July Preview

Celebrate America and Independence Day during the month of July. The BC is filled with firework celebrations, regattas, fairs, festivals, and more!

Commence Independence Day during the City of Hamilton’s 4th of July Celebration on July 4^th.  The celebration will feature over a hundred floats, marching bands, and ‘A Taste of Hamilton’ where you can sample delicious snacks from area restaurants. Afterward, live concerts are staged throughout the day on the Courthouse Green along with face-painting clowns for the kids. Top the night off at dusk with a rousing Rozzi fireworks display over the Great Miami River.

The Liberty Township 4^th of July Run will celebrate Independence Day with the 5k Run for Liberty on June 4^th. The race will begin and end at Lakota East High School. The event will also feature the annual parade beginning at Lakota East High School and end at Liberty Park.

The Independence Day Parade in the City of Middletown on July 4^th will honor the 4^th of July with a festive parade that will travel north on Verity Parkway from Rosa Parks Elementary School to Smith Park.

Celebrate the whacky happenings of the summer at the Crazy Cardboard Regatta on July 14 at VOA Park. Back for its third season, this wildly popular event features handcrafted boats made entirely out of cardboard!

See the livestock, arts and crafts and tractor pulls while enjoying all that delicious fried fair food at this years Butler County Fair July 22-29 at the fairgrounds.

Become mesmerized during the MidUSA Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival July 13-14 at Smith Park. Watch as balloon pilots compete in aerial challenges and catch a glimpse of some of the wackiest hot air balloons around. At the end of the evening there will be the popular balloon glow showcasing the beauty of hot air balloons.

For more information about other upcoming Butler County events, visit our events page. 

Summer Concert Series

Summer is the best time of the year to enjoy the many musical musings that Butler County hosts each month. This month, we celebrate the sounds of summer with five noteworthy performances.

The wildly popular Groovin on the Green series in Fairfield is back! This community music celebration features a different artist or band each week. This months lineup includes: Reyna & Dana with the Phonic Uproar, The Blues Merchants, The Miami University Steel Band, and a Neil Diamond tribute band, Forever Diamond.

Enjoy an evening of live music with Rod Nimtz at the Verity Lodge at Miami University Hamilton on June 8. The performance is free and open to the public.

Grab your favorite lawn chair and head out to Governor’s Square in Middletown for the Broad Street Bash on June 11. This outdoor event is the perfect get together event for families and friends.

Looking for something a little calmer then a big community concert performance? Check out Pat Cremeans & Dan Rommel at the Hanover Winery in Hamilton on June 16. Sample a glass of Hanover Winery’s selection of wines, sit back, and enjoy the sweet sounds of summer.

Gear up for Independence Day celebrations at Red, White, Blue, & the Orchestra too! presented by the West Chester Symphony Orchestra at Keehner Park on June 30. This family friendly musical celebration honors American tradition, freedom, and independence.

Summer is sure sounding sweet this month! Don’t miss out on any of these fantastic family friendly summer concerts!

For more community events and help planning your next getaway to The BC, visit www.gettothebc.com

Strawberry Festival

Everyone loves strawberries, right? Well, the community of Shandon sure does. They’re celebrating everything strawberry this summer during the 87^th Annual Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival on June 9^th. This summer celebration is among the most popular summer festivals in the county.

The Strawberry Festival will feature local vendors and artists and an antique tractor show in the old schoolyard from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., as well as fresh refreshments available in the Old Fire House from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Explore Shandon’s diverse antique heritage by visiting the local shops in the historic houses featuring antiques, country crafts, original art, pottery, and furniture. Local shops will be open for visitors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Community House, the site of the 1825 Welsh Church will house the picnic style supper with a menu full of fresh strawberries, homemade shortcakes, and creamy delicious ice cream. Other culinary tastings will include Shandon’s traditional hot pressed chicken and savory pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, homemade pies, and more. The Community House will also feature traditional live Welsh harp music and live organ music.

