A local organizer of "Gem City Shine," the free block party hosted by Dave Chappelle in Dayton's Oregon District from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. today, Aug. 25, said it is meant to reclaim the neighborhood following the mass shooting there on Aug. 4.
Fifth Street will be closed at 6 a.m.
The event hosted by Chappelle begins at 4 p.m.
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"I would encourage people to come early, before 4 p.m. Come hang out. Do some shopping. Grab something to eat," Natalie Skilliter, a member of the Oregon District Business Association board, told this news organization.
The organizers for the event released this statement on Friday evening:
“The response for tickets to The Gem City Shine benefit concert hosted by Dave Chappelle was simply tremendous! The free tickets were distributed today to fans that signed up through the Ticketmaster Verified Fan program. There will be no additional tickets available for the event scheduled for this Sunday, August 25, in the Oregon District.”
***UPDATED: (10:30 a.m. Aug. 23, 2019) Tickets have been secured by the first wave of people hoping to go to Gem City Shine," the free block party hosted by Dave Chappelle in Dayton's Oregon District from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. this Sunday, Aug. 25.
An unknown number of people who registered for the tickets Wednesday were “invited” to get tickets.
WHAT’S NEXT
Several other verified Ticketmaster users from the Dayton area received emails saying they were waitlisted for tickets.
A message to those waitlisted reads:
“Due to extremely high demand for the Dave Chappelle Onsale powered by Ticketmaster Verified Fan, you are currently on the waitlist.
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Should additional tickets become available, registrants will be randomly selected to move off the waitlist and notified via text message."
This new organization has reached out to a representative from Live Nation, a global company that includes Ticketmaster.
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Sale times listed on the Ticketmaster site are as follows:
Verfied Fan Onsale
Start: Fri 08/23/19 10:00 am EDT
End: Sun 08/25/19 04:00 pm EDT
Team Chappelle
Start: Fri 08/23/19 12:00 pm EDT
End: Sun 08/25/19 04:00 pm EDT
Oregon District Businesses
Start: Fri 08/23/19 12:00 pm EDT
End: Sun 08/25/19 04:00 pm EDT
Those invited to the event were asked to log in ten minutes before the sale (ticket distribution) started.
“It was a little nerve racking,” said Cathy Mong, a resident of Dayton’s South Park neighborhood.
She said she was initially put in a queue with 2,000+ people ahead of her.
Mong said she had issues with the code sent to her that may have been attributed to user error.
Within 30 minutes, she was able to secure tickets.
“I am just glad I got my tickets,” she said.
She plans to walk to the event.
The Oregon District block party is billed as “a benefit concert to reclaim the Oregon District,” according to a release from the event’s organizers, which includes the Oregon District Business Association.
*** PREVIOUS COVERAGE (Aug. 21, 2019): The secret/not-secret is now revealed about the community celebration planned in wake of the Aug. 4 mass shooting in Dayton's Oregon District.
Dave Chappelle will host a "Gem City Shine" block party in Dayton's Oregon District from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. this Sunday, Aug. 25.
A slate of locally and nationally known acts yet to be named are set to perform at the free event. Although the event is free, tickets are required for entry. Find more details on the ticketing process below.
Chappelle, an internationally-celebrated comedian who lives near Yellow Springs, has brought a long list of big names to the area for his “Juke Joint” barn parties held at Whitehall Farm in the Tecumseh Land Trust.
The Oregon District block party is billed as “a benefit concert to reclaim the Oregon District,” according to a release from the event’s organizers, which includes the Oregon District Business Association.
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“We are supportive of and grateful for these and other types of efforts that seek to unite us, and seek to deny the kind of violence that was exhibited here and other places,” Corner Kitchen owner Natalie Skilliter, a member of the Oregon District Business Association board, told this news organization.
An organizer has said as many as 20,000 people are expected for the event.
We first told you of a planned pop-up party in the Oregon District on Aug. 16 as rumors of the event swirled around the community.
