Festival season is upon us! From foodie favorites to community festivals, holiday celebrations to summer fairs, Dayton comes alive during the summer. With rides, games, prizes and funnel cake, summer festivals are guaranteed fun for the entire family. From May through August, each weekend brings another opportunity for festival fun — and we hope you make it a very festive summer!
Our guide to the best 2019 summer festivals in Dayton features can’t-miss fests and events for your family!
Wright Patterson AFB Family Fun Fest Carnival
May 3-11 at Springfield St., 1/2 Mile Northeast of the Air Force Museum (across from Gate 1-B),
They have a variety of fun and interactive rides for every age group to make every child’s visit to our carnival a memorable one, plus plenty of fun and fair, family-oriented games – and of course, lots of food concessions. Free.
Farm Babies Fest
May 18-19 at Aullwood Audubon Center & Farm
Enjoy two full days of baby animals, farm adventures, great food and old fashioned fun at Farm Babies Fest at Aullwood Farm, 9101 Frederick Pike, Dayton Ohio. Admission is only $10 per car! Mark your calendar for Saturday and Sunday, May 18th and 19th from 10 AM to 5 PM, and bring your friends and family for fun on the farm at this year’s double-sized Farm Babies Fest!
A World A’Fair Dayton International Festival
May 17-19 at Dayton Convention Center
A World A’Fair is a celebration of diversity that showcases the food, dancing, music, costumes, and cultural exhibits representing the ethnic backgrounds and cultures of Dayton and the greater Miami Valley. We showcase booths from 31 countries and ethnic groups, and run two full-time stages with performances from both the local groups as well as regional, national and international performing groups.
Spring Fest in the Burg
May 17-19 at Library Park
Spring Fest in the Burg is a family friendly festival and we have activities for the little ones all weekend. We will have games and activities as well as some special guests on Saturday and Sunday to make the weekend even more special!
St. Brigid Parish Festival
May 17-19 at St. Brigid Parish
Come and enjoy good food and family fun at our annual three-day community festival. Festival food, rides, kids games, adult games, bingo, live music Friday and Saturday night. Beer is served in a designated area.
Feast of the Flowering Moon Festival
May 24-26 at Yoctangee Park
Entertainment, Kid’s Fun Run, Senior Citizens Day & Bingo, Memorial Day Parade, & Anything That Floats But A Boat Race, and much more! Free.
Feast of the Flowering Moon
Patriot Freedom Festival
May 25-26 at Dayton VA Medical Center
The purpose of the Festival is to provide an activity on the Dayton VA Medical Center Campus which welcomes the community onto the historic grounds of the 1868 “Soldiers’ Home” so they may interact with the Veterans living on-campus and learn about the history of our American Military. This is a fun learning opportunity, provided by the reenactors from various military eras as well as a bus tour of the campus led by our docent/historian. The Festival partners with the volunteers in the Grotto Gardens who provide a tour of the Gardens and activities for children. Food vendors available. Free.
Dayton Heritage Festival at Carillon Park
May 26 at Carillon Park
Held on Memorial Day weekend, Heritage Day at Carillon Historical Park celebrates Dayton’s unparalleled history through special activities, costumed interpreters, and more. Draped in patriotic decorations, the Park welcomes thousands of guests each year to this family-friendly event!
Bradford Ohio Railroad Museum Festival
June 1 at Bradford Railroad Museum
Celebrate 130 years of Railroad History and Exhibits. Enjoy model train layouts, Ride the Carillon Park Portable train for all ages. Children can ride Thomas the Tank or play in the Thomas the Train play room. Learn hobo language and signs and experience a hobo jungle.Train related games and crafts. Learn about railroad safety. Drone Race, Military Vehicles, 101 st Airborne Re- en actors, Historical Exhibits and more.
Troy Strawberry Festival
June 1-2 at Downtown Troy
This family-friendly festival has over 200 Arts and Crafts exhibitors, nonstop entertainment on two stages, activities for kids and so much more! Enjoy a variety of food and of course delicious strawberry delights. This year’s theme is “A Berry WACO Weekend”. Free.
Photo Credit: Troy Strawberry Festival
Jewish Cultural Festival
June 2 at Temple Isreal
The free, family-friendly festival is an annual tradition celebrating Jewish culture, music, and cuisine with the entire Miami Valley community – both Jewish and non-Jewish. Children of all ages can meet and learn about animals up-close at the festival’s educational petting zoo. For added fun, kids can climb the 18-foot tall inflatable Mt. Masada slide and express their creativity with crafts and activities. Free.
Photo Credit: Temple Isreal
Farmstead Cheese Festival at Youngs
June 3-9 at Young’s Jersey Dairy
They offer unlimited Young’s Family Fun Wristbands all week to help celebrate our 9th year of making Young’s Farmstead Cheese! Good for unlimited family fun all over the farm – unlimited miniature golf, batting cages, driving range, Cowvin’s Fast Slide, Moovers & Shakers & Cowvin’s Kiddie Corral.
Banana Split Festival
June 7-8 in Wilmington, OH
This festival features good old-fashioned fun with games and rides for everyone, crafts and collectibles, live music, a classic car cruise-in and car show, unique food booths, a banana split eating contest and of course the “make your own” banana split booth.
