured the nation, and authored the best-selling book "The Liberal Redneck Manifesto". He's also made notable appearances on platforms like HBO, ABC, and MSNBC. From rural Celina, TN to Los Angeles, CA he's gone beyond stand-up. He's now a writer, producer, and podcast co-host. Don't miss the chance to experience his unique blend of Southern charm with a liberal bend! Get tickets.

🍻 Oktoberfest Preview Party (21+)

📅 Friday: 7-11pm
📍 Dayton Art Institute, Downtown Dayton
💰 Advance: $75 non-members, $55 members | At the gate: $95

Whether you want to avoid the crowds or are just eager to start the festivities early, this preview party has you covered. Dive into classic German delicacies and drinks in a more relaxing setting. Every ticket includes complimentary beverages. Due to limited parking around the Dayton Art Institute, free shuttles will be running from UD's River Park Drive parking lot to the Dayton Art Institute. Get tickets.

🏹 Archery Day

📅 Saturday: 11-2pm
📍 Oak Grove Park, Washington Township
💰 Free entry

Bellbrook, Kettering, and Washington Township's parks and rec offices have teamed up to host this afternoon all about archery. Attendees can play inflatable archery, and even sign up for basic classes on the range to learn the real thing. Classes will start every 30 minutes and are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Food trucks, including Smokin' Inferno BBQ, will be there to keep you fueled and hitting bullseyes. A fun event to introduce kids and adults alike to a great outdoor activity with real utility. Registration is not required, but encouraged. Register here.

🥨 Germantown Pretzel Festival

📅 Saturday: 9-9pm | Sunday: 12-6pm
📍 Veterans Memorial Park, Germantown
💰 Free entry

Dive into Germantown's iconic Pretzel Festival, a tradition since 1980. Experience a mix of delicious food, unique crafts, and non-stop entertainment across two stages. Highlights include K99.1's Nancy and Woody MCing the opening morning show, plus plenty of live performances. If you're looking for some action, have fun playing Master Blasters (orbee paintball). With an expanded vendor list and diverse performances, it's a must-visit! Convenient parking at the Miami Military Institute (old Camp Miami) lot. Join the celebration of Germantown's rich heritage! Learn more.

🇩🇪 Oktoberfest

📅 Saturday: 12-11pm | Sunday: 12-7pm
📍 Dayton Art Institute, Downtown Dayton
💰 Advance: $8 adults, $5 seniors and youth | At the gate: $10 adults, $7 seniors and youth | Free for kids 6 and under

Break out your lederhosen and head downtown for Dayton’s 52nd Oktoberfest. Treat your taste buds to classic German and festival food, wine, and 50+ craft and international beers. Get down to live music ranging from traditional German tunes to local bands. Engage with arts and crafts, and shop from awesome artisans. Sports fan? Their dedicated TV tent will make sure won’t miss any of the weekend’s games. And with free shuttles running from UD's River Park Drive parking lot to the Dayton Art Institute all weekend long, you don’t have to worry about finding parking. Learn more about where to get tickets.

🍷 HVO Midwest Wine Fest (21+)

📅 Saturday: 4-7pm
📍 Hidden Valley Orchards, Lebanon
💰 Non-wine: $30 | Wine: $45 advance, $50 cash-only at the door

Back for its 3rd year, this promises to be a delightful wine-tasting and charity event, hosted in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Wine tickets provide access to the “Tasting Barn” and eight 2oz pours of wines from around the globe. Non-wine tickets come with four non-alcoholic drinks and a food item. Additionally, enjoy HVO food specials, groove to live music, and join in wine-themed raffles at $5 per ticket, all in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Get tickets.

🍁 Centerville Fall Festival

📅 Saturday, Sep. 30th: 12-9pm
📍 Stubbs Park, Centerville
💰 Free entry

Join Centerville and Washington Township’s biggest autumn celebration at Stubbs Park. Explore the Vendor Village with over 75 local stalls offering art, antiques, clothing, and more. Kids can enjoy face painting, hayrides, s’mores, inflatables, a petting zoo, and meet beloved characters from Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas. And on the way out, they can grab a free pumpkin to take home. Come evening, experience the Oktoberfest vibe under a massive tent. Centerville’s great local breweries promise to keep the drinks flowing and live performances from local a capella group Forte and the Motown Sounds of Touch will keep the energy going. Learn more.

👣 Walk to End Alzheimer's

📅 Saturday, Sep. 30th: 8:30am
📍 Day Air Ballpark, Downtown Dayton
💰 Free to walk | Fundraising encouraged

Join the world's largest event to combat Alzheimer's, held in over 600 communities globally. This walk raises crucial funds for Alzheimer's care, support, and research, all managed by the nonprofit Alzheimer's Association. While registration is free, participants are encouraged to fundraise. Those raising $100+ will receive an official event T-shirt. On the day of the walk, registered walkers will get a Promise Garden flower, symbolizing their connection to the cause. Rain or shine, this event stands firm, unless severe weather strikes. Support a future without Alzheimer's! Register or donate here.

🎸 Phish

📅 Tuesday, Oct. 10th: 7:30pm | Wednesday, Oct. 11th: 7:30pm
📍 WSU Nutter Center, Fairborn
💰 $91+

Rock out with the timeless and undisputed kings of the jam-band movement - Phish. With a unique blend of rock, jazz, funk, folk, and country, their music has captivated audiences for decades and across generations. Known for their dynamic concerts, combining improvisation and iconic tunes, to create a magical performance that evolves in real-time. Join the legion of dedicated Phish Heads and witness the magic of Phish in concert this October. Get tickets

Have an upcoming event you’re attending or hosting? Tell us about it here, if it’s a good fit for our community, we may share it.

