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Here’s Your Daily Dose of Dayton
Did you know... Wright State University in Fairborn, just east of Dayton, was founded in 1967 and named after the Wright Brothers - making it one of the few American universities named for non-presidents, non-founders, and non-donors, which says something about how central the Wright legacy is to regional identity.
Tonight’s Top Stories Around Dayton:
Hundreds of cyclists rode through Dayton this weekend to support cancer patients across Ohio.
The Dayton Dragons are throwing one more block party with a Star Wars twist.
Wright State and Premier Health just made nursing school more affordable locally.
DAYTON DIGEST
🚀 Day Air Ballpark Is Getting a Star Wars Makeover
Forget the standard summer send off, the Dragons and Water Street District are closing out their Party at the Plaza season by bringing a galaxy far, far away to downtown Dayton. Mark Friday, Aug. 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for food trucks, drinks, live music and giveaways outside the ballpark, plus R2D2 and other Star Wars characters mingling with Dragons mascots Gem, Blaze and Heater. Kids get inflatables and lawn games while the grown ups get an excuse to relive the trilogy. Stick around after the party and you'll catch the Dragons taking on the Great Lakes Loons at 7:05 p.m.
💉 Nursing School Just Got a Lot More Affordable in Dayton
Nursing is already Wright State's most popular major, and the university just made it easier to afford. Students accepted into the Nursing Academy can now receive up to $8,000 a year in tuition help from Premier Health, stacked on top of scholarships and financial aid, while practicing nurses pursuing advanced degrees can receive up to $10,000 a year through the companion APRN Academy. The timing lines up with a $6 million overhaul of Wright State's nursing labs and simulation spaces, built to handle a wave of new students. By the 2027-28 school year, the program expects to nearly double in size, from 380 students this spring to about 740.
🧑💼 Dayton Teens Are About to Job Shadow Without Leaving Class
Career day is getting a serious upgrade for Montgomery County students. A new pilot called Ohio @ Work was selected as one of just five programs in the entire country chosen to reimagine how kids explore careers, and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce helped bring it here. Instead of a single field trip, students get ongoing virtual job shadowing built around advanced manufacturing and healthcare, two of the region's biggest hiring needs. The idea is simple: let a 15 year old see what a nursing shift or a factory floor actually looks like before they have to choose a career path.
A Ride Built on Hope
There's something quietly beautiful about hundreds of people choosing to spend their weekend on a bike seat for someone they'll never meet, and that's exactly what happened when more than 300 cyclists rolled through our city as part of the Pan Ohio Hope Ride. Now in its 20th year, the American Cancer Society ride carries riders all the way from Cleveland to Cincinnati, with Saturday's leg bringing them through Columbus and into Dayton, so it's worth pausing on what that route really means: neighbors and strangers alike lending their legs and their hearts to families who need a place to stay while they're away from home for treatment. Every mile raised money toward a $1 million goal for the Cleveland Hope Lodge, a free home base for patients and caregivers who have to travel for care, and by Saturday afternoon, riders had already brought in nearly $988,000.
One rider who has made this trip for over a decade put it simply: the miles are hard, but the sense of showing up for people you've never met is what keeps him coming back year after year. Dayton didn't just watch this ride pass through. It was part of the reason it mattered.
Read more — WHIO
Are you a Gem City Genius?
How well do you really know the city you call home?
What Dayton-area interstate loop circles much of the city and was completed in the late 20th century?
Scroll to the bottom for the answer!
SOUND BITES
Your weekend guide to live music and karaoke across Dayton.
July 26, Sunday
Heath Bowling
Good Time Charlie’s-Miamisburg | 6:00PM-10:00PM
Monkey's Paw, Whiskey Ginger, Kid Bigfoot, Sophie Bottelier
Blind Bob's | 8:00 PM
More Neighbors. More Fun.
Reach hundreds of locals in seconds. List your event on our calendar today and fill those seats.
OTHER EVENTS
The best things happening in Dayton Sunday through Monday: festivals, markets, pop-ups, and more.
July 26, Sunday
KidzFest 2026
695 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering | 1:00 PM
#FATW: A Night of Laughs. A Purpose that Matters
Oregon Express | 7:00 PM
July 27, Monday
Monday Funday
Dayton Metro Library - Electra C. Doren Branch | 3:30PM-5:00PM
Community Fitness: BootyMix
RiverScape MetroPark | 6:00 PM
Trivia Night
The Trolley Stop | 7:30 PM
Want more details on any of these?
Whether you're looking for upcoming festivals, live music, family days out, or weekend markets, our Events Calendar has you covered!
Got a pet who brightens your days?
We love celebrating the furry (and feathered, and scaled!) friends that make our Dayton community so special.
WEATHER WATCH
Genius Unlocked - The Reveal
Interstate 675.
It serves as a partial beltway on Dayton's east side, connecting I-70 to I-75 and providing bypass routing for traffic avoiding the city center.
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See you around town,
Rob from Dayton Daily Dose
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