After a cold and seemingly never-ending winter, summer (and summer fun) has returned to the Miami Valley! You’ll find festivals, community events and opportunities for family fun all season long. But where to start? To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of activities to keep you and your family busy throughout the summer months. Read on to start planning your best summer ever.

Brookville Community Picnic
July 27-29
Community festival with music, fishing derby and more. Th 3-9 p.m., F noon-10 p.m., Sa 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Golden Gate Park, 545 Upper Lewisburg Salem Rd, Brookville.

St. Ann Parish Festival
July 28-29
Church festival with music, food and games. 6-11:30 p.m. Free. St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 3028 Pleasant Ave, Hamilton.

Annie Oakley Festival
July 28-30
Family festival honoring sharpshooter Annie Oakley. F-Sa 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Su 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Darke County Fairgrounds, 800 Sweitzer St, Greenville.

Dayton Celtic Fest
July 28-30
Celtic music and heritage festival. F 5:30-11 p.m., Sa 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Su 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. RiverScape MetroPark, 111 E. Monument Ave., Dayton.

Dayton goes green again this summer.

Since 2002, the Dayton Celtic Fest has been a staple of Dayton culture. The typically sprawling event is spread across three days and three stages, with a full itinerary of events and music. The event is hosted by the United Irish of Dayton and takes place July 28-30 at RiverScape MetroPark.

Cultural events include Sunday Mass, which will be hosted at 10 a.m. on the United Irish of Dayton Stage. The mass will presented in both Gaelic and English. Immediately after the mass on Sunday is the Parade of Kilts. The parade invites men to wear kilts and display Celtic pride around the festival in a march led by bagpipers and flag bearers. Exhibit stations will also be situated around the festival and will feature demonstrations from the Dayton Area Rugby Club and the Riley School of Irish Music, among others.

Besides the events, the festival includes seven musical headliners. Headliners include Gaelic Storm, Doolin’, The Fitzgeralds, Boxing Banjo, Socks in the Frying Pan, Davy Holt and the Drowsy Lads.

“It was a great event last year, and a ton of people” says Sam Stout, a Dayton resident and attendee of last year’s festival. “I wasn’t there for all three days, but I enjoyed the mass and watching Gaelic Storm perform.”

“I also was not one of the participants in the Parade of Kilts, but it was fun to watch so many people dress for it.” – Gus Nations

GreekFest
July 29
Greek church festival with food, church tours and music. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 2500 Grand Ave, Middletown.

The Gathering at Garst
July 29-30
Festival with craftsmen, historical reenactments, food and spirts. Sa 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Su 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 205 N Broadway, Greenville. 937-548-5250

Hanover Winery Wine Festival
Aug. 4-5
Live music, food trucks and 25-plus wines to try. F 5-10 p.m., Sa 1-10 p.m. Adults 21+ $5, free parking. Hanover Winery, 2165 Morman Rd, Hamilton. 513-863-3119

Down a River, Down a Beer
Aug. 5
Craft beer tastings and river activities. 5:30-9 p.m. $35 presale. Behind the old Piqua Power Plant, 919 S Main St, Piqua.

Germanfest Picnic
Aug. 11-13
German food, music and traditions. F 5-11 p.m., Sa 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Su 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Dayton Liederkranz-Turner, 1400 E Fifth St, Dayton. 937-429-9251

A Dayton tradition returns for its 40th year this August. The Germanfest Picnic promises to be three days of fun Aug. 11-13. The festival is free and will be held in and around the Liederkranz-Turner German-American Club in Dayton. With imported craft German beer, live entertainment and authentic German food, make sure you don’t forget your picnic blanket.

John Koerner, longtime chairman of the Liederkranz-Turner Germanfest Picnic, says the festival is just like any other—a great time for people of all ages with plenty of fun things to do for everyone in the family. The only difference is a distinct German authenticity and atmosphere that could fool a festival goer into thinking they were in the heart of Bavaria.

“No other festival anywhere around here provides visitors with a greater variety of German beers, particularly the seasonal Oktoberfest beers,” Koerner says. “We usually have the first ones to come in from Munich.”

Koerner says that the Germanfest Picnic partners with an importer that gets all its craft beer, wine and liquor for the picnic directly from Germany.

The food at the festival will largely be made in house as authentically as possible and will feature an assortment of German dishes like schnitzel, sausages and sauerkraut.

While parents have fun drinking craft German beer and trying amazing food, kids can enjoy a special new puppet show this year that features the traditional German fairy tales told by the Grimm Brothers.

“Our food, our beers, our music, the costumes that we wear, the decorations that we use in children’s games, we do everything that we do so the experience is as authentic as possible,” says Koerner. – Jack Tincher

St. Brigid Festival
Aug. 11-13
Church festival with miniature golf and other games. St. Brigid Parish Church, 312 Fairground Rd, Xenia.

Art on the Lawn
Aug. 12
Juried art fair. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mills Lawn School, 200 S Walnut St, Yellow Springs.

If you’re looking for an artistic summer activity, you can visit Art on the Lawn for a fun, relaxing afternoon and maybe get a present for a loved one.

Vendors at Art on the Lawn will be showcasing work from nine different art categories, including jewelry, ceramics, painting and drawing, photography and glass art.

As of when the magazine went to press, 113 vendors had signed up for the event in 2023, says Leah Mendenhall, who has been helping host the show with the Village Artisans for 21 years.

