Information on this Calendar web page provided only as a service to web users; no other information expressed or implied. See the event web site and/or contact the event for up-to-date details.
An out-of-town dance event – indeed any type dance event – is subject to change. So make sure the event is taking place before you depart!
(Last updated May 9th, 2025.)
Note 1. A good source for info on national and international swing dance events (mostly weekend workshop type events) is Swing Planit.
Note 2. I’ve noticed a few more swing dance events scheduled for 2025 (perhaps as we get further away from COVID….). Check out the info below, and consider making a trip to an out-of-town event. Mike and Mary have attended a lot of out-of-town swing dance events; we’re happy to provide our thoughts on attending out-of-town events in general, or on one of the specific events noted below.
Upcoming events:
Sat., June 7TH – Swingin’ Under the Stars! 
At Moon Dance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St. (in Beaumont), Lexington, KY. Featuring music by 
the Walnut Street Ramblers – the Ramblers promise to Jazz Up your evening! Admission: Free. Plus food trucks!
Swingin’ Under the Stars is a Lexington Parks & Rec event, with assistance provided by the Hepcats Swing Dance Club & Lexington Arthur Murray.
Lindy Hoppers and Balboa Dancers……here’s an event you might be (and should be!) interested in……Lindy Hop across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2!
Celebrate the 1940’s Big Band music and Lindy Hop and Balboa as Ahoy Vintage Cruises and Bandleader George Gee presents “Lindy Hop Across The Atlantic” on the Cunard Line’s glamorous Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, departing from Southampton/London on Oct. 24th and arriving in NYC on Oct. 31st.
This cruise features an exclusive nightly dance with the George Gee Orchestra in the beautiful and spacious Queen’s Ballroom on the Queen Mary 2!
See this Facebook Page for info. Note: you must book this cruise through Tom Pecena at Ahoy Vintage Cruises. Contact Tom at email: [email protected]; phone 214-761-1968.
Saturday, May 3rd: Cincinnati Museum Center 1950's day at Union Terminal (not to be confused with the 1940's day on September 6th!). According to the Cincinnati Museum Center web site, some info about the event: "Travel back in time to the era of sock hops, poodle skirts, greasers and muscle cars." See the Cincinnati Museum Center web page for more info.
Cincinnati Warbirds - Coney Island USO Swing Dance
& Salute to Veterans
Saturday, May 24th
Even though the Coney Island Park closed in 2023, the Cincinnati Warbirds negotiated to have the Memorial Day weekend USO Swing Dance and Salute to Veterans event in 2024 at the Moonlight Pavillion - and the event will take place again in 2025 - Saturday, May 24th!
So get on up to Coney Island for the Cincinnati Warbirds USO Swing Dance & Salute to Veterans, music by the Tom Daugherty Orchestra, featuring their re-creation of the Glenn Miller Army-Air Force WW II band.
A fun, and patriotic event to attend! $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
Location: Coney Island, Moonlight Pavilion, 6201 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, OH
May 23-25: Camp Jitterbug, Seattle, WA. See their web site for details.
May 30-June 1: Back Home Again Indiana, Indianapolis, IN. See their website for details.
Saturday, June 7th
Swingin' Under the Stars - at Moon Dance! Location: Moon Dance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St. (in Beaumont), Lexington, KY.
Featuring music by the Walnut Street Ramblers - the Ramblers promise to Jazz Up your evening!
o 5:30 pm: Gates Open
0 6:00-7:00 pm: Beginner Swing Dance Lesson.
o 7:00-9:00 pm: Music by the Walnut Street Ramblers.
o Admission: Free!
Plus food trucks and vendors!
Questions? Contact Mike at [email protected], 859-420-2426.
Swingin' Under the Stars is a Lexington-Fayette Urban County County Government (LFUCG) Parks & Recreation event, with assistance provided by the Hepcats Swing Dance Club & Lexington Arthur Murray.
June 20-22: MTL Bal Jam, Montreal, Canada. See their web site for details.
