It was a sight to behold as one walked into Esquimalt’s Serious Coffee, greeted by a DJ dropping beats and a crowd of caffeinated partygoers turning the place into an ephemeral dance club on the morning of March 2.
Called a coffee party, this family-friendly and pressure-free event is designed to provide a space where people can have fun and relieve stress in a judgment- and alcohol-free environment, explained organizer Jonathan Draize.
Though a daytime dance party may seem unconventional for Greater Victoria, this new trend is gaining a lot of traction in major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Canada, explained Draize.
“That's something that's started happening in Toronto last November and now they have more than 1,000 people at each event,” he said.
Draize, who also doubles as a DJ, aimed to bring this novel movement to the Island, believing it to be the first event of its kind in the region.
Assembling three DJs for the event, each with their unique style, and offering a raffle for Cirque du Soleil tickets, Draize called this first coffee party a “great success” and now plans to recreate it to the public’s demand.
“One of the feedback we received today is that people asked us to continue,” he said. “The idea is to try to organize this once a month.”
Yas Etessam, who was in attendance, mentioned having thoroughly enjoyed her first coffee party.
“I wanted to support that kind of community-building event, and who doesn't want to have coffee and dance on Sunday morning,” she said smiling. “The DJs are great, the music is at a great level that you can still talk to people.
“It's a great idea and, at one point, the entire place was jam packed and everybody was dancing.”
For more information about potential upcoming coffee parties, visit legacixevents.ca.
