DAYTON, Ohio — Come Memorial Day weekend 2025, the eyes of the world will be on Dayton, Ohio.

The city is hosting the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session and officials have announced partnerships and venues.

What You Need To Know

  • The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center will serve as a home base for the session

  • Major partners include Dayton Live and CareSource

  • About 1,000 people are expected to come to Dayton

  • Downtown Dayton will be highlighted during Memorial Day weekend 2025

It’s all about showcasing downtown Dayton and a major home-base for the event will be the Schuster Center.

“We want to show them Main Street USA for NATO PA. It is our intention to show-off our town. Thirty years ago, the international community turned its eyes to Dayton as the Dayton Peace Accords were negotiated here,” said Congressman Mike Turner.

Turner said over $1 billion has been invested in Dayton’s downtown since the 1995 Peace Accords that brought an end to the Bosnian War.

Dayton Live and CareSource have been named as major partners.

In addition to the Schuster Center, meetings and events will be held at various theaters and art centers, along with CareSource facilities throughout downtown.

Turner estimates that about 1,000 people will be coming and 300 of them are legislative parliamentarians. 

“It’s really a remarkable event, historical I think. And so we’re excited, and we’re honored. I think the world is going to be surprised, pleasantly surprised by everything that Dayton has to offer,” said CareSource President and CEO Erhardt Preitauer.

Costs for this event are expected to be in the millions.

Turner said funding will come from a variety of sources including the federal government, the State Department, and other philanthropic and business ventures.