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Let Loose at One of Vancouver’s Public Discos

Ever found yourself suddenly possessed with the urge to bust a move in the middle of the street? Well, now you can.

By Alec Regino /

As you walk through one of Vancouver’s many dreary laneways, the idea of abruptly breaking out and dancing is not one that immediately comes to mind. However, a new trend storming through the city is taking these public spaces and hosting pop-up events for everyone to join in.Public Disco is a series of pop-up parties that reimagine alleyways, streets, and plazas into daytime dance-floors all around the city. Last Saturday, July 29, Public Disco hosted its first party in the colourful alleyway between Pender, Hastings, Granville, and Seymour (an alleyway affectionately called Alley-Oop). With some of the city’s top DJs spinning retro house and disco music, the party at Alley-Oop was just one of four volumes wherein the general public are invited to come out in their brightest apparel and move to the music.

“We really want to offer an opportunity for people of all walks of life to be brought together.” Nick Collinet, primary organizer of Public Disco says. “One of the things that made me smile most at our first edition was seeing an elderly man chatting and dancing side by side with millennials.”Collinet hopes introducing more fun and inclusive events in the city will help bring people neighbours together and display the vibrant music community that lives in Vancouver.”So much of our culture in Vancouver happens indoors, but these events are inherently exclusive to those that know of them.” Collniet says, “When you do something that’s free and outside, there is so much more opportunity for the event to reach a diverse population of people.”

Public Disco is organized by the local electronic music label Groundwerk, which focuses on growing Vancouver’s music scene through artist development, knowledge, and community collaboration. Their series of disco parties are funded by a grant through the new VIVA Vancouver program and supported by local neighbourhood BIAs.Volume two of Public Disco is taking place at the Oasis Zone during the Vancouver Mural Festival on August 12th. It’s an all-ages event where children hang out at the kids’ zone play with vintage disco-era toys. Alongside the Public Disco there’s also a VMF Flash Tattoo Pop-Up, a DIY tie-dye shirt station, and various art installations.Oh, did we mention it’s free?

Public Disco Volume 2

When: August 12, 12 to 7 PMWhere: The Oasis Zone at Vancouver Mural Festival

Public Disco Volume 3

When: August 26, 1 to 7 PMWhere: McSpadden and Commercial Streets

Public Disco Volume 4

When: September 9, 1 -to 7 PMWhere: Jim Deva Plaza – 1200 Bute Street