Late September & October: New
Events and Grand Openings Across
the Dayton Area.
By Jason White
Fresh for the last days of September and the start of October: the Dayton Chocolate Festival is moving to the Greene County Expo Center in Xenia for its 23rd year, Old Timers Days fills the Greene County Fairgrounds this weekend, Plein Air at the Street Fair returns to downtown Tipp City on October 3, and Kawa Revolving Sushi has confirmed a second Dayton-area location at Austin Landing.
In this edition: the Chocolate Festival's new Xenia home, Kawa Revolving Sushi at Austin Landing, Tipp City's live painting street fair, the Weber Pumpkin Festival in Harrison, and the October lineup taking shape in Xenia, Fairborn, Vandalia, and beyond.
Here is everything fresh I have not covered before.
New Restaurants and Grand Openings
Kawa Revolving Sushi Confirms an Austin Landing Location
The conveyor-belt sushi concept behind Kawa Revolving Sushi's Beavercreek location has confirmed a second Dayton-area spot: 10267 Penny Lane in Miami Township at Austin Landing, in the former Taste of Belgium space. It would be Kawa's fourth location overall and its first in the Austin Boulevard corridor off I-75, minutes from Springboro and Centerville. An opening date has not been announced yet, and I will post the moment one lands. If the Beavercreek location is any guide, expect plenty of buzz on the south side when it does.
The Opening Watch: Where Things Stand
A quick status check on the projects I track every week. Scramblers continues its build-out in the former Taste of Belgium space at The Greene in Beavercreek, with no confirmed date yet. Black Rock Bar & Grill is still hiring in front of the Mall at Fairfield Commons, cooking steaks tableside on volcanic rock when it arrives. Whoa Dogs has finalized its lease with the City of Dayton for the Oregon District building it will call home. Dave's Hot Chicken is working through plans for Huber Heights. And Hummus & Garlic is preparing the former So Pizza space near the Dayton Mall, one of six Ohio spots it plans. None of these have announced a date, and I will share each one the moment it is confirmed.
Artists set up easels on Second Street in Tipp City on October 3, painting the street fair live while food trucks and vendors line the block.
New Events on the Calendar
The Dayton Chocolate Festival Moves to Xenia: October 17
Big news out of Greene County this week: the Dayton Chocolate Festival is moving to Xenia. The 23rd annual edition takes over the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center on Saturday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Organizers with Faith and Friends Radio made the move from the Montgomery County Fairgrounds this year to keep costs down. Past editions have been free to enter with free parking, and the lineup includes chocolatiers, fudge makers, vendors, family games, and prize drawings. If you have kids, or just a serious sweet tooth, this is a perfect October Saturday, and it lands on the same weekend as a full Xenia lineup.
Plein Air at the Street Fair: Tipp City, October 3
On Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., artists will set up easels along Second Street from Main to Walnut in downtown Tipp City and paint the street fair as it happens. The location, in front of the Hotel Gallery at 109 E. Main Street, is the hub of the action, with food trucks, vendor booths, and street entertainers filling the block. It is a relaxed, creative take on a small-town street fair, and a great excuse to wander the shops on a fall morning.
Weber Pumpkin Festival: October 17-18 in Harrison
About 30 minutes southwest of Xenia, Weber's Farm Market in Harrison hosts its big fall Pumpkin Festival on October 17 and 18. It grew out of the old Minges Pumpkin Festival, which began in 1984, and it now fills the farm with live music, kids' activities, farm demonstrations, pumpkins to take home, 180-plus craft and artisan vendors, and a beer garden that donates its proceeds to breast cancer research. If the Chocolate Festival and Weber Pumpkin both work, October 17 is a two-festival day for Greene County.
Pumpkin season is open across the area, from Lucas Brothers in Bellbrook to the Weber Pumpkin Festival in Harrison.
This Weekend and the October Lineup
Old Timers Days in Xenia: September 25-27
This weekend, Old Timers Days returns to the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, September 25 through 27. Living-history demonstrations anchor the weekend, including a working sawmill with a lumber auction, a parade around the grandstand track, and the Ohio Veteran BBQ Battle. It is a classic, hands-on celebration of local history, and one of the best weekends of the year in Greene County. Sunday afternoon, Germantown also hosts its Pretzel Festival at Veterans Memorial Park from noon to 6 p.m., a sweet-and-salty close to the weekend just southwest of the area.
Xenia Fall Festival and Vandalia Fall Festival: October 10
Saturday, October 10 is a two-city day in the suburbs. Historic downtown Xenia hosts its fall festival from noon to 5 p.m. with food trucks, a straw-bale maze, and pumpkin painting, while Vandalia runs its free fall festival from noon to 6 p.m. at 1111 Stonequarry Road with live music, food trucks, vendors, and arts and crafts. Both are free, family-friendly, and close to home.
The Halloween Machine Is Warming Up
The spooky season arrives fast. The Great Ohio Toy Show fills the Greene County Fairgrounds on October 3 with vintage toys and collectibles. Downtown Middletown celebrates its 10th annual Hocus Pocus Family Fun Festival on Sunday, October 11, free, with pumpkin carvers, kids games, the Howl-o-ween dog costume parade, and a free screening of the movie that started it all. And Fairborn's Halloween Festival, October 16 through 18, is the region's biggest Halloween street party: 80-plus food and craft vendors, carnival rides, a beer garden, live music, the Spooktacular parade and costume contest Friday night, a Zombie Walk, and Sunday trick-or-treating at vendor booths. Full details on the rest of the month are in my October rundown linked below.
