10 great things to do in Dayton this weekend

Credit: Russell Florence Jr.

A hit Broadway drama based on a classic novel, a concert by a Grammy-winning artist, funny ventriloquism and multiple festivals are among events to keep on your radar this weekend.

1. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

When: Through Oct. 22; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton

Details: All rise for one of the best shows of 2023. Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin’s terrific, thought-provoking and timely adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, presented courtesy of Dayton Live and directed by Bartlett Sher with excellent depth and fluidity, stars an outstanding Richard Thomas (”The Waltons”) as steadfast, upright lawyer Atticus Finch. In one of the finest roles of his esteemed career, Thomas provides a master class in folksy charm and compelling authority as racial sparks fly inside and outside a Maycomb, Alabama courtroom circa 1934. The luminous, Broadway-caliber cast includes the wonderfully inquisitive Melanie Moore as Scout, terrifically observational Jacqueline Williams as no-nonsense Calpurnia, Stephen Cefalu, Jr. believably torn between boyhood and adulthood as Jem, delightfully distinct Steven Lee Johnson as Dill Harris, quietly powerful Yaegel T. Welch as falsely accused Tom Robinson, dynamic duo Ted Koch and Mariah Lee as the fiercely bigoted Bob and Mayella Ewell, and the perfectly persnickety Mary Badham as Mrs. Dubose. Badham notably received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Scout in the iconic 1962 film. This remarkably relevant production smartly peppered with contemporary commentary delivers three hours of riveting bliss. Don’t miss it.

Cost: $39-$139

More info: 937-228-3630 or www.daytonlive.org

The 12th annual Fairborn Halloween Festival will be held Oct. 20-22. TOM GILLIAM/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Credit: Tom Gilliam

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Credit: Tom Gilliam

2. Fairborn Halloween Festival

When: Oct. 20-22; 4-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Downtown Fairborn

Details: Enjoy live music, food trucks, a beer garden, amusement rides, games, vendors, Foy’s Haunted Museum, costume contest, a zombie walk and more.

Cost: Free

More info: www.ca.fairbornchamber.com

Amy Grant, who has had success in Christian music and the secular world, winning six Grammy Awards and more than 20 Dove Awards, performs at Arbogast Performing Arts Center in Troy on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

3. Amy Grant

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21

Where: Arbogast Performing Arts Center, 500 S. Dorset Road, Troy

Details: Amy Grant has had a long and storied career since signing with Myrrh Records in 1976 at the age of 15. The Georgia native has had success in Christian music and the secular world, winning six Grammy Awards and more than 20 Dove Awards. Grant has sold more than 30 million albums and amassed more than 1 billion global streams. In 2022, she was a Kennedy Center honoree. (Don Thrasher)

Cost: $35-$95

More info: 937-418-8392 or www.arbogastpac.com

4. Dayton Dia de los Muertos Parade & Celebration

When: Saturday, Oct. 21

Where: Celebration begins at noon across from Dublin Pub, located at Fifth and Wayne Ave. in downtown Dayton. The parade will start at 2 p.m. and travel west through the Oregon District to the Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St.

Details: The Mexican celebration of life returns to Dayton for the 12th year. The event provides an opportunity to remember loved ones while also enjoying delicious food and a special performance by Maria Reyna Gonzalez Lopez, which is expected to start around 3 p.m.

Cost: Free

More info: Facebook

Bach Society of Dayton opens its 22nd season of choral concerts with “Songs of Ecstatic Praise” at Kettering Adventist Church in Kettering on Sunday, Oct. 22.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Adam Alonzo

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Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Adam Alonzo

5. Bach Society

When: 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22

Where: Kettering Adventist Church, 3939 Stonebridge Road, Kettering

Details: Bach Society of Dayton opens its 22nd season of choral concerts with “Songs of Ecstatic Praise.” The program features the Oakwood Brass and works by J.S. Bach, Benjamin Britten and John Rutter. (Don Thrasher)

Cost: $30 adults, $25 active military, $20 students, free children 12 and younger; $90 season tickets for the four-program 2023-2024 the Paths of Visionaries season

More info: 937-294-2224 or www.bachsocietyofdayton.org

6. Boo and Brew

When: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20

Where: Those interested in participating should start at Moeller Brew Barn, 416 E. First St., Dayton

Details: Dayton’s Water Street District is hosting its first annual Halloween-themed bar crawl. Participating venues include Dayton Beer Company, Warped Wing and Little Fish Brewing Company. Participants will receive a stamp at each establishment with any food or drink purchase. Those that visits all participating breweries and return to Moeller Brew Barn with five stamps will receive a 2023 Boo and Brew T-shirt.

More info: Facebook

Internationally-beloved ventriloquist Jeff Dunham brings his “Still Not Canceled Tour” to the Nutter Center on Friday, Oct. 20. CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

7. Jeff Dunham

When: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20

Where: Nutter Center, 3640 Col. Glenn Highway, Dayton

Details: The popular ventriloquist has shattered ratings with his broadcast specials, global tours and a best-selling autobiography. His current tour is called “Still Not Canceled.”

Cost: $55.50

More info: 937-775-1000 or www.nuttercenter.com

8. Family Fall Adventure

When: 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21

Where: Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton

Details: Families can enjoy games, crafts, face painting, a marshmallow roast, live music and a magician.

Cost: Free

More info: www.metroparks.org

Local country & western act Golden Buy and his Bucking Bloviators celebrate the new Atom Records release, “Personal Pain,” at Hidden Gem Music Club in Centerville on Friday, Oct. 20.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

9. Golden Guy

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Where: Hidden Gem Music Club, 507 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Centerville

Details: The local country and western artist brings his band the Bucking Bloviators back to Hidden Gem. The group is celebrating the release of the new album, “Personal Pain,” being released on local independent label Atom Records. The material, written by filmmaker and storyboard artist J. Todd Anderson, was recorded with Patrick Himes at Reel Love Recording Company in Dayton. (Don Thrasher)

Cost: Free

More info: 937-829-4874 or www.hiddengemdayton.com

10. Troops & Treats

When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21

Where: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, 1100 Spaatz St., Dayton

Details: Enjoy dressing in costume, trick-or-treating and playing games.

Cost: Free

More info: 937-255-3286 or www.nationalmusuem.af.mil

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