Dance party on Lundy’s Lane
L8 Club hosts first Full Moon Party to go along with Niagara Falls Night Market
Lundy’s Lane is going to be livelier than usual this Labour Day weekend.
Two nights of house/electronic music will pump up the fairgrounds of the L8 Club — formerly the Penthouse strip club — on the outskirts of Niagara Falls bordering Thorold.
Dubbed the Full Moon Party, it takes place Saturday and Sunday in conjunction with the first ever Niagara Falls Night Market, featuring more than 70 food and lifestyle vendors.
Thirty artists and DJs are scheduled to perform during the two nights, headlined by Blasterjaxx, Bass Jackers and Baka Not Nice on Saturday, and Mija and Rich Homie Quan on Sunday.
And while it may look and sound like a rave, producer Quan Nguyen of All Bros Entertainment says it’s more of a straight-forward concert. It’s not like the early ’90s, when secretive techno shows were held in a field in the middle of the night. They usually ended when the police showed up.
“The major change is that they’re on the forefront, it’s not underground any more,” he says. “It’s highly publicized and everyone knows about it. When I hear the word ‘rave,’ it’s like something that’s banned. Something looked down upon. … (people) didn’t want it there. We want to make it a safe environment for everybody. That’s why we combined it with the food aspect.”
Both nights will feature music from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Admission is 19-plus in designated areas.
Niagara Regional Police say the event is on their radar this weekend.
“The Niagara Regional Police Service is aware of the large scale event planned for this coming weekend at L8 club and have been working with the club owners to ensure patrons are safe and behaving in a lawful manner throughout the duration of the event,” said NRP spokeswoman Stephanie Sabourin.
“Officers will be, as always, watching for any unlawful activities taking place, including underage drinking.”
While the Night Market is free admission, tickets to the Full Moon Party are $50 to $70 each, with limited backstage passes at $200. There will be free shuttle bus service from Clifton Hill and the Canada One Factory Outlet.
Nguyen has produced successful food shows in Toronto for eight years, and felt “something was missing” in Niagara Falls for a similar festival.
Pairing it with live dance music will cater to a larger crowd — the 3,150-square-metre venue can accommodate about 4,000 people.
“Our event has been running great for so long that I think it would be a great fit for the area,” he says. “We love the people here, love the region. Love tourism.”