June 20-22: San Diego Balboa and Lindy Exchange, San Diego, CA.
See their web site for details.
Friday, July 4th: Happy Birthday America!
August 25 - September 1: Camp Hollywood, LA. If you can make it to LA, this is a great event to attend.
Saturday, September 6th: Cincinnati Museum Center's 1940's Day.
Location: Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45203. A fun event to attend! A bit of info about this event. This is an overall fun event to attend. We recommend you attend, and note vintage clothes are not required - but if you got 'em you should wear your best 1930's/40's vintage clothing to get in the spirit of the event!
The event takes place at the Cincy Museum Center, a beautiful and historic art deco designed 1930's facility. There is a vintage car display featuring vehicles from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, sometimes a flyover of vintage aircraft provided by the Cincinnati Warbirds (the group that sponsors the Coney Island USO Swing Dance), vintage fashion contest, historical presentations, vintage wares for sale from Casablanca Vintage, plus other activities.
Sunday, September 28th – Swing Dance Practice Session! (Note this is a tentative date, hope to confirm this date by on-about June 1st.)
Mike & Mary Richardson always look forward to going out to dance …. but time devoted to practice is equally important! In fact, the more we dance (and we’ve been dancing since 1999), the more we’ve learned about the importance of taking time to practice!
That’s what these Sunday Practice Sessions are about: an opportunity to work on your swing dancing, with great swing music, on the best dance floor in Lexington!
o Doors open, 6:15.
o 6:30-9:30 pm – Mike Richardson DJs lots of great swing music for your dancing (and listening) enjoyment.
o This is a practice session, so Mike the DJ takes requests. Better yet, if you have a favorite song you want to dance to - bring it - and we’ll play it! Recommend you bring an actual CD disc, or MP3 player (with a headphone jack type port) as the media.
o $5, pay at the door (cash or check). Please bring your own water / refreshments.
Location: the Hepcats rent the local Arthur Murray Dance Studio for many of our events, to include this dance. The address is 1801 Alexandria Dr., Suite 103, Lexington, KY; in Gardenside Shopping Center, across from Kroger.
Questions? Contact Mike at [email protected] or 859-420-2426.
Hey Lindy Hoppers and Balboa Dancers......here's an event you might be (and should be!) interested in......Lindy Hop across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2!
Celebrate the 1940's Big Band music and Lindy Hop and Balboa as Ahoy Vintage Cruises and Bandleader George Gee presents "Lindy Hop Across The Atlantic" on the Cunard Line's glamorous Queen Mary 2 ocean liner, departing from Southampton/London on Oct. 24th and arriving in NYC on Oct. 31st.
This cruise features an exclusive nightly dance with the George Gee Orchestra in the beautiful and spacious Queen’s Ballroom on the Queen Mary 2!
See this Facebook Page for info. Note: you must book this cruise through Tom Pecena at Ahoy Vintage Cruises. Contact Tom at email: [email protected]; phone 214-761-1968.
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Lindy Focus, Asheville, NC, December 26-31, 2025. More info to follow.
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The events listed on the Hepcats Calendar web page are generally (1) events Mike & Mary have attended, or (2) events we've heard good things about from others whose opinions we trust. Note some Lindy Hop events may also include classes & competitions for Balboa, and perhaps Collegiate Shag, i.e. Camp Hollywood. Of course, this is not an all inclusive list….check out the Swing Planit web site for info on other events in the U.S. and worldwide.
Caveat emptor! Hyperbole is rampant and commonplace these days, especially in swing dance event promotion on FB, event web sites, etc. It’s a challenge separating fact from fiction – – so buyer beware! You can also check out our “What’s the scoop?“ feature (see below).
What's the scoop? No, not ice cream - but what's the scoop on swing dance events?
Mike & Mary are often asked about swing dance events - - what's the event like, is the event worth attending, etc.... So we're providing info on a few (of the very many!) events we've attended over the years called - - What’s the Scoop? Click on this link to get the scoop!