Swing Dance Under The Dome (live music by the Garners)

A little-known, yet fun - and free - and outdoors! - SD event. Note that these events are frequently cancelled due to weather and other circumstances, so double-check the links before going (the event is not yet posted on the library site, a schedule of events for the rest of 2025 is attached).

The event alternates between the DJ music and live band is playing. On this occasion, the Garners will playing. This is a small band (a duo or trio) with a pretty good sound for such a small group. I love dancing to their tunes.

This hidden gem is happening approximately every two-three weeks (on Mondays) on the roof (floor 9) of the San Diego Public Library in the downtown San Diego. Around holidays and during the Padres games the scheduling becomes hectic and unpredictable. To the best of my knowledge, there is no dedicated website for the event; sometimes checking the Facebook page of the swing dancing community of San Diego, www.facebook.com/groups/sandiegoswingdance/, helps. You can also find the dates on the library web site (sandiego.librarymarket.com or follow the event link above and click on Also Occurs On button on the left). Last chance is the sdswingcats.com/calendar site. Note that the schedule always skips the days when Padres have home games (as the library garage is used for paid parking).

Follows and leads are usually pretty balanced, still, as for any sparsely attended event bringing an own partner might be useful. On some occasions there were more follows, not disastrously.

The free beginner lesson starts at 6:00PM with dancing at 6:30PM (unlike many dance venues, this one starts on time, so allow yourself 10 minutes for parking and the elevator ride). The crowd is about 30-40 dancers (up to a hundred if a star band is playing), with a quite large percentage of beginners, and a few intermediates. The lesson is intended for true beginners and assumes no previous dance experience.

Few tips:

a) The event happens on the actual roof, i.e. outdoors, and the view is great - but the temperature matches the one outside, sun goes down as we dance, and a fair amount of wind is possible - therefore dress wisely (and in layers). The seating is limited. Note that in case of inclement weather the event is usually not cancelled, but moved instead into an auditorium on the same 9th floor.

b) The library roof is paved with smooth concrete tiles, so this dance floor will not be suitable for your good dancing shoes, although limited pivots can be executed by a skilled dancer. There are grooves between the tiles, so the stiletto heels will not work well either. Library suggests "sensible shoes". The backup location, auditorium, has a carpeted floor, not great for dancing, but also OK for limited pivots. In any case, leads should be careful leading an unfamiliar follower into, say, a double turn.

c) Plenty of free parking is available in the garage under the library (entrance off the 11th Avenue, come on time, or you might find the entrance gate closed). At this time of the day the parking is usually almost empty. Do not forget to validate your parking ticket on the first floor of the library using a device on the left side of the information desk, this self-service contraption resembles a barcode scanner at the store checkout. Validation is good for two hours, the dance is shorter, still the extra time for parking and elevator ride might push you over this limit. On few occasions I had to pay $1.25 for extra minutes.