Calendar

Join little Clara in her dreamland adventures as she takes a magical trip to the Land of Sweets with the Sugarplum Fairy and her dashing Cavalier. Dayton Ballet’s The Nutcracker comprises an enormous cast, including the full professional Dayton Ballet company, dancers from Dayton Ballet II and the Dayton Ballet School, and over 100 children from the local Dayton area, all who have the pleasure of dancing to live music performed by the Dayton Philharmonic. Dayton Ballet invites you to Dayton’s biggest and best holiday performance arts tradition!

Dayton Ballet invites you to Dayton’s biggest and best holiday performance arts tradition . . . Dayton Ballet’s beloved The Nutcracker.

Join little Clara in her dreamland adventures as she takes a magical trip to the Land of Sweets with the Sugarplum Fairy and her dashing Cavalier.

Dayton Ballet’s The Nutcracker comprises an enormous cast, including the full professional Dayton Ballet company, dancers from Dayton Ballet II and the Dayton Ballet School, and over 100 children from the local Dayton area!

The outstanding cast has the pleasure of dancing to live music performed by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Neal Gittleman, giving Tchaikovsky’s classic score the full, rich, gorgeous interpretation that it requires. The elegance, grace and sheer athleticism of Dayton Ballet’s core ensemble and star dancers bring the drama to colorful life.

Before the performances and during intermissions, the Schuster Center Wintergarden bustles with the excitement. Find the perfect holiday gift at the Dayton Ballet Boutique, peer into the famous whimsical Rike’s window boxes, or treat yourself with candy and ice cream at the Graeter’s Sweet Shoppe.

With ten performances so close to the Christmas holiday, The Nutcracker is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the holiday season with family and guests!

A Carillon Christmas will begin on November 28th with the illumination of Ohio’s tallest tree of light. Join us as this remarkable light display dazzles the Dayton skyline for its second year. The lighting of the Carillon Tree of Light will kick off a month of holiday festivities at Carillon Historical Park!

Festive holiday activities will all be available during A Carillon Christmas, November 28th through December 30th from 5:00pm to 10:00pm, unless otherwise noted. We hope you will join us for an evening of holiday fun!

• Photos with Santa Claus (6pm-9pm), through 12/23
• Historic Hearth Cooking Demonstrations
• Puppet Shows, 5:30pm & 6:30pm
• Victorian Carolers
• Print Shop Demonstrations
• Letters to Santa
• Model Train Display

Additional Activities:

• The Midnight Express Train Ride (6pm-9pm), weather permitting – $1/per person
• Carousel of Dayton Innovation Ride – $1/per person
• Main Street Wagon Ride (6pm-9pm), weather permitting – $1/per person

November 26 – December 28
Local sculptor Connie R. Campbell uses systematic mathematical ratios derived from the Golden Section to develop complex structures of wood and metal based on simple patterns. Michigan-based artists Ginger Owen and Vicki Vanameyden’s Heritage Habitats brings to Rosewood Gallery a series of physical spaces for contemplation and invocation of ancestry. Reception Thursday, November 29, 6-8 p.m. Call Rosewood Arts Centre for more information.

Woodland Lights offers the beauty of lights sparkling along a half-mile wooded path and reflecting against a woodland pond, plus a view of whimsical characters and illuminated critters preparing for the holidays. Every night until Christmas, kids can visit Santa Claus in his historic log cabin.

Weekends (Friday-Sunday)
Nov. 23 – Dec. 2

Nightly
Dec. 7-23

Open 6-9 pm
$8 | Free for Ages 2 & under

Light up Middletown is a driving tour through a 100-acre park.   We’re open 6-10 PM every night, from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve regardless of the weather, including all holidays. Santa and Mrs. Claus, every Fri & Sat 7-9 pm thru Dec 23.

