Let’s be honest, the World Dance Party is already a different kind of event, with its community-driven spirit and inclusive celebration of cultural diversity. So if we say there will be a few differences from the usual in this next Party, you can trust that they’ll be good and you’ll still have plenty of fun.

Here’s your guide to navigating the differences:

Location:

Instead of indoors, the next World Dance Party will be outdoors at the Rainier Valley Heritage Parade and Festival, at the Ferdinand Street Stage, so we can enjoy the Seattle summer. Being located within another event also means you can enjoy the festival environment and the festival-goers that have never gone to (or maybe never even heard of) a World Dance Party will be able to try it for the first time.

Participants:

This is still an all-ages event open to anyone who wants to participate, and as mentioned above, there may be new people who have never tried a World Dance Party before. We’d love for you to come and welcome them with us!

Timing:

The World Dance Party takes the stage at 2:30 pm (Please note time change!) and goes for an hour, until 3:30 pm. There will be about four mini-lessons with music. It’s shorter than usual, and because of this, the schedule may feel a little more structured, but this allows new people to sample the Party and come back for more at a future event. It’s also a great way to show everyone that no matter how long you have, there’s always time to learn about and experience new cultures.

Food:

There will not be any potluck at this event, because there will already be so many delicious food and drinks at the festival. There will even be a Pepsi location right by the stage in case we get thirsty while dancing.

What’s staying the same:

The World Dance Party is still a free, community-driven, all-ages event with no agenda that gets people to interact and celebrate culture and diversity. We hope to see you on August 15, at 2:30 pm at the Ferdinand Street Stage during the Rainier Valley Heritage Parade and Festival. (Please note time change)

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This is a guest post by Shelly Najjar. When not volunteering as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Senior Services, she blogs about wellness and bucket lists.