Books, Beats & Belonging
Levitt Lawn Lit Club is a new community book club at Levitt Pavilion Dayton, created in partnership with Dayton Metro Library and Brunner Literacy Center. Together, we’re pairing books and free live music to create evenings centered around conversation, connection, and shared experiences in downtown Dayton.
Each gathering meets at 6 PM on the small patio before a selected Levitt concert. Community moderators will help guide relaxed conversations inspired by the featured book and the evening’s theme. Whether you’re an avid reader, curious about the themes, coming for the music, or simply looking for a welcoming community experience, there’s a seat for you here.
Dayton Metro Library will also create a special shelf for each gathering featuring the selected title along with additional books exploring similar themes and voices.
Join us this season on June 4, July 2, August 8, and September 12 for evenings of books, beats, and belonging. All gatherings are free and open to everyone.
2026 Levitt Lawn Lit Club Gatherings
June 04, 2026
Ready to Score
by Jodi SlaughterWe’re opening the season with a joyful and spirited evening centered around Pride, identity, and belonging.
Ready to Score by Jodi Slaughter is a contemporary romance filled with heart, humor, and emotional honesty. Known for writing stories that celebrate queer love, Southern culture, and complex relationships, Slaughter creates characters that feel deeply human and relatable. Her work often explores what it means to be seen, accepted, and fully yourself in community with others.
For this special kickoff gathering, Jodi Slaughter will join us on the patio for conversation before Flamy Grant takes the stage. Together, the evening celebrates authenticity, joy, and the power of gathering openly and proudly in shared spaces.
July 02, 2026
Midnight Lightning
by Greg TateJuly’s gathering explores Black artistry, music, culture, and creative legacy.
Written by acclaimed cultural critic and Dayton/Cincinnati-connected writer Greg Tate, Midnight Lightning reflects on the life, influence, and mythology surrounding Jimi Hendrix while examining broader themes of Black expression, innovation, and identity in American culture. Tate was celebrated for his groundbreaking writing on music, race, and art, helping shape conversations around hip-hop, jazz, rock, and Black creativity for decades.
Following the discussion, Ernie Johnson From Detroit brings an energetic blend of funk, soul, rock, and rhythm to the Levitt stage for an evening rooted in celebration, freedom, and creative expression.
August 08, 2026
Medicine River
by Mary Annette PemberAugust’s gathering centers Indigenous storytelling, resilience, family, and healing.
In Medicine River, journalist and author Mary Annette Pember explores personal and generational stories connected to Native identity, boarding school histories, and the lasting impact of cultural survival. Pember, an enrolled citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Wisconsin Ojibwe, writes with honesty and care about memory, belonging, trauma, and resilience while uplifting Indigenous voices and experiences.
The evening continues with Supaman, the acclaimed Indigenous hip-hop artist and motivational speaker whose performances blend music, dance, and storytelling into an unforgettable celebration of culture and connection.
September 12, 2026
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
by Oscar HijuelosWe’ll close the season with a celebration of music, memory, love, and Latin culture.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos became the first Hispanic writer to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. The novel follows two Cuban brothers as they chase musical dreams in America while navigating family, identity, nostalgia, and belonging. Rich with rhythm and emotion, the story captures the way music can preserve memory and connect generations.
After the discussion, Son del Caribe will bring vibrant Latin sounds to the Levitt stage for a joyful evening of dancing, celebration, and community under the downtown sky.
Together, we believe books, music, and shared experiences help strengthen community. Levitt Pavilion Dayton has always been a place where people from all walks of life gather on the lawn to experience joy, conversation, and connection through free live music. Levitt Lawn Lit Club expands that spirit beyond the stage and onto the page.
Books
Community conversations inspired by powerful stories and authors.
Beats
Free live music under the downtown sky after every gathering.
Belonging
A welcoming space to connect with neighbors, friends, and new faces.
Presented in Partnership With