SPONSORED BY 1440

News Without Motives.

Tired of sifting through slanted stories when all you want is the truth about what's happening beyond the Miami Valley? You should check out 1440.

1440 is a daily newsletter helping 2.7M+ Americans stay informed and is edited to be as unbiased as humanly possible. Their team scours over 100+ sources so you don't have to. Every morning, they triple-check headlines, stories, and sources for bias. No algorithms, just human judgment.

From culture to science, sports to politics, and business to the latest news - get everything you need to know in a concise five-minute read every morning. And the best part? It's 100% free.

🗞️ LOCAL NEWS

🛫 Joby Aviation to Build Flying Taxis in Dayton

Is there a more fitting place for the first large-scale production of “flying taxis” than the birthplace of flight itself? Joby Aviation sees the connection and plans to build on our rich aviation legacy. Joby is a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs, aka “flying taxis”). This Monday, they announced, with state leaders, their plans to establish a $500 million production facility near Dayton International Airport. They picked a very fitting place for this announcement, Hawthorn Hill - Orville Wright's estate in Oakwood.

This initiative, backed by $325 million in state and local incentives, marks the first large-scale manufacturing of eVTOLs. The facility, set on a 140-acre site, aims to produce up to 500 annually. By around 2028, the company expects to employ 2,000 individuals with an average salary of $70,000. Construction is slated to begin next year, with operations commencing in 2025. This is the largest economic development project announced in Ohio this year, and one helluva win for the Miami Valley. [Dayton Daily News]

🎓 WSU Enrollment Increasing After Years Of Decline

Wright State University reported a 2.2% increase in overall enrollment this semester, the first growth since fall 2015. This marks an end to the year-over-year decline the university experienced. Specifically, WSU saw a 11% rise of first-time students this semester compared to fall 2022. 41% of these new students are Pell Grant-eligible, and 92% are from Ohio. With one of the lowest tuitions in the state, WSU is an affordable and quality option in the Miami Valley, and all of Ohio. As a proud Raider myself, it’s great to see such an important part of our community growing. Here's to it continuing! [Dayton Daily News]

🍩 Kroger Celebrating Bengals Wins With Free Donuts

Kroger stores are giving customers in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas a free donut when the Bengals win. You can get your donut the day after, with a limit of one per customer. Regardless of if you’re a Bengals fan or not, this is a sweet deal! [WDTN]

🍽️ CULTURE Opens This Week In The Oregon District

After two months of pop-up events, CULTURE had it’s grand opening this Tuesday (Sep. 19th). This is Chef Dane Shipp’s, a Dayton native, first standalone restaurant venture after working at Chappy’s and Lock 27. CULTURE's menu boasts a blend of Southern, Asian, and Indian cuisines, described by Shipp as "elevated comfort food.” What’s that look like? Classic apps like Fried Green Tomatoes and fusion Wonton Nachos. Chef Dane plans to refresh most of their menu every few months. While still keeping staple dishes like the Drip Burger. They're open Tuesday to Saturday from 4-10pm with indoor and outdoor seating at 416 E. Fifth Street. [Dayton.com]

🔦 LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

New Owners, Same Donuts

Bill’s Donut Shop needs little introduction. While most of us have experienced their award-winning sweets, less might know where they’ve come from. And with the news of their recent change in ownership, it seemed like a great time to share their story.

It was also a great excuse for me to get the half-dozen seen above for some “research”. Do you see the kind of sacrifices we make for our audience? 😆 

Started by husband and wife, Bill and Faye Elam, Bill’s Donut Shop first opened their doors in 1960 in Downtown Dayton. In 1967 they moved to Centerville at the intersection of Franklin and Main Street. The 70s saw them open multiple locations across the Miami Valley. Eventually, they decided to focus their energy on one location.

So, in 1979 they moved to their current location at 268 N. Main Street in Centerville. It was also around this time when they started staying open for 24 hours to serve the NCR employees working the late shift.

In 1995, Bill and Faye sold the business to their children, Lisa and Jim, who continued operating it until recently. They grew Bill’s to 60 employees, with nearly 50 of them being full-time and some working there for decades. Over the last 8 years, they’ve won Best Donut Shop in Dayton.com’s “Best of Dayton” every year.

But after growing up in the business and running it for close to 30 years, Lisa and Jim decided it was time for change. Last year they put the shop up for sale and closed the deal last week with new owners - Marshall and Amy Lachman.

The Lachman’s, who now reside in Beavercreek, had lived in Centerville for over 20 years. And like many Centerville families, they were regular patrons of Bill’s. Marshall described buying this community staple as “a dream come true.”

Despite the change in ownership, everything at the shop, including bakers, recipes, equipment, staff, and 24/7 hours will remain the same. Having sampled the product the day before publishing this story, I can attest that it's the same ole Bill’s we all know and love.

A 63 year run as a family business is incredibly impressive. Celebrate their legacy, and the Lachman’s carrying the torch forward, by paying a visit to Bill’s Donut Shop this weekend. Though I’m sure that was a trip on many of our schedules already!

Do you know an awesome local business or organization that deserves the spotlight? Tell us all about them here.

🙏 THANKS!

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

If you enjoyed it, then consider sharing us with your local friends and family. You can use your unique link at the bottom of this email to earn rewards for everyone that signs up through it!

Were you forwarded this email? Sign up here to get Miami Valley Memo delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday morning.

Have some feedback? Feel free to give it using the poll below or by replying to this email.

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

Disclosure: Some of the events and other links featured in this newsletter may be sponsored by our advertising partners, or affiliate links where we may earn a small commission should you sign up or purchase through them. Any sponsored or affiliate links will be clearly indicated with an asterisk (*) or a disclosure that the section is sponsored by a specific partner.