HOW TO GO:
What: The Sixth Annual Dayton Heritage Festival
When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today. The Memorial Day Concert is at 7 p.m.
Where: Carillon Historical Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd., Dayton
Admission: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children ages 3 to 17. Free for members of Dayton History.
Parking: Free.
For information: (937) 293-2841.
The Dayton Heritage Festival is a great opportunity for both adults and kids to experience the kinds of daily challenges Dayton’s founders faced just to stay alive, says Dayton History volunteer Leslie “Bud” Maylum.
Maylum will be demonstrating musket firing and militia training at the annual patriotic celebration that highlights the rich and varied history of the Dayton region — from its founding in 1796 through the present day.
The sixth annual festival takes place today at Carillon Historical Park.
“Dayton History wants our guests to be fully immersed in the history of Dayton,” explains Lauryn Bayliff, director of community development. “We bring history to life so everyone can encounter the sounds and smells of the blacksmith’s anvil and forge, experience the great time and effort that went into crafting a meal from the garden to the table, and learn what it was like to travel before the invention of the airplane.”
Attendees have the chance to watch and participate in demonstrations ranging from candle-dipping to hearth cooking and postcard printing. There will be live “History in Action” performances throughout the day with stories of the canal and westward expansion.
In the Kid Zone, children can make an old-fashioned yarn doll, decorate frontier vests and historical hats, don an Orville Wright mustache, make kites demonstrating the principles of flight, and play vintage base ball with the Clodbusters, a vintage baseball team.
Carillon Park’s 30 historical buildings will be open; carousel and train rides are $1 each.
Music throughout the day
Music is an integral part of the special day with featured groups including The Classic Jazz Stompers, The Old-Time String Band, The Wind in the Woods, and The Dayton Jazz Trio.
At 7 p.m., the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra with artistic director Neal Gittleman will present a Memorial Day Sunday Concert featuring vocalist Mark Baker of the Dayton Opera, dancers from the Dayton Ballet and the 5th Ohio Light Artillery. Mayor Nan Whaley will narrate the presentation.
The festive DPO program includes works by Copland, Mozart, Bryant, Beckel, Willson-Leyden, and Handy-Wendel. It will also include Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” the traditional “Armed Forces Salute,” and Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
The evening will end with the Grand Finale Fireworks show at dusk.
“We strive to entertain our guests while educating them about the impact our community has had on the world,” says Bayliff, who says it’s also hoped the innovations of the past will inspire today’s Miami Valley residents.
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