Special Events
The museum hosts three Signature Events each year: Oktoberfest, Art Ball and Bourbon & Bubbles. Among the most popular social events in Dayton, they also serve as important museum fundraisers. In 2021, we also added a new online fundraiser, Pop, Fizz, Clink.
Follow the links below to learn more about each of these events, including an update about the return of Oktoberfest for its 50th anniversary in 2021!
Event schedules are subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch here for updates.
Bourbon & Bubbles
2021 EVENT CANCELLED
Please Note: Bourbon & Bubbles will not take place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
Celebrate spring with an artsy cocktail party in the beautiful setting of the museum’s Shaw Gothic Cloister and Great Hall. Bourbon & Bubbles features a selection of exclusive, handcrafted bourbons and refreshing bubbly from around the world, plus gourmet bites, tasty treats, and fun entertainment. Tickets for the event include up to eight tastings of bourbons and/or Champagnes.Â
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Pop, Fizz, Clink!
May 1, 2021
Join the DAI for a fun & festive at-home tasting event on Saturday, May 1. Sip & savor while supporting the museum through this new online fundraiser! Party Packs are only available for purchase through April 16.
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Backyard Ball:
A Fresh New Take on Art Ball
June 26, 2021
The annual Art Ball black-tie gala traditionally takes place on the second Saturday in June. In 2021, Art Ball was replaced by the at-home event Backyard Ball, taking place on June 26.Â
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Oktoberfest
SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2021
A Dayton tradition established in 1971, Oktoberfest returns to the museum grounds in 2021! The museum’s largest annual fundraiser, Oktoberfest is vital to everything we do at the Dayton Art Institute. The three-day fall festival takes place the fourth full weekend of September and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021.
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