Lindy in the Park (LitP)

This Sunday weather appears to be OK, so I am announcing the Lindy in the park. It is a gorgeous outdoors - and free - dance party with almost 30 years of history. It has it all (except for the dance surface that is atrocious, see later): views, DJ music, dancers, crowds watching us dance. Due to the outdoor nature of the party and the fickle, by California standards, SF weather, check the Facebook page ( facebook.com/lindyinthepark/ ) on the day of the event.

For the ones daring enough to drive from the Valley, some tips:

1. The location is on JFK drive (closed to traffic), close to the intersection of Fulton and 10th and de Young museum.
2. Parking is all about money vs effort balance. Free parking in the park itself (on the MLK drive) is very dicey, walk is significant.
3. Free parking in the neighborhood (8th-9th-10th-11th Ave) is possible but hard to find. Be prepared to park somewhere closer to the Clement St. and walk many long (but nice) SF blocks to the park. Note that the parking meters are mostly off on Sundays; budget at least 15 minutes for free parking.
4. For the spare-no-expense types, there is a parking garage for the de Young museum right next to the dancing spot (entrance from Fulton St. at 10th Ave) that charges about $6 per hour, for a 200 yard walk. The garage is usually half-empty at these rates. You can also park in the adjacent Music Concourse garage, somewhat more crowded and with 200 extra yards to walk.
5. The sidewalk surface is as bad for dancing as it gets, so leave your dance shoes at home and be nice to your (and your partner's) knees.
6. There is no water fountain nearby, so bring your own water bottle. The nearest restroom is inside the de Young museum (a 1 -2 minute walk). The shade provided by the trees is not adequate, so sunscreen is highly recommended on the sunny days.
7. The dance party starts at 11AM and goes to approximately 2:15PM (about six "last" dances are being announced after 2PM). The free dance lessons start at 12PM, but the dance party keeps going on simultaneously
8. The crowd grows as the time goes on, and by the end of the party includes about a hundred people, greatly varying by age, plus a lot of onlookers. The skills are also anywhere between absolute beginners and very advanced. The dance/follow ratio is OK, with slightly more follows.
9. Tip for the leads: inviting an onlooker to dance is an interesting test of your leading abilities.
10. As it always happens at the large swing dance parties, there is a "jam" time when the special people (birthday girls/boys, out-of-towners, etc.) are dancing with a lot of partners in a rapid succession with the rest of the crowd cheering on; if you qualify, register with the DJ. There is also time for a brief "routine" - a group synchronized dance.