To top off this strawberry celebration, the beautiful and historic Old Welsh Cemetery next to the Community House will be open for viewing and exploration.

The 87^th Annual Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival is free and open to the public.

Celebrate the summer’s most popular community festival and everything strawberry with a few strawberry creations of your own.

Test your culinary skills by creating this Strawberry Strawberry Cheesecake from the Curvy Carrot. This decadent strawberry cheesecake is topped with delicious glazed strawberries and is sure to get you in the mood for summer.

Refresh your mind and body with this relaxing and refreshing drink. These Strawberry Mojitos from KokoCooks are a perfect reason for a porch swing and a good book. Enjoy the delicious pairing of strawberry, lime, and mint as your melt away your workweek stress.

Get crafty and create a cute strawberry porch pillow. These strawberry pillows from Purlbee are a great way to add quirky character to your outdoor sanctuary.

Have a teen girl at home who loves everything girly? Spend quality time with your little diva with a fun DIY pampering session. Recreate this cute girly strawberry manicure by The Dainty Squid.

Strawberries are only red, ripe, and in season for a limited time. Grab all you can, craft all you can, and get out to Shandon’s 87^th Annual Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival.

For more fun craft ideas and everything travel, visit our Pinterest page!

Summer of Sports

June is jam packed with awesome summer sporting events. The BC is hosting a diverse array of sporting events throughout the county. This month, Butler County is home to the most unique sporting competitions of the year. Get your adrenaline pumping at one of these summer athletic celebrations.

Experience a new kind of athletic competition that has come to Butler County. The American Cornhole Organization’s Cornhole Cup held in the German Village of Hamilton June 22-24. See the nation’s top cornhole teams face off in a unique athletic challenge for their chance to win $20,000.

Check out the nation’s top archery shots in the 128th National Target Championship and Easton JOA National Championship making its way back to Joyce Park in Hamilton for its third year June 27 through July 1. Watch as arrows fly during these exciting target match up’s.

The pools are finally open for the season! Celebrate this seasonal victory at the eSyncro Age Group Championships at Corwin Nixon Aquatic Center in Oxford June 22-30. Be amazed as national and local synchronized swimming teams compete in these memorizing water ballets.

With the arrival of summer, comes the awesome water soaked events at Wake Nation. Enjoy free riding for everyone at the region’s only cable wakeboarding park during the Liquid Force Free For All 2012 event on June 23. Ride the new Liquid Force gear and ride with the pros!

If just won’t be summer if the calendar wasn’t full of adrenaline pumping sporting events. Check out the Cornhole Cup, Archery Championships, eSynchro Championships, and the Liquid Force Free For All this month.

For more information about upcoming summer sporting events, visit our events calendar. For information about hosting your upcoming athletic conference or championship in Butler County, visit our website for information about athletic facilities, fields, and more.

Adopt an Animal

Our county animal rescue facilities and adoption centers improve the quality of life of thousands of stray and abandoned animals each year. To many pet owners, our furry friends are our family members. This month, help local animal advocacy groups raise money in support of the county’s creatures in need.

PAWS Adoption Center is holding a fundraiser at the Hanover Winery in Hamilton on June 2. The fundraiser will feature live music and festivities in support of our fuzzy friends.

PAWS is a private, no-kill animal shelter located in Middletown, Ohio. PAWS is dedicated to providing care and shelter for unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats and placing them in loving homes. They house approximately 80 dogs and cats that are looking for safe and loving permanent homes.

Consider adopting instead of shopping for your next pet. You can find more information about rescuing and adopting a new furry family member of your own at the PAWS adoption page. To see some of the current cuties up for adoption, visit PAWS’s PetFinder page.

Another animal celebration commences at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park's 2nd Annual Dog Dayz event on June 3. Bring your pups to the park for a fun day of contests, games, and activities. 


Local pet businesses will come to show their best pet products and services and will donate prizes for the contests. The Animal Friends Humane Society will also join the festivities with a pack of adorable adoptable pets. 


