Let’s Dance! Donna Summer Disco Party honors singer’s local legacy

Celina Colby

Celina Colby is an arts and travel reporter with a fondness for Russian novels.... VIEW BIO

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Don your sequins and prepare to hit the dance floor on June 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. at City Hall Plaza when disco fever returns to Boston for the annual Donna Summer Disco Party.

At this annual celebration, Bostonians can dance the night away to Donna Summer’s greatest hits as well as other groovy beats from DJ Vince 1. Disco balls, bubbles and glow sticks will abound, and many partygoers come decked out in their 1970s finest. A roller-skating rink will also be set up next to the dance floor.

Scene from last year’s Donna Summer Disco Party at City Hall Plaza PHOTO: COURTESY OF CITY OF BOSTON

Boston native Summer, dubbed the “Queen of Disco,” was a five-time Grammy winner who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, a year after her death. The global superstar was born in Dorchester and grew up in Mission Hill. She was first exposed to music through her family and regular performances at Grant AME Church on the South End-Roxbury line. This annual dance party is a celebration of her life, legacy and Boston roots.

Heading to Funkytown at last year’s Donna Summer Disco Party. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CITY OF BOSTON

“We see people who return to this event year after year,” says Amy Yandle, director of special events for the City of Boston and one of the coordinators of the disco party. “The continuity of it is really impactful. We’ve met a couple who plan their annual trip to Boston from California around the dance party.”

The party ends every year with “Last Dance” and attendees flock to the floor to dance to one of Summer’s most popular songs. Dancers can also expect to hear hits like “Hot Stuff,” “She Works Hard for the Money” and “On the Radio.”

This is the 11th annual celebration, hosted by Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment. The party is free and open to all, no RSVP necessary.

Disco partiers having fun at last year’s Donna Summer Disco Party on City Hall Plaza PHOTO: COURTESY OF CITY OF BOSTON

During this stressful political and economic time, the Donna Summer Disco Party provides an opportunity for Bostonians to gather in community and dance their cares away. It’s a wholesome, family-friendly event that brings together disco lovers of all kinds.

“Donna Summer’s music is joy —  it makes people dance, feel free and connect. That kind of energy is something the world always needs, and an annual celebration keeps that spirit alive,” said Yandle. “I think it’s a great way to bring people together—from different neighborhoods, backgrounds and walks of life.”