Dayton Record Fair returns to Eudora Brewing, early bird tickets available

The annual Dayton Record Fair is back, offering thousands of new and used records, CDs, tapes and memorabilia for sale from some of the best music vendors in the Midwest.

The fair will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 at Eudora Brewing Company in Kettering.

For die-hard collectors and for those who want to avoid the rush, $5 will grant attendees early bird admission from 11 a.m. to noon. Limited pre-sale early bird tickets will be available soon.

General admission is free from noon until the end of the event.

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Expect a wide variety of items — from rare collectibles to more affordable, popular media.

Eudora Brewing will offer a full food menu from its kitchen, along with sodas and craft beers brewed in-house.

Adding to the vibe, live all-vinyl DJs Sunset Combs and Vern Whitt will spin a lively soundtrack while attendees flip through the stacks of records.

Event organizer Luke Tandy — who owns Skeleton Dust Records — notes that last year was the first time the fair offered free admission, which led to the largest turnout he’d ever seen at the event.

“There were lines at people’s tables. I’d never seen that, but the fair has also never been free,” Tandy said. “We added the early bird this year to provide a way for people to avoid the crowds.”

The Dayton Record Fair is co-sponsored by Eudora Brewing Company and local record stores Skeleton Dust Records, Omega Music, Blind Rage Records, Catacomb Records and Resignation Records. Attendees will have a chance to win one of six $20 gift cards from the sponsors during the event.

Tandy, who has organized around 10 record fairs, believes in the power of collaboration.

“It’s more advantageous for everybody to work together,” he said. “Having all of the local stores involved just brings more people. Working together makes for a better event overall.”

In addition to the co-sponsors, other featured vendors include Jorin Edgerly, Stanley’s Records, Ron House/Moses Carryout, Rod Sounik, Broken Melody Records, Jon Lorenz, N2U Vinyl & Vintage, Three Feather Records, Ron’s Records and Watch It Again. Most of the vendors are Ohio-based, hailing from Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus, with a few traveling from Kentucky.

“Record fairs are amazing because they bring people together who all have mutual interest in music and physical media,” Tandy said. “Just getting to have conversations with people is one of my favorite parts. Whether it’s with customers of mine, or when I’m shopping at other people’s tables chatting about music, it’s just us getting together and sharing our love for it.”

Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.