💎 Happy Holidays! (Issue #17)
See you in 2024!
Max Carone
December 21, 2023
Good morning,
And welcome to the last issue of Miami Valley Memo in 2023! This year flew by, and I’m very grateful to have shared it with you through these weekly updates.
We’re taking next week off to enjoy the holidays and recharge. We’ll see you again in 2024 and are very excited about what the new year has in store. I hope you have the happiest of holidays and the merriest of celebrations!
Here’s what we have for you today:
Holiday events
A special round-up of New Year’s Eve parties around town
This weekend’s live shows
Treasure Island’s temporary closure following a change in management
Sports betting scoring big in its first year of being legal in Ohio
WSU and Premier Health teaming up to make Miami Valley Hospital Dayton’s first academic medical center
Let’s get to it!
— Max
⚡ WEEKEND WEATHER
Friday
41° 🌡️ 48° | ☁️ | ☔ 0% | 💨 6 mph
Saturday
45° 🌡️ 49° | ☁️ | ☔ 10% | 💨 10 mph
Sunday
43° 🌡️ 57° | ☁️ | ☔ 0% | 💨 7 mph
📅 EVENTS
❄️ Woodland Lights
📅 Thursday - Saturday: 6-9pm
📍 Countryside Park, Washington Township
💰 General Admission: $9, Free for kids 2 & under
Discover a winter wonderland at Woodland Lights! Stroll along a half-mile path illuminated with enchanting holiday displays, or take a whimsical ride on the Rieck Express train. Santa awaits in a cozy log cabin, ready for wish lists and photos. Enjoy carriage rides and meet costumed characters. It's a sparkling, festive adventure for everyone. Create more treasured memories this holiday weekend! Learn more.
🎄 Ugly Sweater Party
📅 Saturday: 11am-2am
📍 On Par Entertainment, Beavercreek
💰 Free
Feeling festive? Check out this Ugly Sweater Extravaganza, where the uglier, the better! Unleash your craziest sweaters, deck them with tinsel, and dive into festive fun. Show off your quirky holiday style at this cozy, cheerful party. Grab your sweater and get set for a night of unforgettable merriment. Learn more.
🔔 Carillon Christmas
📅 Friday & Saturday: 5-10pm
📍 Carillon Park, Dayton
💰 General admission: $14 adults, $10 kids
Witness the park's 65-acre campus transformed into a dazzling display of lights and holiday cheer. Marvel at the Carillon Tree of Light, meet Santa Claus, and enjoy the Carillon Park Railroad. Savor treats at the Carillon Christmas Café and explore the Gristmill Christmas Village. It's a festive experience for all ages at a true gem of the Miami Valley! Learn more.
🏮 Christmas Eve Luminaries
📅 Sunday: 5pm
📍 David’s Cemetery, Kettering
💰 Free
Experience a magical Christmas Eve at David's Cemetery this weekend. See the glow of over 4,600 luminaries and nearly 1,400 wreaths lighting up the grounds. This drive-through holiday lights show offers a beautiful sight from the warm comfort of your own car. Don't miss this enchanting evening of lights! Learn more.
🍷 December Wine Dinner
📅 Thursday, Dec. 28th: 6pm
📍 Salar Restaurant, Oregon District
💰 $99
Salar is one of Dayton's most highly-reviewed fine-dining establishments, known for its Peruvian and world-fusion cuisine served in a casual atmosphere. As they finish 2023, they're going out with a bang with a special wine dinner. This 5-course feast features wine pairings selected by Wine Trend's own Kara York. Picture purple cabbage ravioli, pistachio-encrusted lamb chops, and so much more. Interested? Check out the menu for yourself and get your tickets here.
🎸 HoliDayton with Hawthorne Heights
📅 Friday, Dec. 29th: 6:30pm
📍 The Brightside Music and Event Venue, Downtown Dayton
💰 General: $22 | VIP: $50
Rock out at the 21st annual HoliDayton music festival, headlined by Dayton's own Hawthorne Heights! This festival showcases a fantastic lineup of local bands across two stages, featuring an electric set by Hawthorne Heights. Get ready for a night filled with the Gem City's finest rock and roll. With limited tickets available, it'd be a good move to secure yours ASAP if this is your kind of jam. Get your tickets here.
🕛 Noon Year’s Eve Celebration
📅 Saturday, Dec. 30th: 11-12:30pm
📍 Washington-Centerville Public Library, Centerville
💰 Free
Celebrate NOON Year's Eve, perfect if midnight is too late for your New Year's Eve celebration! Come out for an afternoon filled with fun activities and a festive countdown to the New Year at noon. It's a family-friendly party where everyone can enjoy the excitement of welcoming the New Year together. Bring your loved ones and ring in the New Year in a joyous, daytime event! Learn more.
🏀 Harlem Globetrotters
📅 Sunday, Dec. 31st, 3pm
📍 WSU Nutter Center, Fairborn
💰 $39+
The world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their global tour to the Miami Valley. Watch their signature twist on basketball, combined with unparalleled fun. Witness mind-blowing trick shots against their forever rivals, the Washington Generals. Enjoy big laughs and new opportunities for fan engagement like never before. Don't wait; score your tickets today.
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? Get in touch with us here.
🥳 NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTIES
We’ve put together this special round-up of New Year’s Eve parties happening in the Miami Valley to help you plan your celebrations. Since we’re publishing this early, we wouldn’t be surprised if more pop up over the next two weeks.
