There Are a Lot of Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in Dayton, Ohio This Year

Residents of and visitors to Dayton, Ohio, can celebrate Christmas this year, and learn about holidays around the world, at what has been called one of the best holiday celebrations in the state at the Dayton Holiday Festival in downtown Dayton. The event runs from Thanksgiving through the end of December and is free. The event is actually designed to celebrate all holidays of the season. The website, www.downtowndayton.org, offers more information.

Virginia Kettering, the founder of the festival, began the tradition 30 years ago. Her intent was to bring the festival to everyone-regardless of a spectator's financial means.

The festival begins with the "Grand Illumination" and entertainment. Visitors can then celebrate "Holidays Around the World." They can then enjoy a "Holiday Street Fair," followed by a "Children's Parade," "Distinguished Clown Corps," and entertainment programs at noon. Visitors can then go on one of the Historic Neighborhood Trolley Tours. They will also be able to enjoy the Weekend activities, "Lighting Up Downtown," "Tuba Christmas," "Dayton's Holiday Hunt," and Santaland Animated Window Displays.

If you would like to see something a little different to celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing, OZ With Orchestra, on Friday, November 11 and Saturday November 12 at Schuster Center at 8:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.daytonphilharmonic.com and range in price from $24 each to $71 each.

In the show, the complete original Wizard of Oz movie will be accompanied by a live orchestra. Neal Gittleman is the conductor of the show.

According to the website, if you love the story, characters, and music of the original movie, you'll want to be in the Schuster Center. You will see the theater turned into the Emerald City.

The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra can also help you celebrate Christmas in a more traditional manner with Handel's Messiah Mozart Style on Wednesday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. at the Schuster Center. Tickets range in price from $11-$36.

Guest soprano, Deborah Selig, guest alto Lisa Van Der Ploeg, guest tenor John Wesley Wright, and guest baritone Andrew Garland, join the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and the music director in a performance of the all-time holiday favorite. Handel's beautiful statement of faith, Messiah, was arranged in a larger, more sweeping setting by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart respected the original piece, so the result is triumphant.

If you are looking for a special Christmas gift in Dayton, you might want to attend the National Holiday Gift Show at Hara Arena, 1001 Shiloh Springs Road on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in late November. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. More information can be obtained by calling (937) 278-4776.

The show has been a tradition since 1982. Hundreds of exhibitors display a huge selection of seasonal crafts, artwork, collectibles, ceramics, and personalized items. Of course, Santa will be at the show.

The Dayton Ballet will perform the Nutcracker from December 15-23 at Schuster Center. Tickets range in price from $25 to $55 each for an adult and from $25 to $37 for a child and may be ordered by phone or in person.

The Nutcracker is based on the story, The Nutcracker and the King of Mice, by E.T.A. Hoffman. What is seen on stage today is different from the original story, but the basic plot is similar. A young German girl dreams of a Nutcracker prince and a fierce battle with a Mouse King with seven heads.

The story includes a party scene, with a grand house and a beautiful tree and two life-sized dolls that start to dance.

There is also a fight scene in which toys get into a fierce battle with an army of mice, led by the Mouse King. The Mouse King and the Nutcracker battle face-to-face.

The Nutcracker turns into a prince and takes to a Land of Snow, which is an enchanted forest wonderland, where they are welcomed by dancing snowflakes.

In the Land of Sweets a variety of dances are performed: The Spanish Dance; the Arabian Dance; the Russian Dance; the Chinese Dance; the Mirliton Dance; and the Waltz of Flowers.

If you loved watching the movie, The Wizard of Oz, you might consider it a special treat to see the play of the same name at the Dayton Playhouse, December 8-10. The play is at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets may be purchased online and are $15 each for adults, $14 for those older than 60, $12 for those 12 and younger, and $10 each for groups of 10 or more.

Generations have growing up loving the magic of Oz, as Dorothy attempts to find her way back to her home in Kansas. Families can watch this play just before Christmas, the time when, as the song says, "There's no place like home."

Those in Dayton have many ways to celebrate Christmas this year.