Community Street Dance to sashay into downtown July 13

For four hours on Saturday, July 13 Division Street will become a dance floor during Northfield's fun for all ages community street dance.

Sponsored by Age Friendly Northfield, the city of Northfield, All Around Townie and Fermentation Friends of Northfield/Dundas, the street dance features two bands, free dance lessons, restaurant specials and free transportation from assisted living residences.

The dance, which begins at 4:30 with free line dance lessons, features sambo, mamba and latin music of Los Rebeldes from 4:30-6:15 p.m. After a brief equipment change, Jivin Ivan & the Kings of Swing will take the stage to change up the tempo and rhythms to swing tunes from 6:45-8:30 p.m.

CC Linstroth, who serves on the Age Friendly Northfield board, said the event was not a fundraiser of any kind. "This is a fun event designed to bring the community together and get everyone up and moving," she said.

Age Friendly’s mission is to improve the overall quality of life for the area’s older adults. One of the organization’s domain teams works on health, wellness, socialization, and inclusion. Its previous activities have been the promotion of safe walking at the high school, and free pickleball on Sunday’s, also at NHS. The Red Chairs enjoyed at many community events are the result of a grant award to Age-Friendly through the state AARP.

Downtown stores will be open for the early evening hours and will likely be offering street dance specials on some of their merchandise.

Linstroth said a bounce house will be available for families with small children. There will be picnic tables and red chairs set up. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own picnic food, or take advantage of some of the meal specials offered by downtown restaurants. Northfield’s and Dundas’s local breweries and distilleries will be selling custom alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

"We hope everyone in the community can make their way downtown during the street dance," she said. "Whether you come to dance, socialize, eat, bounce or sit to relax on a summer afternoon, all are welcome. It should be a really fun event."

Char Hamblin with All Around Townie, said that transportation will be provided beginning at 3:30 p.m., and ending at 8:30 p.m. for those who live at one of the following senior living communities: Kildahl Park Point, Park Ridge Apartments, Northfield Manor, Millstream Commons and Benedictine Living Community.

"All Around Townie Tours & Transportation is excited to be part of this Community Street Dance, helping to bring folks together by offering transportation to those who otherwise may not take part," said Hamblin. "We will offer transportation to and from the event, stopping at senior living communities throughout Northfield with the hope of making it easy to get community members out for a great evening of music and mixing with neighbors and friends."

Community members Dottie Hammer, Kirsten Scott and Connie DeGrote said they were excited about the upcoming street dance.

"This is such a good 'bringing together' of the community," said Hammer.

Scott nodded her agreement and added that she hopes the dance "cuts across barriers."

"Inclusion of every Northfielder, no matter the age, is the goal," said DeGrote.

Anne Pleskonko, senior service coordinator for Neighbors Helping Neighbors, said she's enjoyed being involved in the planning for the upcoming downtown event.

"I am fortunate to be on the Steering Committee of the Age Friendly Initiative in Northfield," said Pleskonko. "It’s been so exciting to work with this team and be able to provide the upcoming Community Street Dance."

Pleskonko added that she's looking forward to seeing "all of Northfield enjoying the outdoors, the music, line dancing and lots of food."

David DeLong, a member of the Age Friendly Northfield, explained that community Street dances hold a special place in the minds of a lot of older adults, especially those who grew up in a small town. "I've heard many stories about how they met their husband or wife at a dance one town over," he said. "Remember this was before dating apps and things like that. Maybe this Community Dance will prompt a conversation between family generations."

Because social isolation is one of the greatest concerns when it comes to older adults' health, DeLong said that by sponsoring free events like the community street dance can hopefully get people out of their own environment for some intergenerational interactions. "Not on twitter or X or facebook but the old fashioned way, face to face," he said. "Something new and unique for the younger crowd, and something memory evoking for the older crowd."

"One of the principles followed by Age Friendly Northfield is to make sure financial consideration does not enter into the picture," said DeLong. "Everyone is welcome. My hope is we start a few new conversations. A few new friends and a few smiles."