April 4-6 in Dayton is a good time for getting out.

^[1]It’s really great in Dayton when you want it to be- there is something for everyone this weekend.

Friday night- art hops in the Oregon and the Cannery, check out local arts, and hang out with the hipsters for nothing. They are also holding “Hot Geek Love” at the Cannery Art and Design Center- where you can checkout frequent contributor to this site- Drexel Dave doing his thing.

Saturday night, in the same tradition, you can continue with the arts set with “Raks Mystique” at the Cannery, 520 E Third St- from 1pm to 1am for $8- It’s put on by the Dayton Circus ^[2]. They’ll have Puzzle of Light ^[3] playing and belly dancers from Sandstorm.

Saturday night you can check out the Dayton Bombers ^[4] in their last game before the playoffs- which start the following day at the Nutter. If you haven’t been to a hockey game, maybe it’s your time. Sat at 7 Sunday at 5.

If hockey isn’t violent enough for you (or you only really want to see the fights)- you can head to the Convention Center and check out the latest sports craze in the country: Mixed Martial Arts. You can pay $25 to watch people kick, punch and beat each other senseless. Check out the details at Bushi Combat ^[5].

Of course, there’s always the old standbys- the orchestra ^[6] is probably playing a gig- and you can catch some future superstar at Canal Street Tavern ^[7]. Never mind the local theater scene, other local bands, the Dayton Art Institute.

You can sit at home and complain all you want, but, the truth is, Dayton can be as great as you want, you just have to get up, get out, and “get midwest”…. or whatever.

Party on, Garth.