Enter through the tunnel of lights to enjoy a sparkling fantasyland. Light up Middletown is a driving tour through a 100 acre park. Several themed displays include a floating Sea Serpent in the reflecting lake, Santa’s Workshop, American Flag, Penguin Village, Deer Leaping Over the Roadway, Helicopter, Whales and much more – all with thousands of twinkling LED animated lights. The fun expands every year. Motor Coach Tours are welcome. All arches over roadways accommodate buses.

A Miami Valley tradition bringing the spirit of Christmas and smiling faces – Open Every Day from Nov 23 through December 31, 2018.
For over 30 years, Clifton Mill has celebrated the Christmas season in a very special way. Our light display is one of the country’s finest with over 3.5 million lights illuminating the mill, the gorge, the riverbanks, trees, and bridges. There is even a 100-foot “waterfall” of twinkling lights. The flip of one switch turns all the lights on at once transforming night into a fantastical winter wonderland.

The lights have been featured in Midwest Living and Ohio Magazine. There is a Miniature Village, a Santa Claus Museum and spectacular synchronized lights and music show that features the old Covered Bridge. Every night until Christmas you can peek into Santa’s Workshop to see a live Santa at work and then, every 15 minutes or so, watch him check his list and go up the chimney to load his sleigh!

So gather your family and head out to see The Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill for an instant “Christmas Spirit” boost.

What You Should Know:

The gates open at 5pm, the lights come on at 6pm
The gates close at 9pm, light go off 30 minutes later
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, & New Years Eve they close at 8pm
Parking is fre

For 30  years Clifton Mill has celebrated the Christmas season in a very special way. Our light display, featured in Midwest Living and Ohio Magazine, is one of the country’s finest with over 3.5 million lights illuminating the mill, the gorge, the riverbanks, trees and bridges. There is even a 100 foot “waterfall” of twinkling lights. The flip of one switch turns all the lights on at once transforming night into a fantastical winter wonderland which includes a Miniature Village, a Santa Claus Museum , a Toy Collection and a spectacular synchronized lights and music show that features the old Covered Bridge.

The light display starts the day after Thanksgiving and is on every night through December 31. On Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve we close at 8 pm.

Come see one of the area’s longest-running holiday traditions — the magical Rike’s department store holiday window displays! Experience the wonder of the animated elves, woodland animals, violinists, and skaters right at the corner of Second and Main streets in downtown Dayton, where these displays delighted people beginning more than 70 years ago.  Also in the Schuster Center Wintergarden, let the kids explore The Tikes Shoppe (different hours).

The Wonderland Windows are available to view November 23-December 31; Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. noon-4 p.m.; closed on non-performance Sundays Call to confirm hours 937-228-7591.

View this one-of-a-kind model train display, given to the community by Mrs. Virginia W. Kettering in the Kettering Tower lobby.

Visitors of all ages can view this beloved, one-of-a-kind model train display that was given to the community by Mrs. Virginia Kettering. The display can also be viewed through the building windows at Second and Main anytime.

The region’s largest outdoor ice skating rink opens Friday, Nov. 23, for season-long, family-friendly fun on the banks of the scenic Great Miami River in downtown Dayton. Presented by MIX 107.7, admission to the MetroParks Ice Rink at RiverScape MetroPark (237 E. Monument Ave.) is $5 daily, and visitors can rent ice skates for $2. Ages 3 and younger are free with a paying adult.

There is so much to see and enjoy at Whispering Christmas!  2018 marks our 32nd Season of Whispering Christmas, featuring a spectacular drive-thru lights display with close to 2 million lights!    We encourage you to park and walk around to see displays up close, visit Santa’s Cabins and the Little Christmas Village.

The Tike’s Shoppe is a shopping experience designed exclusively for children. With a short door, moms and dads are not allowed in.  Don’t worry though – you get to set the budget before they enter the store (most gifts are priced between $0.50 and $14). Then, parents wait outside while the kids shop with the help of “elves” who assist them in selecting gifts for parents and family that stay within their budgets. After they make their selections, they even get help to gift-wrap their purchases!