While the event has been around for 39 years, this year is the first time Yellow Springs will close down Walnut Street so visitors to walk freely through the different art vendors and food trucks.

One of the main goals of this show is to promote handmade art and provide a platform for beginning artists. “This is a good festival for beginning artists and for experienced artists as well. Compared to a lot of other festivals, our entry fees are on the lower end range of things and we like to really promote handmade art,” says Mendenhall.

At the end of the event, one of the vendors is awarded Best in Show based on the quality and craftsmanship of the art. Those who win the award receive a free booth space the following year.

“It’s a laid-back show people can come and walk through, find some nice unique gifts or items to buy for people or to have for themselves, and just to enjoy the day,” says Mendenhall. – Andrea Oberto

BoomerFest
Aug. 12
Free festival with Baby Boomer-inspired entertainment. Noon-10 p.m. Free. St. Leonard, 8100 Clyo Rd, Centerville.

Dayton Potato Festival
Aug. 12
Food festival that showcases the potato. Noon-8 p.m. Oak and Ivy Park, 803 Anderson Goodrich St, Dayton.

Englewood Festival
Aug. 12-13
Art fair, 5K race, parade and more. Sa 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Su 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Centennial Park, 321 Union Blvd, Englewood.

Art on the Commons
Aug. 13
Arts and craft festival featuring about 100 artists. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Lincoln Park Civic Commons, 675 Lincoln Park Blvd, Kettering. 937-296-0294

Bellbrook SummerFest
Aug. 18-19
Community festival with parade and car show. F 5-11 p.m., Sa 4-11 p.m. 51 S East St, Bellbrook.

BaconFest
Aug. 19
Food festival that celebrates all things bacon. 3-10 p.m. Free. Fraze Pavillion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd, Kettering.

Porchfest
Aug. 19
Free mini concerts held on neighborhood porches. 12:15-6:45 p.m. Free. 1450 E Fifth St, St. Anne’s Hill.

Springfield Rotary Gourmet Food Truck Festival
Aug. 19
Live entertainment paired with up to 35 food trucks. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. Veteran’s Park, 250 Cliff Park Rd, Springfield.

Dayton African American Cultural Festival
Aug. 19-20
African American cultural experiences, like the African Village, and live music. Sa noon-8 p.m., Su noon-6 p.m. Island MetroPark, 101 E. Helena St, Dayton.

Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
Aug. 19-20
Family-friendly festival that will feature a cornhole tournament. Sa 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Su 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Community Park, 391 Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd, Fairborn.

Greater Dayton Lebanese Festival
Aug. 25-27
Traditional Lebanese food, music and dance. F 5-9 p.m., Sa 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Su 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. St. Ignatius of Antioch Maronite Church, 50 Nutt Rd, Washington Township.

Hamilpalooza
Aug. 26
Meet Hamilton businesses, restaurants, nonprofits, clubs and more. Noon-6 p.m. Free. Downtown Hamilton around Marcum Park.

Hops in the Hangar 
Aug. 26
Beer tastings paired with an airshow and skydivers. 4-9 p.m. $25-$50. Middletown Regional Airport, 1707 Run Way, Middletown.

Ohio Valley Orchid Fest
Aug. 26-27
Orchid show, sales and demonstrations, plus food and family-fun activities. Sa 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Su 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 4865 Wilmington Pike, Kettering.

Mulberry Market
Sept. 1-2
Curated market featuring handmade and vintage items. F 3-8 p.m. Sa 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $5-$15. Walnut Hills Farm Market, 9085 Adams Rd, Dayton.

Ohio Renaissance Festival 
Sept. 2-Oct. 29, weekends & Labor Day
Recreated 16th century English village with food, costumed characters and entertainment. 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. $10-$80. 10542 OH-73, Waynesville.

Kettering Holiday at Home
Sept. 2-4
Labor Day weekend festival that includes a gala, car show, art show, 5K run and more. Sa Gala 6-11 p.m., Su 10 a.m.-6p.m., M 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 395 Lincoln Park Blvd, Kettering.

Vandalia Oktoberfest
Sept. 8-9
German food, live music and arts and crafts vendors. F 6 p.m.-midnight, Sa noon-midnight. $5. Vandalia Sports Complex, 1111 Stonequarry Rd, Dayton.

Troy Ohio Porchfest
Sept. 9
Southwest historic district hosts 40 bands on 40 porches. 10:30 a.m. Troy-Hayner Cultural Center, 301 W Main St, Troy.

Hispanic Heritage Festival
Sept. 16
Parade, live music, dancing, entertainment and authentic Latin food. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Free. RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton.

Concours d’Elegance
Sept. 17
Car show featuring around 200 antique and classic automobiles and motorcycles. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. $10-$20, free for Dayton History members and children 3 and under. Carillon Historical Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd, Dayton.

Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest
Sept. 22-24
Southwest Ohio’s longest-running Oktoberfest celebration. F 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. & 1-11 p.m., Sa noon-11:30 p.m., Su noon-7 p.m. $5-$10, free children 6 and under. Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N, Dayton.

Germantown Pretzel Festival
Sept. 23-24
Craft vendors, rides and lots of pretzels. Sa 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Su noon-6 p.m. Free. Veterans Memorial Park, 190 W Warren St, Germantown.