Dayton’s Annual Festivals That Seniors Won’t Want to Miss

One of the best ways to assess a new place to live is to check out the local festivals throughout the year. These events offer a variety of cultural, social and entertainment opportunities that make retirement fun and enriching. The Dayton and Kettering area festivals and fairs are also great places to meet new people and learn more about the history and values of the community.

Dayton-Kettering area festivals

One of the first yearly Dayton-Kettering area festivals is Spring Fest in the Burg every May in Miamisburg. This three-day event is a great way to welcome spring by kicking back and just enjoying the community parade, diverse local entertainment, carnival rides, beer tent, a curated Makers Mart, games and great food.

Immerse yourself in culture at the Ohio Indigenous Music Festival in June where award-winning Native American musicians and crafters come together. Enjoy live performances, educational workshops, presentations and a community drum circle in a family friendly atmosphere.

One of the most cherished Dayton-Kettering area festivals is the Montgomery County Fair which is celebrating its 172^ndyear in 2024. Held for seven days in early July, the fair combines everything that makes county fairs uniquely American from the agricultural exhibits including 4-H animals and auctions to carnival rides and live bands to fun events like a Tug-a Trucks competition, demolition derbies, and the Diamond J Rodeo.  Spend the day sampling the “fair food” from different vendors and enjoy a tradition that never gets old.

Wrap up summer at Alter Fest at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering. This Dayton-Kettering area festival is held for three days in early September in Kettering and features Texas Hold Em and Blackjack for the grownups, carnival rides and games for the youngsters, a range of live entertainment options and great food and drink for everyone.

Stay connected to what’s going on

Dayton-Kettering area festival scene offers plenty of ways to get out and have good old-fashioned fun. To make sure nothing is missed, it pays to stay connected to what’s going on year-round in the Dayton-Kettering area.

One great resource is the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Dayton CVB website offers links to everything going on in the Dayton-Kettering area whether it’s festivals, concerts and theatre performances, arts and cultural events, and great ways to enjoy the outdoors. It’s also a great place for visiting guests to check hotels and restaurants, download the Dayton Visitors Guide, and find maps.  Another option is to download the handy Visit Dayton app, an on-demand guide to all attractions, eateries and hotels, shopping, sports, events and more in the Dayton Kettering area.

For what’s going on Kettering, Play Kettering.org provides a variety of information geared to locals. Offering seasonal guides, local fitness programs and athletic options, Dayton-Kettering area festivals and events, and news about parks and the arts, the website is a great place to find something fun to do year-round.

For those who love the urban scene, the Downtown Dayton Partnership offers plenty of up-to-date information for events, dining and recreation served up in a searchable calendar to help plan ahead. Similarly, the website, Dayton Local, is a gold mine of what’s going on every day from Dayton-Kettering area festivals to classes to the arts and lectures to outdoor activities and more.  Whether looking for spur-of-the-moment fun or planning for a visit from friends or family Dayton Local has something for everyone.

Music lovers don’t have to sort through tons of other events for concerts, instead they can just check out songkick.com. The site provides a variety of filters including by artist, by date and by music genre so it’s super easy to find all the concerts coming up all in one place.

Ways to get to know your neighbors better

The City of Kettering is a friendly and welcoming town and there are plenty of ways to get to know neighbors and meet new friends. One is on the Kettering pages of Nextdoor, a website offering input from people throughout the city via conversations, announcements, merchandise for sale, upcoming events, and ratings for dining, shopping, wellness and services.

Another fast way to get to know neighbors in the Kettering area is on the Neighbors-Kettering, Ohio Facebook page. It’s easy to join discussions, meet other members, and check out events and happenings of interest.

For a big-picture overview of the Kettering area in sectors, Neighborhood Scout makes it easy to understand different areas of the city through economic and demographic information and other characteristics.

At One Lincoln Park, we make independent living carefree so our residents can take advantage of everything the Dayton-Kettering area has to offer. Contact us to learn more about our community and schedule a tour.