Dog Dayz follows the newest art instillation of "The Big Dog Show" exhibition. Roam the park with your pooch and check out these dog themed sculptures by Massachusetts sculpture Dale Rogers. Twenty enormous canine shaped sculptures will be on display on the Overlook Hill though August 1.

If you are interested in donating, volunteering, or adopting an abandoned animal, please visit the following websites for information regarding pet adoption:

PAWS Adoption Center

Animal Friends Humane Society

Don’t forge to come out and enjoy a night of musical celebration and festivities in support of our fuzzy friends at the PAWS Fundraiser at Hanover Winery on June 2 or tour the park with your pooch during Dog Dayz at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.

June Preview

Summer is in full swing and the county is celebrating by hosting a variety of performances, athletic competitions, and festivals. The BC loves the hustle and bustle of all of the exciting events happening in June.

There’s more to do and see this month than there has been all year. We guarantee that there is an event or festival happening every weekend that you and your family are sure to enjoy.

Here’s a preview of what’s coming up in The BC:

June 6: The 87th Annual Old-Fashioned Strawberry Festival in Shandon. The festival features an antique tractor show, arts and crafts, traditional Welsh harp music, and all things strawberry. Admission and parking are free!

June 16: Grab a brewski! Enjoy imported, craft, and domestic’s at Jungle Jim’s International Beer Fest.

June 22: World-renowned Ronan Tynan sings with the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra. The set list will include songs from the opera and Ireland as well as many Broadway hits.

June 23: Participate in the Amateur Radio Field Day event at Smith Park. This nationwide emergency communication exercise will feature portable radio equipment and antennas in the park that will establish communication with other groups across the country!

June 25: Celebrate our service men and women with the American Celebration! EnterTRAINment Junction salutes the nation’s service men and women with free admission all month long for active military personnel with a current military ID

June 29: It’s finally summer and that means that the pools are finally open. Celebrate this small victory by watching the eSyncro Age Group Championships. This synchronized swimming championship event is a unique aquatic adventure.

With an event happening in nearly every BC community, there’s no excuse not to enjoy the nice weather and company of your family at one of these great Butler County events.

Buzz The BC Bumblebee

Meet Buzz! He’s the BCVB’s newest family member! Buzz loves to travel and he can’t wait to explore all that Butler County has to offer. Most of all, he’s excited to explore The BC with you! The BCVB is celebrating Buzz’s arrival with a fun new contest that will reward The BC’s biggest fans.

In celebration of National Tourism week May, 7-13 and the arrival of summer, The BCVB’s Where’s Buzz? contest gives visitors and residents the chance to win ways to explore The BC for free and a chance to be entered into a grand prize drawing for a chance to win a $500 gas card.

The Where’s Buzz? contest gives you and your family an excuse to explore The BC for free on behalf of Buzz The BC Bumblebee. All you have to do is find Buzz! To help you out, we’ll give you a clue: Buzz is hiding somewhere on our website. Head on over to our website, click around, and see if you can find Buzz. If you find him, be sure to click on him and fill out the entry form for your chance to win great BC prizes. The Where’s Buzz? contest runs from May 7^th through June 29th. 

Here’s how it works:

Once you find Buzz on our website and fill out the entry form, you and anyone else who found Buzz that week, will be entered into a weekly drawing. One name from that week’s entries will be chosen. The weekly winner will win free BC swag. This could be free admissions tickets to a BC attraction or park, BC gear, or other great prizes.

There’s more! Each weekly winner AND everyone who has found Buzz during any of the eight weeks will be thrown into a pool for their chance to win the ultimate Grand Prize, a $500 gas card, to help you explore The BC this summer. You can find Buzz one time each week for eight weeks totaling up to eight entries for the grand prize.

This means that there will be eight weekly winners who will win great BC swag and one person out of everyone who entered will win the $500 gas card Grand Prize!

Go bee hunting! Get over to our website and start searching for Buzz! Find him and be entered for your chance to explore The BC for free. Good luck!