Moves Like Jagger: Winter Family Dances & Concerts Around Town

What’s your go-to dance move? Vogue? Robot? Pop and lock? Just don’t say twerk. Whatever it is you like to do (or sing) on the dance floor, living room rug and in the shower, the time has come to take your dance moves outside. Grab your tiny dancers and head to a family-friendly musical performance perfect to move and groove.

We Are Community
Community Music Center gets toes tapping with a once a month Family Friday concert. Kicking off at 7:15 and doors open at 6:30, get there early as there are no reserved seats. Bands are lined up and ready to move you, culture you and/or improve you: Emerson House Band, Mousal Remix, MT Duo, Portland Chamber Music and the Oregon Renaissance Band to name a few.  Free with $5 suggested donation per adult or $15 a family.

3350 SE Francis St
Portland, Or 97202

Fire in the Hole
We heart the Village Ballroom and its neighbors, too. Pretty much anything happening here makes sense for families so Sunday night should be no exception. Square Dancing is beyond big in PDX and with simple steps, friendly callers and a rudimentary understanding of do-si-do you and your littles should be able to make the weekend rock that much longer.  Hit Oregon Public House for dinner beforehand and well, you’re a superstar.  Pretty much every Sunday night from 7:00 – 9:00 pm it’s on. Live callers, live music, living large at the Sunday Square Dance.

700 NE Dekum
Portland, Or 97211

Put on Yer Boogie Shoes
The Fulton Community Center knows how to get a family groovin’.  For $20 the whole family can get up and get down from 4:30 – 6:30 pm one Saturday a month at their Family Dances (though it looks like December is a bye month due to holiday merriment everywhere else).  People loves them some Fulton Community Center family dances. So go get ya some of that F-U-N-K-Y.

68 SW Miles Street
Portland, Or 97219

Meanwhile, Back at the Ballroom
Once a month on Sunday afternoons there’s a fall-winter family concert happening courtesy of the trifecta of Woodlawn Swap n Play, Oregon Public House and The Village Ballroom. The shows run from 3:30 – 5:30 pm (give or take) and have a rotating cast of super rockers ready to get the littles shimmying.  The November 17^th show has the Alphabeticians going from duo to quartet for one show only. Rad.  Pointed Man Band is shakin’, rattlin’ and rolling on December 8.

Where do you boogie on down? Tell us in the comments section below. 

— Liz Overson

Thanks for the photos Sunday Square Dance and Community Music Center’s Facebook pages and Liz Overson.