Photo courtesy of Eight7 Pixels

Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County presents the third event in its 9th Annual Parks Concert Series featuring a summer dance evening at Tanglewood Park on Sunday, September 8, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Presented in partnership with the Forsyth County Government, the series features free, family-friendly concerts featuring local and national musicians in beautiful outdoor venues.

The September 8 event includes Garba360 – a combination of concert and large community dance class. The Garba360 experience includes live music from Ujjval Vyas Musicals and dance lessons from producer and curator Heena Patel.

Audiences are invited to participate in the ecstatic West Indian folk dance tradition of Garba. Garba is an integral part of Indian wedding celebrations and the nine-day Hindu autumn festival of Navratri. It is an exhilarating, energetic dance style characterized by hand clapping and twirling. Garba360 brings this vibrant festival to new places so people of all backgrounds can celebrate through movement. All are invited to join in and dance (or just listen) to live music!

Garba360 producer and curator Heena Patel is also the founder and CEO of MELA Arts Connect, an Asheville-based organization dedicated to advancing the ecosystem around South Asian performing arts and its representatives. Patel’s recent work as producer and artistic director includes the multidisciplinary stage show Bollywood Boulevard, the immersive dance experience Garba360, desi:NOW – a hyphenated showcase of South Asian identities, and Woven: The Indian-American Story featuring 30 diverse performing arts ensembles. Through MELA, Heena aims to foster partnerships to create meaningful cross-cultural experiences, help artists build sustainable careers, and use the arts to create greater equity.

The Summer Dance Social at Tanglewood Park will be held at the Tanglewood Park Band Shell, 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons. Free parking is available next to the band shell. Gates open at 1 p.m. and the concert will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs and may have a picnic or purchase food from on-site vendors. Wine, beer and water will be available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting the Arts Council. Outside alcohol is not permitted. Children of all ages are invited to participate in family-friendly arts activities sponsored by Publix Charities. Dogs on leashes are welcome.

In case of inclement weather, the concert will be held at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce Stt, Winston-Salem. Up-to-date venue information will be available on the Arts Council website and social media the day of the concert.

The 9th The annual Parks Concert Series is expanding to include an additional date: Sunday, October 20, at Triad Park in Kernersville. For more information, visit intothearts.org/parks.