The Last Downtown Dave of 2026!
Well this is the last Downtown Dave post of the 2026 season on Put in Bay. So over the season I have shared with everybody many personal happenings and also shared many thoughts that I have read over the years. I hope that I have made everybody at times sit back and think about life. The real reason that I was asked to do this weekly post was to inform everybody on what bands are playing every week. I have just expanded the posts to include my thoughts on life.
Everybody has heard many times that life is short and make sure that you enjoy every day because you never know when it might be over. Well I have lost a few special people in my life this year. None more special than my mom. I was very fortunate to have her with me for 69 years. A lot of you did not have that privilege of having your mom for as long as I did. Without her I would not be who I am today. We just had a celebration of life for her last week and it was one of the toughest speeches that I have ever had to make.
Now me and mom were pretty close. We talked a lot but I really don’t think that I really thanked her for everything that she did for me. I know mom is reading this right now. Thank you Mom for bringing me into this world 69 years ago. Because of you I have 3 wonderful daughters and 7 grandkids. Plus I have so many friends that I have lost count. One of my favorite thoughts that I post a few times a year is that I consider my life successful not by how much money that I have in the bank but the friends that I have. These weekly posts have really added to the friend count.
So my goal to my weekly readers until we talk again in the spring of 2027 is to make at least 20 new friends. That is about 3 friends a month. Now what do I consider friends? Anybody that you can meet that you make plans to spend time with in the future.
MORE AFTER THE MUSIC
Put-in-Bay Live Music Schedule 10/23-25
Mr. Ed’s
Friday 10/23 and Saturday 10/24 Flannel 9:00
Sunday 10/25 Casper at 4:00
Beer Barrel
Friday 10/23 and Saturday 10/24 Venyx 9:00
Saturday 10/24 special show by Bob Gatewood 5:30
Round House Bar
Friday 10/23 and Saturday 10/24 Killer Flamingos 8:30
Saturday 10/24 Mike Mad Dog Adams 2:00
Sunday 10/25 Whiskey light turn off with Ray Fogg at 1:00
Boathouse
Friday 10/23 and Saturday 10/24 ADUBB 9:00
Want To Squeeze In One Last Trip? Best Places To Stay!
- Island Club Rentals (islandclub.com) – 216-898-9951
- Commodore Resort (commodoreresort.com) – 419-285-3101
- Bird’s Nest Resort (birdsnestresort.com) – 419-285-6119
- Put-in-Bay Condos (putinbaycondos.com) 216-898-1105
- Victory Station Hotel (putinbayvictorystation.com) 419-285-0120
My Thoughts For The Week
Music and Sports have always been the focal point of my life. But it is the people that I have met watching live music or watching or playing sports. Just this week I met 4 people on my plane on my way back from Florida that were going to the Browns game. They were total strangers and I invited them to my tailgate. I did not think that they would show up but they did. They had a great time and they wanted to make sure that they got a group picture with me. We did make that happen and that really made my day. Well the Browns winning was cool too but the fact that I met total strangers and invited them to the tailgate and they showed was the best part of the day. I will probably never see them again but I know they had fun and will remember me.
I also need to talk about Put in Bay. I started coming to the island 25 years ago. The reason being is when you get on the boat you feel like you are so far away from home. It is like at times you are in another country. We get close to 600000 people visiting Put in Bay every year. Why do they come? Because of the music and because of the people that come to the island. Everybody comes to the island to unwind.
putinbayohio.com Quick Picks
- Put-in-Bay Attractions
- The Best Put-in-Bay Bars and Dining
- How To Get To Put-in-Bay
Final Thoughts For 2026
I do my best weekly to tell everybody the various events and bands playing every week but you can keep updated on putinbayohio.com all year. This is the last weekend of live music on the island but it is always one of the best because it is our Halloween. And of course it is my saddest day of the year on Sunday when they turn off the whiskey sign at the Roundhouse. That means I will not see everybody till we turn it back on April 25th next year which is one day after my 70th birthday. So have a great rest of 2026 and looking forward to seeing everybody on Put in Bay in 2027
Also you can friend me on facebook (Dave Schafer) and watch my travels this winter on facebook.
Thank You again for reading my posts this year. Make sure you book your weekends for 2027 because the weekends sell out fast.
Last thought: give out hugs. There are not many things that feel better in life than a good hug from a friend.