The origins of The Tike’s Shop can be traced back decades to the Rike’s Department Store, and has become quite a draw in the run-up to the holidays. Nothing at The Tike’s Shoppe will break the bank, but the memories will last a lifetime. Do not forget to take a photo!

Nov. 23 – 3-9 p.m. (Santa 4-7:45 p.m.) Nov. 24 – 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Nov. 25 – noon-6 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Nov. 30 – noon -6 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 1 – 10 a.m.-6 p.m (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 2 – noon-6 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 7 – noon-6 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 8 – 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.)
Dec. 9 – noon – 6 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 14 – noon-7 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 15 – 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 16 – noon-7 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.) Dec. 17 & 18 – Closed Dec. 19-23 – 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (Santa 2-5 p.m.)

Enjoy family weekends in downtown Dayton! Visit The Tike’s Shoppe, Wintergarden Wonderland, Virginia Ketterings Holiday Train display, ride the Sugarplum Shuttle, and more!

HOURS VARY AT EACH VENUE, PLEASE CHECK INDIVIDUAL EVENTS!

• The Tike’s Shoppe – A special shop run by kids for kids – and priced within a kid’s budget! November 23-December 23
• Wintergarden Wonderland – Come see the magical Rike’s department store holiday window displays! November 23-December 31
• Virginia Kettering’s Holiday Train Display Visitors of all ages can view this beloved, one-of-a-kind model train display in the Kettering Tower lobby
• Pizza with Santa at Uno’s – Have a special lunch with Santa! December 1, 8, 15, & 22; 11 a.m.
• Family Movie Series at The Neon – Bring the family for fun, festive films. December 1, 8, & 15.
• Noontime Entertainment – December 4-7 and 11-14 at Various downtown buildings.
• Ride the Sugarplum Shuttle –  Friday and Saturday evenings, November 30-December 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Imagine an old-fashioned winter…rosy-cheeked skaters, the magic of dazzling holiday shows, carolers, shops filled with ornaments, trinkets and toys, the aroma of freshly-baked treats and the spirit of everyone’s favorite season captured in an atmosphere of warmth and nostalgia.

For those too young to remember, Winterfest originally ran between 1982 to 1992, and then in 2005 for one season.  Winterfest returned to Kings Island again in 2017.

During Winterfest, the iconic 314-foot tall Eiffel Tower will be converted into the “world’s largest Christmas tree”, decorated with thousands of lights which will be seen for miles.  Below the Eiffel Tower, International Street will be transformed into a colorful and quaint winter village, featuring the fun of holidays past with Christmas carolers, and homemade crafts.

This year Winterfest will feature ice skating on the Royal Fountain, rides including Mystic Timbers, millions of lights and holiday characters spreading merriment, like Jack Frost and Sugar Plum Fairy. Experience WinterFest’s excitement, all wrapped up in an atmosphere of warmth and nostalgia.

Hands & Paws is a new service opportunity for kids that want to try out volunteering under the direction of our qualified education staff. Each 3-4 week session will include lessons about animal needs and challenges, and different service and volunteer activities, and explore project ideas for Jr Optimists, Key Club, or Builders Club. Sign up for one, or the whole series!

The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery invites you to enjoy Science On a Sphere®. Go where you’ve never been and take a tour of the cosmos from an entirely new perspective!

This 68-inch diameter globe, suspended in mid-air, takes visitors on a dynamic tour of Earth and space! Explore the darkest reaches of the space and discover some of the most breathtaking astronomical phenomena in the galaxy. Then view an astonishing array of visualizations showing Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land.

Imagine exploring the darkest reaches of space and viewing some of the most breathtaking astronomical phenomena in the galaxy. Then imagine watching 24 hours of time-capsulated images showing commercial air traffic around the world, or tracking turtles as they cross the Pacific.

Located in Tait Auditorium on the second floor of the Museum, Science On a Sphere® is a suspended carbon fiber globe that presents hard-to-grasp data and other complex information in a way that makes it accessible to everyone.