Why I Track All of This
I have been doing this for over 20 years, and the communities I serve keep evolving in front of me. A chocolate festival deciding Xenia is its new home. A conveyor-belt sushi concept betting on Austin Landing. A street painting festival in Tipp City and a pumpkin farm in Harrison drawing 180-plus vendors.
Every event and every opening is a sign of confidence in a community. Restaurants hire local staff and fill shopping centers. Festivals bring neighbors out and put a town on the map. When I look at the suburbs and see this much momentum rolling into October, it tells me these are places people are choosing to live, invest, and raise families.
For buyers, that context matters. For sellers, it means your home sits in a market that is actively growing. And for anyone considering a move to the Dayton area, this is one of the clearest signals that the region is headed the right way.
Whether you are buying, selling, or just curious about what your home might be worth, I am here to help with straight answers and a strategy that fits your situation.
"A chocolate festival choosing Xenia, a sushi concept betting on Austin Landing, a painting festival in downtown Tipp City. October is shaping up to be one of the best months of the year in the Dayton area, and I want my clients to see every bit of it."
Jason White
Missed the earlier editions? Catch up on the week of September 28 and the mid-September guide for the complete rundown of fall events across the area.
The 23rd annual chocolate festival relocates from Montgomery County to the Greene County Expo Center this year, organized by Faith and Friends Radio with chocolatiers, fudge, vendors, family games, and prizes. Admission and parking have been free in past editions.
Artists set up easels and paint the street fair live while food trucks, vendor booths, and street entertainers fill downtown. A relaxed, picture-worthy way to spend a Saturday in Tipp City.
A big fall festival about 30 minutes southwest of Xenia with live music, kids' activities, farm demonstrations, pumpkins to take home, 180-plus craft and artisan vendors, and a beer garden that donates proceeds to breast cancer research.
This weekend: the living-history celebration returns with a working sawmill and lumber auction, a parade around the grandstand track, and the Ohio Veteran BBQ Battle.
Sunday afternoon in Germantown: soft pretzels, live music, vendors, and family fun in the park. A close drive southwest of the Dayton area.
Toy and collectible dealers from across the Midwest fill the fairgrounds with vintage toys, comics, and collectibles. A fun, nostalgic stop for collectors and browsers alike.
The 10th annual free family festival in downtown Middletown: food and craft vendors, pumpkin carvers, kids games, the Howl-o-ween dog costume parade, and a free screening of the movie that started it all.
Historic downtown Xenia celebrates fall with food trucks, a straw-bale maze, pumpkin painting, and family activities.
Live music, food trucks, vendors, arts and crafts, and pumpkin painting on the Stonequarry Road campus. Free and open to all ages.
The region's biggest Halloween street festival: 80-plus food and craft vendors, carnival rides, a beer garden, live music, the Spooktacular parade and costume contest Friday night, a Zombie Walk, and Sunday trick-or-treating at vendor booths.
The conveyor-belt sushi concept already open in Beavercreek has confirmed a second Dayton-area location in the former Taste of Belgium space at Austin Landing, within sight of Springboro and Centerville. No opening date has been announced yet, and I will post the moment one lands.
Build-out continues in the former Taste of Belgium space at The Greene. No opening date has been confirmed, and I will share it as soon as one is announced.
The steakhouse that cooks tableside on hot volcanic rock is still on the way to the front of the mall. Hiring is underway, but there is no confirmed opening date yet.
The Americana-style hot dog shop has finalized its lease with the City of Dayton, which owns the building. An opening date has not been set, and I will share the news the moment it is announced.
The Nashville-style hot chicken chain continues to work through plans for its first Dayton-area store in Huber Heights. Still no confirmed address or date, so stay tuned.
- Kawa Revolving Sushi: Austin Landing Sushi Restaurant, Coming Soon 10267 Penny Lane, Miami Township (Austin Landing)
- Scramblers: The Greene, Beavercreek Breakfast & Brunch, Coming Soon 10 Greene Boulevard, The Greene Town Center, Beavercreek
- Black Rock Bar & Grill: Beavercreek Grill & Bar, Coming Soon In front of the Mall at Fairfield Commons, Beavercreek
- Whoa Dogs: Oregon District Americana Dogs & Treats, Coming Soon 200 E. Fifth Street, Dayton
- Dave's Hot Chicken: Huber Heights Hot Chicken, Coming Soon Huber Heights
- Dayton Chocolate Festival (Moving to Xenia) October 17, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, Xenia
- Plein Air at the Street Fair: Tipp City October 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Second Street from Main to Walnut, downtown Tipp City
- Weber Pumpkin Festival: Harrison October 17-18 Weber's Farm Market, Harrison
- Old Timers Days: Xenia September 25-27 Greene County Fairgrounds, Xenia
- Germantown Pretzel Festival September 27, noon-6 p.m. Veterans Memorial Park, Germantown
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Let's ConnectA big month across the greater Dayton area.
The Chocolate Festival in Xenia. Kawa Revolving Sushi at Austin Landing. Plein Air in Tipp City. Pumpkin festivals, fall festivals, and the biggest Halloween street festival in the suburbs. I keep track of every opening and event so my clients have the full picture of every community I serve.