Windham Parks and Rec hosts first 'Light Up the Night Dance'

By Jolene Bailey

The glow party sensation sweeping America arrived in Windham on March 14 as the Windham Parks and Recreation Department hosted a “Light Up the Night Dance” for local families.

Windham Parks and Recreation hosted a 'Light Up the 
Night Dance' in a partnership with Windham PTA. 
The popular event used blacklights to create a
glowing effect for participants. COURTESY PHOTO   

Glow parties are vibrant celebrations where neon colors and decorations are used extensively and everything glows under the glare of UV black lights, creating a fun environment. Black lights work by emitting ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is invisible to the human eye, but some substances called phosphors absorb them and then re-emit it as visible light, causing them to glow eerily.

Participants wearing neon colors stood out in the Light Up the Night dance along with those wearing fluorescent orange, green, yellow and pink.

“This was our first glow dance through Windham Parks & Recreation, and all families in the community were invited, so I was really excited to see all the families come together and have a fun time at the dance,” said Kelsey Crowe, Windham Parks & Recs deputy director.

Windham Parks and Recreation conducts many events for everyone with children who are interested in attending. In the past they have hosted similar events to the Light Up the Night dance such as the February Formal and the Gym Jamboree.

However, this dance was much different from those offered previously because it was a glow dance, and all the lights and blacklights had transformed the experience with even more fun for the families attending. It was a solid turn-out and a packed gym at Windham Middle School.

“As the Deputy Director, my role was to plan and organize the whole event, but I could not do it alone,” Crowe said. “For Light Up the Night, Windham Parks & Recreation partnered with Windham PTA to put on the dance. We also had support from Windham Social Services, RSU 14, the Windham Lions Club, Deep DJ Entertainment, and Windham High School student volunteers.”

Crowe has been working for the Windham Parks & Recreation Department for about eight years. She has been overseeing larger family and community events for about six years shortly after becoming the Deputy Director for the organization.

As the Light Up the Night dance went on, there were several opportunities for even more fun throughout the evening.

People could stop by the photo booth in the gym and take photographs with fun accessories or also dance in the gym or play a round of cornhole, a game of giant Jenga, Connect Four or Tic Tac Toe.

For most of the night, children enjoyed dancing with a DJ spinning popular tunes. They were able to request songs and sing and dance all through the night.

Another popular activity was the Light Up Limbo competition for kids and their parents.

Refreshments and snacks were served in the cafeteria, along with face painting and temporary tattoos that glowed in the blacklights during the dance in the gym.

Families were able to also register for door prizes. There were about 10 big prizes where families could receive tickets when they entered and choose what prizes they wanted to try to win. Prizes were then drawn and announced throughout the night.

“This was our first glow dance, so not knowing if the event will take off, or if families were actually going to register, is always a worry, but I think the night was a success. We had a great turnout, and I can't wait to make it bigger and better for next year,” said Crowe.

For more details about activities offered by Windham Parks and Recreation, visit https://www.windhammaine.us/155/Parks-Recreation <