Xenia maintains an active local arts scene anchored by the Xenia Area Community Theater (X*ACT) at 45 East Second Street. This volunteer-run nonprofit presents productions ranging from classic literature adaptations to contemporary works, offering intimate performances where audiences connect directly with performers. The theater also houses the Shirley R. Ellis Arts Center Coterel Gallery and Artist Co-Op, showcasing local artists’ paintings, handcrafted jewelry, and creative works available for purchase. X*ACT Youth Theatre provides programming for younger community members interested in the performing arts.
The Greene County Fine Arts Council promotes visual arts throughout the county, hosting annual events including Art in the Park. The Greene County Historical Society Museum preserves and presents local history through artifacts and exhibits chronicling the county’s development from early settlement through modern times. Great Council State Park, which opened in 2024, offers a cultural experience interpreting Shawnee heritage through exhibits, a replica longhouse, and interpretive programs.
The Dayton region, located approximately 20 minutes west of Xenia, offers professional performing arts at a level typically found only in much larger metropolitan areas. Dayton Live operates four venues and presents more than 300 performances annually, including touring Broadway productions, stand-up comedy, and musical concerts.
The centerpiece is the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, a 2,300-seat venue designed by architect César Pelli that opened in 2003 at a cost of $121 million. The 2024–2025 season featured Hamilton among its touring Broadway offerings.
The historic Victoria Theatre, dating to 1866, provides a more intimate performance setting. The Loft Theatre hosts The Human Race Theatre Company, Dayton’s professional equity theater company, which has presented regional and world premiere productions for nearly 40 years. The PNC Arts Annex completes the downtown performing arts district.
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) combines the Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Ballet, and Dayton Opera under one organizational umbrella, creating a programming breadth unusual for a metro area of Dayton’s size.
The Dayton Philharmonic, founded in 1933, is one of the Miami Valley’s oldest cultural institutions. Under Music Director Neal Gittleman, who celebrated his 30th anniversary season in 2024–2025, the orchestra presents Masterworks concerts, pops performances, and extensive educational programming. The Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra develops young musicians for future careers.
Dayton Ballet presents classical and contemporary productions, including an annual Nutcracker performed with live Dayton Philharmonic accompaniment. The company premiered a new Nutcracker production in December 2024. Dayton Opera, enriching the region for more than 60 years, stages operatic productions and collaborations with Wright State University.
Yellow Springs, located nine miles north of Xenia, has cultivated an artistic identity since the early 1800s. This village of approximately 3,700 residents supports a concentration of galleries, studios, and arts programming disproportionate to its size.
The Yellow Springs Arts Council operates a Community Gallery with rotating exhibits and hosts live music concerts and arts events throughout the year. The semi-annual Yellow Springs Street Fair, held in June and October, features more than 250 vendors offering fine arts, crafts, clothing, jewelry, and international cuisine, with live music and street performers throughout downtown.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is among the world’s premier aviation museums. With more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display and free admission, exhibits span from early flight through the space age. Highlights include Kennedy’s Air Force One, the Bockscar, and the Apollo 15 command module.
The Dayton Art Institute, founded in 1919, houses a collection spanning 5,000 years of global art. The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery offers interactive science exhibits ideal for families. The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce preserves African American history and culture. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott House in Springfield offers tours of his only Prairie-style home in Ohio.
The region hosts cultural festivals throughout the year. The Xenia Fall Festival features live music, food vendors, and arts and crafts. The Dayton Celtic Festival celebrates Irish and Scottish heritage, while Cityfolk Festival brings folk arts and music to downtown Dayton.
The Ohio Renaissance Festival, held weekends from late August through October in nearby Waynesville, recreates a 16th-century English village. Seasonal highlights include Clifton Mill’s Christmas display with 3.5 million lights, the Dayton Hamvention with 20,000+ attendees, and the U.S. Air Force Tattoo, a military music festival celebrating aviation heritage.
Regional universities including Wright State University, the University of Dayton, and Antioch College in Yellow Springs contribute lectures, symposia, and cultural programming open to the public. The Greene County Public Library system supports community learning through resources, events, and gathering spaces.
Bookstores—particularly in Yellow Springs—host author readings and literary events. The Xenia Community Library serves as both a resource center and community hub.
The cultural landscape surrounding Xenia blends small-town arts engagement with professional-level performing arts accessible within minutes. You can attend Broadway touring productions, explore world-class museums, browse local galleries, and support community theater—all without the crowds or costs of major metropolitan areas.
The Xenia area and greater Dayton region offer worship options across faith traditions. Christian churches of various denominations predominate in Xenia itself, while the broader metropolitan area provides synagogues, mosques, Hindu temples, and other faith communities. Kettering Health’s Seventh-day Adventist heritage means you will find an established Adventist community, though physicians of all faith backgrounds find welcoming congregations throughout the region.
Xenia hosts approximately 60 churches representing Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Nazarene, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and non-denominational traditions. Congregations range from historic downtown churches with established memberships to contemporary worship communities meeting in newer facilities. Many churches offer programming for families including children’s ministries, youth groups, and adult education.
Given Kettering Health’s founding by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the region maintains a strong Adventist presence. Several Seventh-day Adventist congregations serve the Dayton metropolitan area, including Ethan Temple SDA Church in Clayton, Stillwater Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the Beavercreek Seventh-day Adventist Church. These congregations welcome newcomers and provide connection to the broader Adventist community.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati serves the region with numerous Catholic parishes. Ascension Catholic Church in Kettering operates both a parish and school. Incarnation Parish in Centerville serves the southern suburbs. Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church and Precious Blood Church provide additional parish options in the Dayton area. These parishes offer Mass schedules, religious education, and community involvement consistent with Catholic parish life.
The Dayton Jewish community maintains four active congregations spanning Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox traditions. These congregations provide Shabbat services, High Holiday observances, religious education, and community programming.
The Dayton area’s Muslim community is served by multiple mosques and Islamic centers. The Islamic Society of Greater Dayton (ISGD) operates two locations and offers worship services, religious education, language classes, and community programming.
The Hindu Temple of Dayton, established in 1976 and opened in 1984 at 2615 Temple Lane in Beavercreek, is the oldest Hindu temple in the Dayton metropolitan area. The temple supports worship, religious education, and cultural programming. Shrines honor Venkateshwara, Rama and Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, Ganesha, and Radha Krishna. Puja services and priest services for ceremonies are available.
The Hindu Temple of Cincinnati, approximately one hour south, provides an additional option for the Hindu community.
The Sikh Society of Dayton operates Dayton Gurudwara Sahib at 2320 Harshman Road in Dayton, serving the Sikh community with worship services and community gatherings.
Universities in the region support students and residents of diverse faith backgrounds. Wright State University, the University of Dayton, and Antioch College maintain campus ministry programs that connect individuals with off-campus congregations. Buddhist practitioners can find sanghas in the greater Dayton and Cincinnati areas, and Yellow Springs hosts various spiritual and meditation groups reflecting its progressive character.
The Dayton area maintains a tradition of interfaith cooperation and dialogue. Congregations across traditions participate in shared service projects, charitable initiatives, and interfaith events. The University of Dayton, a Catholic institution serving students of all faiths, contributes significantly to this inclusive environment.
Physicians relocating to the Xenia area will find worship communities across faith traditions within reasonable driving distance. While Xenia itself is predominantly Christian, the broader Dayton metropolitan area provides Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and other faith communities. The welcoming spirit that gives Xenia its name extends to religious communities throughout the region.
