Best of Dayton 2026: Dayton Dragons wins 'Best Attraction' and 'Best Family Fun Destination' categories
Jun. 26—The Dayton Dragons baseball team is a first-place winner in two categories in this year’s Best of Dayton contest — Best Attraction and Best Family Fun Destination. The organization also received these same honors last year.
Brandy Guinaugh, executive vice president and assistant general manager of the Dayton Dragons, thanked fans and community members for the overwhelming support.
“We have become that place where people know this is going to happen, we’re going to have a great time at Day Air Ballpark with the Dayton Dragons,” Guinaugh said.
“This is our 26th season of Dragons baseball already, and we just came out of an awesome 25th season and celebrating that milestone for our organization and the community, she said. “Since Day 1, and Robert Murphy — our team president and general manager — would say this as well, it’s always been all about ‘What can we do?’ and ‘How can we positively impact the Dayton community?” she said.
“We are so grateful for all the support since Day 1, and I think that we’ve proven that we can be this economic driver and do great things in the community. So, 2026 started off really well. We wrapped up our first-ever Deck the Diamond Holiday Lights Show last offseason. So, now instead of the offseason, I call it the holiday season. And we started the season off with a bang. We have continued that sellout streak that people know us for. It’s a very important accolade that we only achieve with all the amazing support from the Dayton Community and the Miami Valley,” Guinaugh said.
“It’s not just about the baseball game. It is about so much more,” she said. “It is bringing people together to have these moments to celebrate. Some people come here for birthdays, anniversaries, with their schools and with their nonprofit organizations to support. There are so many different reasons that people visit us at the ballpark, and none of that is missed by us. We want to be that place where people can create those memories, and celebrate and create moments that they will remember forever.”
“One thing I would be remiss in if I didn’t talk about is how amazing our fans and the community-at-large is in supporting the Dragons. We work hard to focus on that unsurpassed customer service that we, from Day 1, have been all about. We take that into consideration with every decision that we make, every amenity that we provide, and people have grown to love and know the Dragons for the entertainment experience that they have here at Day Air Ballpark,” said Guinaugh.
An atmosphere of details
She said the experience starts the moment a fan is walking up to the ballpark. It’s the noise, sights and sounds — and in all of the details.
“If you come here on a Tuesday night in the summer, it still feels the same as a Friday or Saturday night. That’s the energy. That’s the sellout crowd. That is the support and the fun that people have at the ballpark,” said Guinaugh.
“It’s important to us to paint that atmosphere, and the energy is like none other. It’s very special what we have going on here at Day Air Ballpark,” she said.
The Dayton Dragons also continue to give back through various community programs it has created. One example is the Community All-Stars Program that honors individuals and organizations who have gone above and beyond the call of their civic duty to improve the quality of life in the Miami Valley.
These stories are shared in the “PlayBall!” game program and at games in front of a soldout Dragons crowd.
The Dragons’ largest community effort is the Dayton Dragons MVP Program. Active in nearly 1,200 classrooms (approximately 31,000 students) in Clark, Greene, Montgomery, Warren and Miami counties, the Dragons MVP Program gives fourth- and fifth-grade teachers once-in-a-lifetime awards to be able to reward and incentivize students.
The teachers are the sole judge and jury for how to distribute the awards from top achievers to students turning a corner to students who do something amazing in the community.
Guinaugh said the 2026 season is off to a winning start.
“We are trailing the first-place team by only two games, so we are only two back out of first place. It’s been an exciting season to watch, and we are hopeful. What is unique about Single-A Baseball or High-A Baseball, which is the level we’re at, is we actually have a split season as far as record. So, in the first half, if you are the No. 1 team, you can submit your spot in the playoffs, which would be at the end of the season. So, that is important from a baseball standpoint, and it just adds to the environment we provide.”
