FAIRBORN — Nine local bands are gearing up to drum roll and battle it out for a cash prize and opportunity to play at Wright State University’s inaugural Festival of Flight.
New Haven, Nawty Dawg, Crossing the Rubicon, METALHORSE, Lights Out, Summer Highway, Mad River Dogs, RIND, and Sizter Machyne will take the stage for the City of Fairborn’s first Battle of the Bands between 4 and 10 p.m. Saturday, July 13 in downtown Fairborn, 103 W. Main St. The event is free to attend.
The three selected bands will win a total cash prize of $2,500 and play a two-hour set, respectively, Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Wright State University Festival of Flight — which is expected to attract 10,000 to 12,000 attendees. Judges will select the winners based on performance, songwriting, audience reaction and overall energy.
The Battle of the Bands will additionally feature food trucks and an open beer garden at 5/3 Commons on the corner of Main Street and Grand Avenue. According to previous information by the City of Fairborn, the nine performers will play for approximately 20 minutes at a time, or a maximum of three songs. The city asked local bands to submit materials for an opportunity to be selected to play in the Battle of the Bands through the spring months.
“Everyone is invited to join us downtown and cheer on their favorite band,” wrote Meghan Howard, a City of Fairborn spokesperson. “It’s going to be a great Saturday night.”
The Festival of Flight, slated for 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 behind the Wright State University Nutter Center, will highlight local aviation heritage.
According to the educational institution, the festival will feature seasonal and educational experiences highlighting aviation, including flight-themed food and drinks, family-friendly activities as well as a haunted trail. Flight simulators from the National Museum of the United States Air Force are also expected to be featured at the event, in addition to robotics and drone competitions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to see a model of the Wright B Flyer up-close.
Festival of Flight will additionally include a celebration of Wright Brothers Day, marking the Oct. 5, 1905 anniversary of Wilbur Wright’s 39-minute flight on Huffman Prairie.
For more information about the Festival of Flight, visit www.festifalofflight.org.
