Xenia is celebrating July’s First Friday with a Bang!

Celebrate Independence Day by enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of the July 5th First Friday Festival. The downtown Xenia event is held the First Friday of each month from 5-9pm, May-July and boasts an array of street performers, featured entertainment, quality vendors, delicious food, and promotional sales from area businesses. As a special treat, when the First Friday Festival closes you can follow our entertainers and bicyclists from downtown to Shawnee Park to finish your evening by watching the fireworks at The Kevin Sonnycalb Memorial Fireworks Festival! The entire downtown area will be alive with activities sure to appeal to festival goers of all ages. Grab a blanket or lawn chair to listen to the live music from Michael Locke & the Repeat Offenders on the courthouse lawn. The Relics return for July with a performance at our S. Detroit & Second Sts. entertainment area. Xenia First Friday’s Cruise-In, located on N Detroit St, will be full of classic cars and hot rods to admire and enjoy.

Visit our downtown eateries for their specials at: One Bistro, Coffee Hub, Flour Bake Shop and Courthouse Coffee & Cafe on E. Main St., Buck n Ear and Acapulco Mexican Food in Xenia Towne Square, and Sweets Boutique Bakery & Cafe, on E. Second St. Quench your thirst at Devil Winds Brewery on S. Detroit St.

The food vendors at the First Fridays Food Court at S. Detroit & Second Sts will be serving up crowd favorites including pork chops, bbq, sweet corn, corn dogs, funnel cakes, lemonade shakes and much much more! Onlookers will be treated to several strolling and stationary performers at various locations throughout the night. The Amazing Giants return to dazzle the crowds with their red, white and blue costumes and stilt walking skills. Aerialists will thrill as they leap, flip, and fly through the air during performances in front of the courthouse. Jugglers Tony Steinbach, Matt Jergens and Evan Smith will join in the fun! As you wait to have your likeness drawn by caricaturist Dennis Porter, receive a balloon animal from Lucky the Clown and Bonkers for Balloons, have your face painted at the KraZ booth on S. Detroit St. or be picked to assist in a trick with Dave Davis’ Magic Show. ChristStrength Gym Strongman Competition will be held on S. Detroit St. The Farm Animal Petting Zoo is always fun to visit and Jungle Island Zoo will have their aviary and pony rides for children. Egyptian Breeze Belly Dancers will be strolling the event as well as having performances at the courthouse and S. Detroit St.

We are excited to have the Euro Bungee returning to S. Detroit St. for July. You can do front flips, back flips, and jump as high as you can! First Fridays will offer free fun at Xenia Bouncy Castle’s Obstacle Course and Dodge Ball bounce houses! First Fridays Bucks can be purchased at the Kid’s Carnival in the Montgomery Insurance & Investments lot and every player wins a prize! The Caboose at Xenia Station on South Detroit St. will also be open to the public from 5-7pm. A variety of vendors and local businesses will be providing games and giveaways at their booths for kids and adults alike, creating a fun and unique atmosphere. Many downtown shops will remain open during the event to offer First Fridays specials. Shop and support local! Be sure to visit the First Fridays Silent Auction at The Flower Stop, 72 S. Detroit St. All proceeds benefit First Fridays activities and entertainment. We would like to thank our event partners, The Flower Stop, Montgomery Insurance and Investments, City of Xenia, Xenia Glass and Lock, Xenia Shoe and Leather, Greene Memorial Hospital, Nick’s Restaurant, One Bistro, Dodds Monuments, Dean’s Plumbing, Devil Wind Brewing and Xenia Uptown Properties. Those interested in attending, volunteering, performing, vending at, or sponsoring a future event are welcome to visit www.xeniafirstfridays.com website to learn more about the event. All donated funds are tax-deductible.