Three inclusive outdoor dance parties slated at New Bedford's Riverside Park this summer

Standard Times staff
·2 min read

NEW BEDFORD —  A series of three inclusive outdoor dance parties will keep the North End of New Bedford moving and grooving all summer long! New Moon Dance Party will once again bring the uplifting sounds of house, disco, funk, techno, and more to the edge of the Acushnet River for all New Bedford residents to enjoy.

New Moon Dance Party with Riverside Beats will bring three inclusive dance parties to New Bedford's North End this summer.
New Moon Dance Party with Riverside Beats will bring three inclusive dance parties to New Bedford's North End this summer.

“Riverside Beats is a radically inclusive celebration for everyone to experience joyful movement,” says New Moon founder and resident DJ Andy Anello.

Riverside Beats dance parties are free and will take place once a month from July through September at Riverside Park on the following schedule: Sunday, July 10, 4 to 8 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 14, 4 to 8 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 9, 4 to 8pm (with rain dates: 7/24, 8/21, 9/4).

Each party will feature a special guest DJ, with support provided by New Moon resident DJs Andy Anello, baye, and Neil Matheson. Jacob Herschel, a Providence-based DJ and veteran of the underground dance music scene is the first guest in charge of getting dancers on their feet in July. August guests are Soul Teknology, a trio of DJs consisting of DubLN, Mike Delick, and Yummy. Soul Teknology are purveyors of soulful/deep/Afro house music and the force behind the long-running dance night of the same name in Providence.

When dancers need a break to catch their breath at Riverside Beats, the Marie Equi Zine Library (MEZL) will be onsite to educate and inspire. New Moon is proud to be continuing its ongoing partnership with the MEZL. Named for lesbian labor and reproductive health activist Dr. Marie Equi, the MEZL collects, archives, and presents radical queer feminist zines and other publications in the form of a portable popup library for New Bedford residents to explore.

New Moon Dance Party received a Wicked Cool Places grant to help fund Riverside Beats. Riverside Beats is also supported by a grant from the New Bedford Local Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

About New Moon Dance Party

New Moon Dance Party was founded by New Bedford resident Andy Anello to support the development of underground dance music culture in New Bedford and to help create radically inclusive parties that provide safe places for self-expression to all dancers regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or income level. In addition to producing Riverside Beats, New Moon also hosts a free monthly community dance party in downtown New Bedford called BodyBodyBody.

More information about New Moon Dance Party and Riverside Beats can be found at facebook.com/newmoondanceparty and instagram.com/newmoondanceparty.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Inclusive outdoor dance parties set for Riverside Park in New Bedford