The Groove Garden DJ festival and vintage car show runs 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Aug. 9 in the Oregon District, 501 E. 5th St., Dayton.
Stretching across nearly a half-mile of East 5th Street, the free, family-friendly block party will feature dozens of classic cars — as part of Clash Dayton and Ned Peppers’ “Pistons and Pin-Ups” — as well as vendors, food and other activities. More than 20 local DJs from Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus will perform from the outdoor balcony of NextDoor in the heart of the Oregon District.
Clash Dayton will also host a pin-up contest and photography contest. Downtown Dayton DORA will be in effect, allowing patrons 21 and over to order beverages outdoors.
The inaugural Groove Garden DJ festival is organized by Ned Peppers, NextDoor, Clash Dayton, DJ Cuest and DJ Bri.
Stacy Worley II, aka DJ Cuest, has been DJing for the past six years and became the official resident DJ at Ned Pepper’s in 2023.
Bria Spaulding, aka DJ Bri, has been DJing in Cincinnati for the past three years and has worked in the entertainment industry for nine.
Together, they curated this year’s Groove Garden lineup.
“We both respected what each other we were doing,” Worley said. “We were trying to figure out how we could collab. So, I came up with this idea for a DJ festival. We both knew two sides of the spectrum of DJing, so I figured it was something we could both put together.”
The “spectrum” refers to the cities they could draw talent from: DJ Cuest is tapped into Dayton’s scene, while DJ Bri has connections in Cincinnati and Columbus. Groove Garden became a way to merge the talent from all three cities, with Dayton as the logical meeting point.
Spaulding said the name Groove Garden came naturally — music, the art of DJing, is like a flower: it starts with a seed that, with care and attention, blooms into something people can admire and enjoy — much like the diverse DJs showcased at the festival.
The Groove Garden lineup includes Deejay The DJ, Trade Like Qualities, DJ JRK, DJ Queen Celine, DJ E-Cannon, DJ Strawberry, DJ Cuest, DJ Bri, and many more.
Each will spin a 20-minute set, with styles ranging from open format, house, pop, Afrobeats, trap, hip hop to funk, reggaeton, R&B and Jersey Club.
Since the event is free and open to the public, attendees are encouraged to support the DJs by patronizing Ned Peppers, Hole in the Wall and NextDoor. Proceeds go directly to the DJs.
“A lot of people love the turntablism, the scratching, the transitions, the blends,” Spaulding said. “That’s just something we wanted to bring to the Dayton community. And we just wanted to bring some grooves, honestly.”
It’s the best summer soundtrack for Dayton’s best car show.
Brandon Berry covers the music and arts scene in Dayton and Southwest Ohio, spotlighting local musicians, underground and touring bands, cultural events, fringe phenomena and creative spaces. He buys duplicate copies of every Chuck Klosterman book, and sometimes makes music. Reach him at branberry100@gmail.com.
How to go
What: Groove Garden DJ Festival and vintage car show
When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Aug 9
Where: Oregon District, 501 E. 5th St., Dayton
Cost: Free