It comes in the wake of the Aug. 4 mass shooting, and is meant to “honor the lives lost and to reclaim the community’s favorite places to shop, dine and enjoy time with family and friends,” a press release says.
Other organizers include the Downtown Dayton Partnership, the City of Dayton, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Dayton Police, the Dayton-Montgomery County Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Dayton Foundation, Greater Dayton RTA and others.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TICKETS
Those interested in accessing up to two free tickets were asked to register via Verified Fan on Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com/davechappelledayton.
Currently, that Ticketmaster registration site says registration is closed. Check this Ticketmaster website for additional information on the ticketing process.
Tickets to this event are restricted to residents of Dayton, Ohio, and the surrounding areas.
“We expect the demand for tickets to see Dave Chappelle to be overwhelming. By powering this on sale with Verified Fan, we have the best opportunity to get more tickets into the hands of fans who want to attend the show and keep tickets out of the hands of bots. While Verified Fan does not guarantee that everyone will get a ticket, it does help ensure only fans are invited to redeem tickets,” according to the Ticketmaster web site registration instructions.
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All 250 volunteer shifts have been taken.
Those waiting to help are asked to donate money to The Dayton Foundation's Oregon District Tragedy Fund or sign up to help at other Oregon District Business Association website, theoregondistrict.org.
Ways to support victims, their families and the Oregon District Business Association will be included as part of the event.
Skilliter said the support is appreciated.
“So many people from within our community and people from across the US are coming here to help support us in our efforts to heal and it's really heartwarming and gracious,” she told this news organization. “We are very really grateful to everyone who has come to the district and shown their support. I'm just happy and appreciative of all the work being done in the name of unity.”
WHY IS THE BLOCK PARTY HAPPENING?
The community was devastated after a mass shooting in the Oregon District in the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 4. Nine people and the shooter were killed. Nearly 30 others were injured enough to require medical attention.
>> Get the latest news developments on the Oregon District mass shooting
In the hours, days and weeks that have followed, the community has come together to offer support and begin to heal. This event is to bring the community together as part of the healing process.
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HOW TO GO
The event will include security gates with metal detectors.
According to a news release, attendees should plan for extra time to check in and go through security during admission.
Guests are asked not to bring purses, backpacks or other large bags.
Gates will be closed once capacity reaches 20,000, organizers explained.
No professional cameras other than credentialed members of the media will be allowed.
Chappelle, a philanthropist, encourages the attendees to “live in the moment” and simply enjoy the experience rather than record via cellphone, according to the press release.
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HOW TO HELP
People can get commemorative T-shirts with a minimum donation of $20. Proceeds will benefit The Dayton Foundation's Oregon District Tragedy Fund.
There will be other ways to contribute to the fund as well.
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FOOD AND DRINK
Guests will be encouraged to shop and eat at Oregon District establishments.
A food pavilion will be located in the parking lot near Omega Music, 318 E. Fifth St.
Beer trucks, soda and water stations, T-shirt stations, and donation stations will be located at several places throughout the District.
STREET CLOSURES
Fifth Street will be closed between Patterson Boulevard and Wayne Avenue beginning as early as 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25.
There will be additional closures along Wayne Avenue. Streets will reopen late Sunday night to early Monday morning.
PARKING AND SHUTTLE BUSES
Free parking will be available at the University of Dayton Arena lots A, B and C, with complimentary shuttles provided by Greater Dayton RTA.
** FIRST REPORT (Aug 16, 2019): ‘Pop-up party’ planned in Oregon District this weekend
Plans are in the works for a “pop-up party” in the Oregon District this weekend.
Rumors have been swirling about a special celebration this weekend with the goal of bringing the community together in the Oregon District in the aftermath of the Aug. 4 mass shooting.
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This is what we’ve been able to confirm so far:
A “pop-up party” will take place on Sunday, Aug. 25, Downtown Dayton Partnership spokeswoman Val Beerbower said.
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The event is tentatively scheduled from 4-10 p.m.
She said additional details about the special event will be shared once confirmed.
Volunteers are being recruited for the event.
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