26-05-2025
NATO delegates taking in Dayton's culture, cuisine during downtime
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — When not occupied with panels or official duties, delegates and other international visitors are taking time to experience the culture and cuisine Dayton has to offer.
Owners of businesses in the Oregon District – just east of the NATO Village – said they have seen a number of visiting delegates in their shops.
Iron Dog Salvage and Antiques owner Tim Morris expected a regular Saturday evening, but instead he saw people from across the world browsing items in his shop.
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'About 6 p.m.,' he said. 'A lot of the delegates, their staff and a bunch in big groups started coming through the district.
'A lot of the art vases furniture so we do a lot of custom furniture and they were looking at that, inquiring about that a little bit.'
Morris said he is happy to see such an interest in the pieces he sells, especially from high-ranking delegates.
'It feels really good to have anybody come in,' he said, 'so I was thrilled to death.'
At Clash Dayton across the street from Iron Dog, a shop attendant said she didn't even notice that a person who entered the shop to look at the local art was an official from another country.
'I didn't know as a delegate it was just a man in a full suit which we get in sometimes,' said Olivia Speer. 'He was just coming in to check out some of the local art and he was on his way.
'Real nice, real sweet.'
Speer said she is glad that these delegates took such an interest in the art scene of Dayton that they traveled outside the NATO Village to see it.
'I thought it was just odd because you think there are these big narrow delegates,' she said. 'They're world leaders, but they're just people come in to browse the local scene.'
She also said that it goes to show how much the Gem City can be showcased to the world.
'It's pretty fascinating,' Speer said. 'We get a lot of people from out of town, but from overseas we don't really see very often. So it's kind of cool to show that off to the world, you know?'
Other businesses said that they hope that these delegates will take a piece of Dayton with them when they return to their home countries.
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