By The Chronicle Staff

July at the Holland offers fun for all ages, much of it at no cost to the public.

First up is the Art Upstairs Gala on Friday, July 10, a fundraiser for the Logan County Art Center, as detailed July 3 in the Chronicle.

The Art Upstairs campaign aims to renovate the Holland’s long-unused second floor office space into a vibrant arts center that will offer free and affordable programs to local youth and adults through the Holland’s sister organization, LoCo Art, and the Holland-based community theater group Windmill Productions.

The fun starts outside the theater at 6 p.m. with live entertainment from John Whitehead and Pete Moss, tours of the upstairs space, Mama D’s Soda Shoppe and DORA drinks, and a free taco/nacho bar from the Flying Pepper Cantina.

Then head to the theater at 7:30 p.m. for a big band concert from the Fountainaires and live charity auction with local auctioneer Mick Lile. A free ticket is required for the auction/concert portion of the evening.

Next up is Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark KIDS, from Windmill Productions, on Friday, July 17, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 18, at 1 p.m.

Local elementary school-age children star in this upbeat musical adaptation of the first book in the beloved Magic Treehouse series. Siblings Jack and Annie are transported to the time of the dinosaurs by their book-filled treehouse.

Their journey to get back home becomes an exciting adventure as they escape danger and make some dinosaur friends.

The production is about 30 minutes, perfect for young attention spans.

Continue the celebration of America’s 250th birthday on Sunday, July 19, at 3 p.m., at the West Central Ohio Community Concert Band’s annual free summer concert. This year’s theme is Celebrating America’s Music, including a stirring rendition of The Stars and Stripes Forever that has become a beloved local tradition.

Under the direction of Joe Antram, the concert is free to the public but a ticket is required.

Final, after a long hiatus the Dutch Tilt Film Festival returns to the Holland July 23-26. The event includes two free showings of Union County, the Sundance hit filmed in and around Bellefontaine last year, as well as 37 short and feature Ohio-connected student and indie films.

From documentaries to horror, comedy to animation – and even an inside look at professional wrestling - the festival has films for all tastes; tickets are available for single feature films, blocks of short films, or day-long or festival passes.

This season’s sponsor is Beasley Architecture & Design, with media sponsorship from V-Tec Communication and the Logan County Chronicle and season support from the Ohio Arts Council.

Tickets are available online at TheHolland.org, by phone at (937) 592-9002, or in person at the box office, 127 E. Columbus Ave. Contact the box office for special youth ticket prices and group discounts.

Box office hours are Tuesday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday and Friday 1 to 5 p.m. ■