Photo Credit: Banana Split Festival
St Christopher Parish Summer Festival
June 7-9 at St Christopher Parish
Church festival with carnival rides, great beer tent, and good prices in the food tent. Cotton, Common Thread, and Flashback performing. A good time for all. Free.
St. Helen Spring Festival
June 7-9 at St. Helen Parish
Rides, games of chance, food galore, a wide selection of craft beers, margaritas and wine – plus 20+ musical acts on 2 stages. New this year: Additional off-site parking at Carroll High School with shuttle to Festival.
Yellow Springs Street Fair
June 8 in Yellow Springs, OH
Over 200 booths selling fine arts & crafts, clothing, jewelry, fair trade items, unique gifts, massages and much more, join the international selection of cuisine from Vietnamese shish-kabob to Mexican empanadas to Thai wraps to hot dogs.
Lebanon Country Music Festival
June 8 in Downtown Lebanon
The Lebanon Country Music Festival is an annual festival held in Lebanon, Ohio to celebrate country music, family fun, and one of a kind vendors. Last year we had 12,000 people come and enjoy this festival and we want you to be a part of it this year as we grow with you! So come on and start Stompin’ in the Street.
Kettering Block Party at The Fraze
June 23 at Fraze Pavilion
Join us for another Kettering Block Party at Lincoln Park and Fraze Pavilion and help us celebrate the 40th anniversary of the City of Kettering Volunteer Program! Enjoy free entertainment on the Fraze stage and meet your friends and neighbors in Lincoln Park and find out why “Kettering Is Home.” While supplies last: the Safety Section of the City of Kettering will be providing free bicycle helmet fittings for children ages 5 to 16. One of the most popular events at each year’s block party!
Summer Arts Festival
June 13- July 20 at Veterans Park Amphitheater
Springfield Arts Council presents the annual admission-free Summer Arts Festival each June and July in Veterans Park, downtown Springfield. Free.
Celtic Fest Ohio
June 14-16 at Ohio Renaissance Festival
Enjoy a wide variety of food items from traditional Scottish, Irish, and English to American Fare. Browse over 100 arts and crafts shops featuring the most unique items all made with a Celtic flare!
Summer Solstice Lavender Festival
June 15-16 at Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm
Come join us for a weekend of making memories, connecting to nature, and of course, All things lavender! As we pull it back in, our goal is to maintain the integrity of a small lavender farm festival, not bigger or better. This event is held RAIN OR SHINE. Free.
Photo Credit: Summer Solstice Lavender Festival
Dayton Air Show
June 22-23 at Dayton International Airport
This is your chance to get up close and personal with the aircraft and pilots! Get your tickets early to see the world-renowned United States Navy Blue Angels along with an amazing lineup of performers and aircraft displays and so much more.
Rail Festival at Carillon Park
June 22-23 at Carillon Park
Join them for live steam engines, model train displays, historical exhibits, free miniature train rides, food and merchandise vendors. Fun for all ages!
Rail Festival at Carillon Park
Centerville Americana Festival and Fireworks
July 3rd & 4th at Centerville, OH
Displays start at Franklin Street, near Town Hall, and extend north to the Centerville-Washington Park District activity center where carnival-style games and inflatable elements offer entertainment for kids. Along the way are vendors and staged and strolling entertainers. The Festival concludes at 5:00 pm.*Fireworks will be held on July 3rd
Red, White & Brew at Fairfield Commons
July 6 at The Mall at Fairfield Commons
The event will include live entertainment, family-friendly activities, food trucks, firework asnd more! The event will also include a beer garden some of the best local beers!
Logan County Fair
July 7-13 at Logan County Fairgrounds
Celebrating 50 years of amusement, Durant Enterprises of Dupont, OH will provide the Midway Rides, Food, and Games for the Logan County Fair. Durant Enterprises has an outstanding record for providing safe, clean, fun, and family friendly entertainment.
The Montgomery County Fair
July 8-14 at Montgomery County Fairgrounds
They will feature all the fair favorites: demolition derby, 4H, junior fair, livestock, petting zoo, dog show, circus, flower show, games, rides, awesome fair eats & treats, harness racing, rodeo, free entertainment with paid admission, plus much more!
Warren County Fair
July 15-20 at Warren County Fairgrounds
Fun, food, games, rides, demo derby, tractor pulls, live harness racing, livestock shows and sales, barn yard display, jungle island zoo animals, pony rides, musical groups, corn hole tournament, talent show, karaoke, and parade with hot air balloons. Plus we are introducing a new event this year: Tug-a-Truck!
Summer Moon Festival
July 19-21 at Armstrong Air & Space Museum
Enjoy astronaut presentations, exhibits from NASA, aviation inflatables, free activities, science demonstrations, face painting, mini golf, your favorite Star Wars characters, live entertainment, the Lima Area Concert Band, animals from an area zoo, the Run to the Moon races, and so much more! Free.
Dayton Celtic Festival
July 26-28 at Riverscape MetroPark
An anticipated 80,000 people will head to RiverScape this weekend for Celtic Fest, and as always, there will be plenty of Irish food, beer, music, culture and live entertainment.
