MIAMI COUNTY — The arts are alive in Miami County with local groups hosting a variety of events throughout the year to celebrate homegrown talent and find fun right downtown.

The Piqua Arts Council, 427 N. Main St., Piqua, can be contacted at 937-773-9630. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

PAC offers art workshops and exhibitions in addition to its main fundraiser, Dancing with the Piqua Stars, featuring local “star” dancers from the community in a competition for a variety of awards. PAC also is co-sponsor of the Rock Piqua! Riverfront Concert Series, presented with Mainstreet Piqua.

In the past, Rock Piqua! has been composed of three free concerts taking place throughout the summer months. Since 2021, the event has become an all-day Food Truck & Music Festival. The 2023 Rock Piqua Food Truck & Music Festival will take place on Saturday, June 17, from 1 to 10:30 p.m. held in downtown Piqua.

According to the Piqua Arts Council, the festival will feature a full day of live entertainment from some of the region’s greatest bands, multiple food trucks, craft and domestic beer from local breweries, and a day of celebrating the art of music with friends and family of the great Piqua community and beyond.

Food trucks for this year’s event include B&V Eatz, Susie’s Big Dipper, Raging Bull Wood Fired Pizza, Freda’s Food Truck Trailer and The Brunch Truck.

For 2023, the Piqua Arts Council will feature favorite local bands Brother Believe Me, Marielle Kraft, Dayton’s Blue Leaf’s Band and the Queen City Silver Stars.

For the 2023 music schedule, visit www.piquaartscouncil.org.

For Dancing with the Piqua Stars, the Piqua Arts Council is already preparing for the 2024 event, which is scheduled to be held in April, specific dates to be announced, at Romer’s Catering in Piqua. A group of well-known community members will test new skills as they dance for charity at the next Dancing with the Piqua Stars. The popular fundraising event is modeled after the long-running television series. Various couples will be selected to compete under the expert direction of Liz Maxson, Tammy Bellamy Chaney, Rick and Judy Bowerman and Leslie Howell.

To nominate a dancer, visit www.piquaartscouncil.org/dancing.

Additionally, an upcoming workshop being held by the Piqua Arts Council includes the Jill Stefani Wagner Pastel Workshop, currently scheduled for July 7 through 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Apple Tree Gallery in Piqua.

Register at https://piquaartscouncil.org/workshops

The Tipp City Area Arts Council can be contacted at 937-543-5115 or [email protected].

The Tipp City Area Arts Council (TCAAC) promotes fine art and musical events in family-friendly events while also working closely with local youth. The group’s featured events include Art in the Park: the Children’s Art Adventure, exposing kids to art projects; the Canal Music Fest, a family-friendly music concert; and a Fine Art Exhibit and Sale, which features area artists and fine art vendors. TCAAC also offers a variety of camps to young artists to help them cultivate their crafts.

The Student Art Contest & Exhibit is a free contest sponsored by the TCAAC to encourage creativity, imagination, and fun with K-12 students in Tipp City and neighboring communities. This year’s challenge was the theme “Fanciful Creatures and Things,” and the exhibit is open through June 15 at the Randall Residence, 6400 S. County Road 25A, Tipp City.

Also coming up is the TCAAC’s annual Canal Music Fest, which will be held on June 10, 2023, at City Park in Tipp City. Musical artists include Shot Through the Heart — the Bon Jovi Experience, local favorite Stranger and hometown favorite znels.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase beginning at 5 p.m. Vendors for this year include Buckeye Burgers, Nou Street Food, Pa’s Pork, Raging Bull Wood Fired Pizza, Susie’s Big Dipper, Kona Ice and Bolasko’s Concessions. Skull Dollz Face Painters will also on site.

The Canal Music Fest is free, but no coolers or backpacks are permitted.

For more information, visit www.tippcityartscouncil.com or www.canalmusicfest.com.

Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is located at 310 W. Main St., Troy, and can be contacted at 937-339-0457.

Their hours are 7-9 p.m. Monday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

Formerly the home of Mary Jane Hayner, the 1914 Romanesque mansion houses an active community arts center, offering concert series, exhibitions and a wide range of other activities such as a film series, poetry readings, classes and workshops in various subjects, antiques seminars, arts camps, family day events, group trips and more. The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is supported by the taxpayers of Troy and the generous donations of the Friends of Hayner. The mission is to preserve and maintain the Hayner mansion as a cultural resource center for the present and as a historical legacy for the future generations of the community of Troy.

Some upcoming events for the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center include the following:

• Poetry at Hayner: “A Mosaic of Voices” will be held on Saturday, June 10.

In the first hour of the event, 12 poets from across the state have been invited to read. A diverse group of people have been chosen in order to encourage a variety of subject matter, perspective, rhythm and meaning. These invited poets will read their own works in five-minute segments followed by an intermission featuring hors d’oeuvres and a wine bar. The second half of the evening will feature a one-hour, open mic. Poets who wish to read one of their own poems can sign-up for a slot beginning at 6 p.m. ​

Learn more about this evening of poetry in the Hayner courtyard at https://www.troyhayner.org/poetry.html.

• The Fridays on Prouty Concert Series will also return this summer, with concerts currently scheduled for June 30 with Dulahan, July 14 with Mike Wade and the Nasty Natti Brass Band, July 21 with Amber Hargett, July 28 with Chloe and the Steel Strings, Aug. 4 with Kyle Eldridge and the Kentucky Cowhands, and Aug. 11 with the Cincinnati Transit Authority, each with a start time of 7:30 p.m.

Fridays on Prouty concerts are a collaboration between the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center and Troy Main Street. Concerts are free to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Troy Foundation. Join them in the center of downtown Troy at Prouty Plaza. Bring a lawn chair and your best friend.

Visit www.troyhayner.org/fridays-on-prouty for more information.

• Hayner’s annual Porchfest will return on Sept. 9, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Multiple musical acts will perform on porches, side yards, lots and patios at homes in the downtown area. There will be a wide variety of genres and styles of music. There will also be a food court and Artisan Tent Village that will open at 11 a.m., and there will be a closing concert at the Hayner.

For more information, visit www.TroyHayner.org/porchfest.

• The Hayner Gift Gallery will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. This annual event offers one-of-a-kind special gifts for family and friends, bringing together a house full of artisans and vendors. Artists and vendors can sign up at www.TroyHayner.org/info-hgg.