That said, here are a dozen free and paid parties around town you might be interested in. Celebrate responsibly!
Sunday, December 31st
🎉 UD Marriott, Downtown Dayton | 7pm | $179+
🍾 The Dayton Arcade, Downton Dayton | 9pm | $125
🎆 Mills Park Hotel, Yellow Springs | 6pm | $45+
🎉 Yellow Cab Tavern, Downtown Dayton | 8pm | $15
🍾 Little Fish Brewing Company, Downtown Dayton | 10pm | $10
🎆 Dublin Pub, Downtown Dayton | 6pm | Free
🎉 Good Time Charlie's, Miamisburg | 8pm | Free
🍾 Phone Booth Lounge, Kettering | 8pm | Free
🎆 Brick Tap & Tavern, Huber Heights | 8:30pm | Free
🎉 Kingspoint Pub, Kettering | 9pm | Free
🍾 The Barrel, Springboro | 9pm | Free
🎆 Peach's Grill, Yellow Springs | 10pm | Free
🎤 LIVE SHOWS
Friday
🎶 Hidden Gem Music Club | A Mild Giant Xmas | 7pm | Online: $10, Doors: $15
😂 Dayton Funny Bone | Dwight Simmons | 7:30pm | $17
🎶 Jayne's On Main | Benny Hill | 7:30pm | Free
😂 Wileys Comedy Club | Ryan Singer | 8pm | $15
🎶 Yellow Cab Tavern | This Pine Box, Seth Canan & The Carriers | 8pm | Online: $9, Door: $12
🎶 Phone Booth Lounge | The Doug Hart Band | 8pm | Free
🎶 Moe Harrigan's Tavern | Scott Houchens | 8pm | Free
🎶 The Pour Haus | Amy Newhart | 8pm | Free
🎶 Phone Booth Lounge | Locking Up Otis | 8pm | Free
🎶 The Brick Tap & Tavern | Sean Lamb & Janet Miller | 8:30pm | Free
Saturday
😂 Dayton Funny Bone | Dwight Simmons | 7pm | $17
🎶 Slap'N Lizard Tap House | Until Rust | 7pm | Free
🎶 Yellow Cab Tavern | The Remnant Family Jam | 8pm | Online: $12, Door: $15
😂 Wileys Comedy Club | Ryan Singer | 8pm | $15
🎶 Moe Harrigan's Tavern | Pearl Street | 8pm | Free
🎶 The Brick Tap & Tavern | CRJ | 8:30pm | Free
🎶 NextDoor Dayton | Gerlach & Clemons | 9pm | Free
🗞️ LOCAL NEWS
🍽️ Treasure Island’s Temporary Closure
Treasure Island Supper Club has temporarily closed its doors. A sign at the restaurant announced the closure, without specifying the cause. They last served patrons on Dec. 16th, and its former management left on Monday (Dec. 18th).
Who was the former management? Dana and Katherine Downs, the owners of Roost Modern Italian in the Oregon District. Up until Monday, they had been managing Treasure Island for about 6 months. Chef Dana told Dayton Daily that they left the restaurant as "turn key" as possible, allowing the owners to continue running the joint. With the news of the temporary closure, it seems like the owners need more time to figure things out.
Now what? Nancy Zechar, who worked for Treasure Island for 38 years and retired when the Downses took over, is back in as General Manager. She's focused on developing a new strategy to reopen and start serving patrons ASAP. Treasure Island is a local gem of the Miami Valley. We're sure many of their loyal fans are anxiously awaiting their reopening. [Dayton Daily News]
📈 Sports Betting Booming In Ohio
As you probably remember from the non-stop ads, sports betting became legal in Ohio this year. And to say it's been popular would be a massive understatement. Since January, Ohioans have wagered nearly $6 billion. Ohio is prime for sports betting given its many professional and big college teams, but this boom was still unexpected.
Originally, the state forecasted collecting $24 million in tax revenue for the whole year. They almost reached that in January alone. As of October, they've generated $102 million in taxes this year. This is partly due to the state doubling the tax rate from 10% to 20% in July.
The vast majority of this betting, about 97%, has occurred online. While physical betting locations are available, they've only attracted a small fraction of the activity. The dominance of online sportsbooks is undoubtedly due to their convenience. Though we're sure their relentless advertising offering matching deposits also contributed. Like it or not, sports betting in Ohio is here to stay and in a big way. [Dayton Daily News]
🏥 Dayton Welcomes First Academic Medical Center
Miami Valley Hospital is now Dayton's first academic medical center, thanks to an expanded partnership between Premier Health and Wright State University. This collaboration — which already fosters medical training and setting up practices in rural Ohio — now seeks to enhance treatment and education in the Miami Valley.
This new center will significantly improve local healthcare access, marking a major development for Dayton. Previously, it was one of the only major Ohio metros without such a facility. Once operational, it will enable Miami Valley residents to access specialized treatments locally. This will remove the need for patients to travel to Cincinnati or Columbus for care.
The next step involves recruiting a joint leader. This individual will serve as the dean at WSU's Boonshoft School of Medicine and as Premier's Chief Academic Officer. A comprehensive business plan for the partnership is also underway, expected to be completed by the end of April. [WYSO]
🙏 THANKS!
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We wish you happy holidays, and look forward to seeing you in 2024!
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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.