New Dayton funk wagon rolling around Dayton thanks to UD students

Pedal Wagon Dayton picked a Dayton funk-inspired design for one of its three bikes.

Jen Bergman, manager of the Pedal Wagon Dayton, unveiled the winning design by UD students Jess Burnham, Meg Gramza and Nan Xiang Thursday as part of the university's Stander Symposium, a campus-wide event that recognizes academic excellence.

“The students that designed this concept were inspired with the history of funk and how it pertains to the city of Dayton,” Bergman said.

Six designs related to Dayton were submitted.

The funk design includes references to Dayton landmarks as well as Zapp, the Ohio Players and other Dayton funk bands.

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The funk music genre put Dayton on the map as the Land of the Funk in the 1970s and '80s, thanks to a stable of groups that included the Ohio Players, Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, Zapp, Faze-O, Heatwave, Sun, Slave and Lakeside.

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Cincinnati-based Pedal Wagon launched its pedal and party concept  in Dayton in early 2017.

Bergman said the funk wagon can be requested.

It partners with restaurants, bars and other businesses in the Oregon District and elsewhere to offer pub crawls, progressive dinners, corporate outings, birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and other events.

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