The fifth annual Donnell Land events return to the village and surrounding locales Memorial Day weekend. Shown here are attendees having just stepped off the river from an afternoon of canoeing and kayaking in 2022. (Submitted photo)
Donnell Land to return this weekend
- Published: May 22, 2025
The fifth annual Donnell Land events are set to return to the Miami Valley on Memorial Day weekend, Friday–Monday, May 23–26. Organized by comedian and local resident Donnell Rawlings, the four-day event blends comedy, community spirit, outdoor fun and — this year — support for comedians in need.
Proceeds from Rawlings’ shows at Dayton’s Funny Bone Comedy Club Friday and Saturday, May 23 and 24, will benefit Comedy Gives Back, a nonprofit that offers financial assistance, mental health support and substance-abuse recovery resources to working comedians facing personal hardship. This year, the nonprofit also established a relief fund for comedians affected by the Los Angeles wildfires in January.
“I’ve always been a supporter of comics that need help in dire times,” Rawlings told the News in a recent interview. “That was me, like, 25 years ago. I wish it was something that existed then.”
On Saturday, May 25, Donnell Land’s traditional celebrity kickball game returns; past games have included appearances from Angela Eye, Talib Kweli, Mo Amer and Heather B. This year will feature the fourth, fierce face-off between returning teams, the Streets and the Creeks, with Rawlings as a member of the latter.
“The Creeks are up 2–1; we’re kicking butts,” he said. “We let the Streets win last year because, you know, we felt bad for them.”
As Rawlings told the News not long after he moved to the village in 2022, he coined the phrase “from the streets to the creeks” after developing a love for kayaking and canoeing.
To that end, Saturday afternoon offers a quieter contrast: Donnell Land participants will choose between meditating with Tibetan singing bowls in a sound bath or hiking the woodlands around Yellow Springs. Rawlings said he’s become especially fond of the village’s proximity to nature now that he’s lived here a few years.
“With all the crazy things going on in the world, it’s nice to go into the woods and just watch birds,” Rawlings said, adding with a laugh: “I know this is gonna test my gangster, but I’m a birdwatcher.”
On Sunday, May 25, registered guests will enjoy the invite-only “Sunday Funday” with classic outdoor games, music and food; hopefuls can still register for a chance to receive an invitation and join in.
Donnell Land closes on Monday, May 26, with the beloved annual “River Run” kayak and canoe trip down the Mad River at Birch Bark Livery, followed by a BBQ. Rawlings will record his podcast, “The Donnell Rawlings Show,” live during the cookout.
Rawlings said Donnell Land was originally inspired by friend and fellow comedian Dave Chappelle’s “Summer Camp” community gatherings and stand-up shows during the pandemic. He said he was “pretty much self-appointed” to create activities for both adults and kids during the gatherings.
“Once I got hooked on the kayaking and canoeing, I was like, ‘You know what? I got it from here — hold my beer,’” he said.
Rawlings said he aims for the annual Donnell Land events to create a space for laughter and reconnection.
“Donnell Land bridges a gap between young and old to create memories for a lifetime,” he said, adding that locals and out-of-towners alike have repeatedly come back for the annual series of events, sometimes sporting jerseys from past seasons.
Musing on those who return to the annual events and the oft-repeated local legend that those who drink from the Yellow Spring are destined to return, Rawlings offered his own twist on the maxim.
“Once you get the drinks at the Gulch, you’re definitely gonna return,” he said.
For more information on Donnell Land, go to http://www.donnellland.com.
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