Wright-Dunbar Business Village News

Wright-Dunbar Market Days Brings Legacy to Life
By Lisa Scott*

Once again, the Wright-Dunbar Business Village provided its citizens with a glimpse of history both past and in the making.

The Third Annual Wright-Dunbar Market Days Festival, which took place on June 26, celebrated the revitalization and legacy of the historic Wright-Dunbar Business Village. Approximately 5,000 Dayton residents arrived at the festival, which featured live music and entertainment, food and merchandise vendors, and of course, a host of other activities for the children. It gave many people a chance to enjoy and recollect on what the neighborhood was once like and what it can potentially become. According to Willis "Bing" Davis, a renowned artist and owner of the Ebonia Gallery located in the Wright-Dunbar Village, "The convenient, carnival-like atmosphere helped to bring in a diverse group of people" of all ages and nationalities. He also remarked that it was wonderful to see the neighborhood alive again with people casually observing and taking pleasure in all the neighborhood has to offer. "Yes, Market days was more than as success," he stated, "It was over the top in many areas and exceeded my expectations."

Wright-Dunbar Market Days was employed not only to celebrate the historical essence of the neighborhood but also to create and expose a new legacy. Market Days gives present and prospective business owners as well as citizens, a chance to join together in hopes of producing a new and more promising neighborhood that all can enjoy and celebrate in years to come.

For current business owners, Market Days provides them with the exposure they need for their business to elevate and flourish in the neighborhood. Beverly Hill, owner of "In His Image Christian Bookstore," which is also located in the neighborhood, stated that "Over a hundred people came [to my store] who never knew I was here, that in itself makes a big difference . . . Word of mouth goes a long way."

Staff at Wright-Dunbar Inc. hope that Market Days will attract prospective owners to the neighborhood who are willing to invest in a project that is sure to be advantageous and beneficial for them and the overall community. Wright-Dunbar Market Days is surely the infrastructure for a monumental masterpiece and another Dayton legacy.

*Lisa is a Senior Colonel White High School and is working for Wright Dunbar, Inc. as a part of the Montgomery County YouthWorks program.