At a regular nightclub, you'd get some strange looks if you walked in with a baby strapped onto your bod.
But that's the whole point of Baby Loves Disco.
A traveling dance party, Baby Loves Disco gives parents a chance to bust a move with their kids - from 6 months to 7 years - in a Barney-free zone.
"It would be like if you went to a club out dancing with your kids," Andy Hurwitz, the co-founder and a father of three boys, said in a phone interview from home base in Philadelphia.
"We try to create an activity that's fun for the whole family."
Baby Loves Disco hits town this week with two events.
A party at the Tucson Mall happens Saturday afternoon at Center Court. Free wristbands are offered at H&M, an event sponsor.
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On Sunday, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort hosts Baby Loves Disco.
Mom and professional dancer Heather Murphy Monteith started Baby Loves Disco in Philadelphia as a reaction to overscheduling of modern kids.
The initial idea was that Baby Loves Disco takes over a nightclub during daylight hours and turns it into family-friendly fun.
These days, the Disco train travels to different cities across the country and internationally, bringing sock puppets, snacks and plenty of music.
Expect groovy tunes, although the music isn't entirely disco. Hurwitz admits, "Disco died out for a reason. You really can't take more than a certain amount."
Instead, a DJ mixes up tunes from the '80s and '90s along with crowd-pleasers like ABBA.
"Every 15 minutes there's a contest or something to keep 'em excited," he said. "Part of the structure is to get parents participating with the kids."
Which explains the cash bar. That's drawn some flak, but Hurwitz points out, "If you go to a wedding or any kind of function, there's a bar."
IF YOU GO
• What: Baby Loves Disco, featuring activities for young children including dancing, face painting, temporary tattoos.
• When: 1-4 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Tucson Mall, Center Court
• Cost: Admission is free with a wristband, which is available at H&M in the Tucson Mall, while supplies last. Wristbands are limited to four per person.
• What: Loews Ventana Event. Along with the dancing, kids can enjoy snacks and drinks, face painting and a balloon artist. There will be a cash bar and spa massage demo for parents.
• When: 1-4 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive
• Cost: $10; non-walking humans (i.e., crawling babies) admitted free. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Alex's Lemonade Stand. Buy tickets at www.babyloves disco.com/events
Baby Club Congress in 2007
Inspired in part by the success of Baby Loves Disco, Baby Club Congress debuted at Club Congress in 2007.
The hip downtown nightspot held the monthly parties for about a year.
"The concept itself was very successful here and likely will return," said entertainment booker David Slutes, the father of two children, ages 16 months and 3 months.
"It will definitely be addressed in the new year."
