by Chamidae Ford
On August 15, the South Park Collab is throwing a party. Day Party, an outdoor dance event, will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. along the Duwamish River, with picturesque views of Downtown Seattle, and will feature arts-filled fun for those over 21.
The event has been organized by Cheryl Delostrinos, the co-founder of Au Collective. Delostrinos views herself as a connector, and Day Party aims to remind South Park that even after over a year of isolation, a powerful community exists there.
“Something that I’ve been hearing from people and from all these different communities is wanting to have more spaces like [COMMUNION R&B and The Station coffee shop] to gather,” Delostrinos said. “I live across the street from this big lot that is right on the Duwamish River with a view of downtown Seattle. I was just in the right place at the right time.”
As a South Park resident, Delostrinos thinks of Day Party as an ode to a place that she loves and wants to give back to, while supporting her fellow artists and community members along the way.
“In order for [our community] to survive, we need to come together and work together to support one another,” Delostrinos said. “And I believe that art has the ability to bring people together and also bring us back to our humanity. So the Day Party is centered around celebrating the arts.”
The party will feature a series of DJ sets by Lace Cadence, Phosho, Lady Coco, MK, and PAX, along with a special performance by Randy Ford, aka Aísha Noir.
“I’m a dance person, so dancing, movement, and being able to move your body, especially for People of Color, to be able to feel liberated in your body through movement is a part of my activism,” Delostrinos said. “I think it is very universal, like how can you not move or feel joy with music?”
The event won’t just highlight musical art but also visual art, through murals and installations by local creators.
“I believe that art is what is going to change the world,” Delostrinos said. “So I immediately wanted to activate the space with art.”
The venue will feature the work of six local artists, four of whom will be collaborating on a mural during the event.
The party will also be serving cocktails and food for those in attendance. Drinks will be provided by Brown Liquor Cocktail Co. and The Station coffee shop. Baowich and others will provide food.
“Just being in isolation for so long and being in so many art communities like music, dance, visual artists, I want to activate the space with all of it,” Delostrinos said. “I want to bring artists together and I want us to be able to collaborate and work together.”
Day Party will require those in attendance to wear masks. Tickets are available online or at the door. Although the space can hold 450 guests, the organizers will be limiting attendance to 300 to allow for social distancing.
A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to Real Rent Duwamish and Cultivate South Park.
Chamidae Ford is a recent journalism graduate of the University of Washington. Born and raised in Western Washington, she has a passion for providing a voice to the communities around her. She has written for The Daily, GRAY Magazine, and Capitol Hill Seattle. Reach her on IG/Twitter: @chamidaeford.
📸 Featured image by Jason Beverly, courtesy of South Park Collab.
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