After the dread of a cold and seemingly never-ending winter, summer and its many joys have returned to the Miami Valley. This year, you’ll find festivals, concerts and more opportunities for family fun all season long.

Festivals

Mid July, The Ohio Challenge (July 18-19) will return to Middletown with its hot air balloons and drones before lighting up the sky with a firework show. Likewise, Hops in the Hangar (Aug. 23) will keep attendees’ eyes in the sky. The beer-tasting event at the Middletown Regional Airport will include an airshow and skydivers.

Perhaps one of the more exciting propositions of summer events is the ability to try new foods. Events like the 74th Brookville Community Picnic (July 24-26) at Golden Gate Park and the dozens of food trucks at the Springfield Rotary Gourmet Food Truck Festival (Aug. 16) offer a chance for the community to come together and break bread.

For those who already know what they like, or maybe just want to try some innovative takes on staple ingredients, there are numerous festivals highlighting singular ingredients. The Dayton Potato Fest (Aug. 9) will take over Oak and Ivy Park while Bacon Fest (Aug. 2) will bring crispy and smoky flavors to Fraze Pavilion.

In addition to those food festivals, events like the Germanfest Picnic (Aug. 8-10), Dayton Art Institute Oktoberfest (Sept. 26-28) and Germantown Pretzel Festival (Sept. 27-28) celebrate Dayton’s German heritage. Meanwhile, other events celebrate the diversity of Dayton including the Dayton Greek Festival (Sept. 5-7) and the Greater Dayton Lebanese Festival (Aug. 22-24), with each highlighting their respective countries and people. Other events that celebrate Dayton’s population are the Dayton African American Cultural Festival (Aug. 16-17) in addition to the Hispanic Heritage Festival & Parade (Sept. 20).

Beyond all these exciting takes on different facets of food and culture in the Dayton area, the summer staple of a church festival stays strong this year, with numerous chances to take part in the fun at houses of worship such as St Brigid Parish Festival in Xenia (Aug. 8-10).

Perhaps some of the more unusual offerings are the porchfests that will occur this summer. The Troy Ohio PorchFest (Sept. 13) will offer attendees over 40 concerts across 40 porches throughout the city. In August, Dayton Porchfest (Aug. 16) will take over St Anne’s Hill, offering free concerts as well.

Live Music

Beyond the many festivals that offer an exciting chance to get outside and enjoy all that the city offers, Dayton’s live music venues offer plenty of chances to get out of the house and to a concert.

At Fraze Pavilion in Kettering, the roster of concerts includes Cincinnati-based group The Menus (July 11), the music stylings of Skillet, a Christian rock band from Memphis (Aug. 17), and the Outlaws (Aug. 22). Meanwhile, the kings of Surf Rock, The Beach Boys, will close out the summer (Sept. 7).

Over at the Levitt Pavilion, a stacked lineup with keep the city entertained through the hot months. Carlene Carter (July 18) and DuPont Brass (July 19) inject some energy into the mid-July lineup while Gospel Fest (July 26) and Ace Monroe (July 31) help close out the month. August features several musical artists bringing their sounds to the Dayton public as well. Blueprint (Aug. 1) kicks off the month, with acts like Rubén Albarrán (Aug. 7), Ashes & Arrows (Aug. 8), MojoFlo (Aug. 14), Dulahan (Aug. 23) and more making appearances throughout the month. In addition to the many acts taking the stage this summer, the venue will also host events honoring different communities and their music, such as Celebrating our Native American Community with Indigenous (Aug. 9) and Kick Off Spanish Heritage Month with Grupo Fuego (Sept. 6).

In Huber Heights, the Rose Music Center at the Heights will feature names both big and small for enjoyment this summer. Familiar names like Bonnie Rait (Sept. 6), Rob Thomas (Aug. 18) and The Temptations (Aug. 7) will inject some star power into the area while bands like Leftover Salmon and the Infamous Stringdusters (July 16) and more will deliver some indie sounds for all those interested.

Other Happenings

Annie Oakley Festival 
July 25-27 
An ode to western areas and cowboy culture, this family festival honors 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. annieoakleyfestival.org 

United Irish of Dayton Celtic Fest 
July 25-27 
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. daytoncelticfestival.com 

The Gathering at Garst 
July 26-27
Festival with craftsmen, historical reenactments, food and spirits. At Drake Count Parks. Sa 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Su 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 205 N. Broadway, Greenville. darkecountyparks.org/gathering2025

Down a River, Down a Beer 
Aug. 2 
Craft beer tastings and river activities. 5:30-9 p.m. Behind the old Piqua Power Plant, 919 S. Main St., Piqua. downariverdownabeer.com 

Art on the Lawn 
Aug. 9 
Juried art fair. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Livermore and E. North College streets, Yellow Springs. facebook.com/ArtOnTheLawnYellowSprings/ 

Englewood Festival 
Aug. 9-10 
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. englewood.oh.us/237/Englewood-Festival 

Art on the Commons 
Aug. 10 
Arts and craft festival with about 100 artists. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Lincoln Park Civic Commons, 675 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering. playkettering.org/art-programs-events/art-on-the-commons/ 

Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival 
Aug. 16-17 
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, 691 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, Fairborn. fairbornsweetcornfestival.org 

Hamilpalooza 
Aug. 23 
Meet Hamilton businesses, restaurants, nonprofits, clubs and more. Noon-6 p.m. Free. Downtown Hamilton around Marcum Park. hamilton-ohio.com/hamilpalooza 

Ohio Valley Orchid Fest 
Aug. 23-24
Orchid show, sales and demonstrations, plus food and family-fun activities. Sa 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Su noon-3 p.m. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 4865 Wilmington Pike, Kettering. ohiovalleyorchidfest.com 

Ohio Renaissance Festival 
Aug. 30-Oct. 26, weekends & Labor Day 
Recreated 16th-century English village with food, costumed characters and entertainment. 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Price Varies. 10542 OH-73, Waynesville. renfestival.com 

Kettering Holiday at Home 
Aug. 30–Sep. 1
Labor Day weekend festival that includes a gala, car show, art show, 5K run and more. Sa 6-10 p.m., Su 10 a.m.-6 p.m., M 7:50 a.m.-5 p.m. Fraze Pavillion, 395 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering. holidayathome.org 

Concours d’Elegance 
Sept. 14 
Car show featuring around 200 antique and classic automobiles and motorcycles. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Price varies, free for Dayton History members and children 3 and under. Carillon Historical Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd., Dayton. daytonconcours.com 

More Concerts

Levitt Pavilion

Aug. 15 Incendio
Aug. 21 System Ali
Aug. 22 Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Sept. 4 – Jesse “JT Jazz” Thompson
Sept. 5 – Miller & the Other Sinners

Rose Music Center at the Heights 

July 26 Backman-Turner Overdrive
and The Marshall Tucker Band
Aug. 2 April Wine and Molly Hatchet
Aug. 5 Toad The Wet Sprocket
Aug. 6 The Black Crowes
Aug. 8 America
Aug. 9 Dark Star Orchestra
Aug. 17 Brit Floyd