6 events that will help you beat the winter blahs

Southwest Ohio winters are pretty short and balmy as winters go, but every January and February, we get a taste of what it’s like to live in Chicago or Cleveland.

So far, 2018 has been no exception. Once we get to the point where the low 30s seems like a heat wave, most of us need some kind of entertainment release before succumbing to “Shining”-like cabin fever.

To that end, we’ve compiled a list of fun, different and, most importantly, indoor entertainment options for the Cincinnati-Dayton area.

>> 50 things to do in Dayton in 2018

Credit: MURRAY CLOSE

Credit: MURRAY CLOSE

DAYTON

“Marauder’s Night: An Evening of Harry Potter Festivities”

Harry Potter heads are invited to openly indulge their fandom for an entire evening, via costume contests, trivia, quidditch (yes, for real) and other games inspired by the “Harry Potter” universe.

Sadly, the registration for trivia is sold out, but people are welcome to watch (and perhaps hold their own private contests) and participate in the other activities. Refreshments will include food trucks, butterbeer and other Potter-inspired cocktails.

>> You can play quidditch at this Harry Potter event

WHERE: The Yellow Cab, 700 E. 4th St., Dayton

WHEN: Jan. 19, 7 p.m.

COST: Free

MORE INFO: 937-424-3870 or www.yellowcabtavern.com

“The Giver” 

In a post-apocalyptic community that values conformity and disdains emotional attachments, a young boy is chosen to be “The Giver,” the sole keeper of memories of what life was like before. It isn’t long before he starts to question the wisdom of his elders.

Beginning as a popular, award-winning young adult novel in 1993, “The Giver” was most recently a highly publicized film starring Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep. In between, it was adapted for the stage and has been produced across the country. See it locally at:

WHERE: Town Hall Theatre, 27 N. Main St., Centerville

WHEN: Jan. 19-Feb. 4

COST: $10-$15

MORE INFO: 937-433-0152 or www.washingtontwp.org

Family Day: Robots Among Us 

Bring the kids to learn about robots, how they work, and their role in the U.S. Air Force. This fun day includes demonstration and activity stations, robotic toys, working robotics, and storytelling. Rumor has it there’ll be an appearance by a very special robot (hint: he’s short, white and blue, and was recently in a very big movie).

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

WHEN: Jan. 20, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

COST: Free

MORE INFO: 937-255-4646 or www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

CINCINNATI

“Million Dollar Quartet” 

This Broadway musical dramatizes the chance meeting between Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, who subsequently recorded together at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tenn., one day in 1956. The musical opened on Broadway in 2010 and on London’s West End in 2011. It was nominated for four Tony Awards, notching one win.

WHERE: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mt. Adams Circle, Cincinnati

WHEN: Jan. 20-Feb. 18

COST: $35 and up

MORE INFO: 800-582-3208 or visit www.cincyplay.com

School of Rock Mason: The Jam Bands Show and Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne 

You’ve seen the Jack Black movie, now check out the real thing. The School of Rock in Mason gives lessons to aspiring young rockers in voice, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. Several times a year, the students go on the road to show off what they’ve learned.

They will be playing two shows. The first is a jam band show, where the kids will play music by The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Allman Brothers, and the Dave Matthews Band. The second show is the rock show, and will be a tribute to the music of Ozzy Osbourne.

WHERE: Southgate House, 111 E. 6th St., in Newport, Kentucky

WHEN: Jan. 21, 4 p.m. (jam band show), 8 p.m. (rock show)

COST: $6-$8

MORE INFO: 859-431-2201 or www.southgatehouse.com

Ensemble 4.1 

Ensemble 4.1 is the world’s only regularly touring “windtet.” Classical music buffs will understand what that means, but for the musically curious who are interested in learning more, a windtet is a quintet of four woodwind soloists and one pianist. With this original setup, Ensemble 4.1 performs pieces both famous and obscure.

For their Cincinnati concert, they will be performing compositions by Mozart and Jorg Widmann. Also, as a homage to the origins of Chamber Music Cincinnati, they will perform the “Piano Quintet in B Major,” by Walter Gieseking, just as Gieseking himself performed it in Cincinnati in 1926.

WHERE: Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati

WHEN: Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m.

COST: $30

MORE INFO: 513-621-2787 or www.cincinnatiarts.org

>> The best things to do indoors when it’s cold, rainy

About the Author