Published June 15, 2025

Summer Music, Fitness in the Park and More at RiverScape

Country returns to Summer Music Series

Featuring a variety of new and returning bands, the Summer Music Series is a great way for the community to get outside and enjoy a free concert. This year, the series will be featuring a classic genre favorite: country! Bringing country music performance back to the Summer Music Series, will be a Dayton-area local, Ryan Mundy, taking the stage.

Recently spotted strolling through the park with his girlfriend, Makenna, and their 10-month-old daughter Wrenley, Ryan was able to give some insight into his music. “I love the storytelling behind country songs and the feelings country songs leave you with after you listen to them. The connection to a memory and how it can take you right back to a specific place from just listening to a song is what hits me in the heart the most and I feel that in country music.”

Ryan went on to tell how he connects to his audience through his stories, “I have a story just like everyone does and I try to share mine as well as connect with the listeners out there through the songs I’ve written. Everyone is going through something we know nothing about so if I can get them to smile, laugh and enjoy themselves for a couple hours to step away from that, then I have fulfilled what it truly means to play live music. Also, there’s a lot of kids out there watching that we could be inspiring and not even know. Just like my bud Jayce in Wapakoneta!”

Grab your lawn chairs and head to RiverScape MetroPark for the best Summer Music Series yet. FREE, live concerts are select evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. The Summer Music Series is sponsored by The Jack W. & Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation and On Par Entertainment.

Fun, Fit and Free: Fitness in the Park

This summer we are welcoming M’Le Leach as a new instructor to our Fitness in the Park series. She has been teaching yoga for over 10 years and group fitness for 5 years, starting with Barre and following her passions in the movement world from there. M’Le was able to provide some insight into her new “Sculpt with Speakeasy” class that is part of RiverScape MetroPark’s Fitness in the Park series:

What type of workout people can expect?

Sculpt is a workout blend of Barre, Pilates and Yoga inspired stretching. Expect to be challenged while having fun. Class is spicy and sweet with an upbeat playlist and possible jokes sprinkled throughout. We will be moving through full range movements and teeny tiny pulses, and there are always many options and variations to meet yourself where you are today.

Why did you become an instructor and what attracted you to this type of exercise?

I started dance really young and kept at it in my bedroom when we couldn’t afford classes. That evolved into doing exercise videos with my mom in our living room. I always loved the challenge of exercising but always disliked the diet culture jargon and the constant pressure to get smaller. Yoga felt like dance and gave me a space to learn about myself and my body in my early teens. I trained to be a yoga teacher fresh out of high school and started teaching in my early 20s. After a few years, I craved different movement and missed ballet training. I was also struggling with constant joint aches and pains. A friend and I tried our first Barre class together and we thought we were going to die. The next day we went back and I just fell in love with the style. The playlists were so fun and kept me engaged in class and in my body. I went home and immediately searched for Barre classes online so I could practice at home. While I was sore, I soon realized my hyper mobile body felt so much better with building strength and muscular endurance. I had also noticed how much exercise/moving my body helped my mental health.  When the pandemic hit and everything shut down, I dove into teacher training. I wanted to share what I loved and wanted to provide a space for people to move and feel challenged without hearing about calories or losing weight. We are allowed to exercise/move for enjoyment and joy in general, and that has been my mission ever since I tried that first Barre class. After teaching Barre for a few years, we at Speakeasy started experimenting with taking class away from the Barre and that’s how Sculpt was born.

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What would you tell someone new who is nervous to try this class?

Show up as you are today. Do what you can today. Take breaks as you need and be gentle with yourself. Class will be challenging, but you are more than capable. Make it your own and you’ll see how quickly you get stronger. Most of all, have fun! I’m right here with you the whole time.

What’s your favorite part about what you do?

I love providing a safe space for others to try something new, fall in love with movement and find joy in movement. Sculpt is a challenging workout and provides a big mental challenge. Those moments when your brain tries to tell you to give up, but you don’t give up. You stay with yourself and you keep going, and then you surprise yourself at what you can do. It’s such a great metaphor for dealing with the challenges life can throw at us. Providing that challenge on the mat and watching people break through the self-doubt is my absolute favorite. We can do hard things and we can do hard things together. That includes the challenge of knowing when to rest, back off, take it easy and when to push.

How can people connect with your studio/classes throughout the week, outside of RiverScape MetroPark?

I teach at Speakeasy Yoga in downtown Dayton on Third Street where you can find me teaching yoga, sculpt and private sessions. I am also a personal trainer.

Whether you try M’Le’s new Sculpt class or one of our many other fitness classes, there are so many options to choose from this summer that there is sure to be something for everyone, regardless of your ability or comfort level. From a relaxing yoga class to an energizing Booty Mix session, here is a glimpse of everything fitness at RiverScape this season. Dates vary from class to class, so we recommend checking our full schedule on metroparks.org or Riverscape on Facebook.

Fitness in the Park: Classes are held on most Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. and are presented by Kettering Health with additional support from McGohan Brabender:

Community Fitness: Classes are held on most weeknights starting at 6 p.m. and will rotate to a new session in August. Check the program/events finder for specific dates and times.

  • Mondays and Wednesdays: “Bootcamp” with The Unit
  • Mondays: “BootyMix” with BootyMix Fitness
  • Tuesdays: “Tai Chi & Qigong at the River” with Immortal Tree Qigong
  • Wednesdays: “Swerk” with MVP Dance Fit

Summer Activities at RiverScape MetroPark

There are many ways to get out and enjoy the summer weather at RiverScape MetroPark. Keep the kids cool at the Interactive Fountain, with jets that shoot water as high as twenty feet. Visit the Fountain Snack Bar for some delicious soft ice cream, pretzels and other snacks. Families can also enjoy Tuesday Nights in the Park with live musicians and music bingo near the pavilion, Kayak Rentals and much more. The nearby RiverScape Café will be open for dinner, offering flatbread pizzas, appetizers, desserts and more. For those 21 and over, cocktails, wine and beer will also be available for purchase as part of the Downtown Dayton DORA.

Save the Date for Festival Season

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