The Perfect Playdate: Parents, Kids & House Music

Evolving as an electronic music connoisseur is a natural stage in life. For many of us, so is raising a family. It’s no secret that as parents, we dream of a destination where we don’t stop dancing. Welcome to Playdate.

“Our focus is not just our family, but also bringing other families to get closer together. It has to be something bigger than just us.”

Playdate is a party for all ages, specifically parents and children in the scene. Los Angeles is the lucky home of Playdate parties, which take place on a monthly basis during the warmer months of the year in a park outside of the city. The selfless servers of the event, Daniel Owens and his wife India, are proud parents and promoters. The most recent Playdate took place on November 20 with a potluck, packed with activities for kids and music by local DJs.

Each from the electronic music scene, they met through mutual friends. Daniel married India in May of 2013 and brought into the union his son Noah, who is now 9 years old. The couple then had two children together—Daphne, age 2, and Bailey, who is 5 months.

“It’s really funny when we met,” says Daniel. “We didn’t really see too much of each other in the scene in the beginning, because she is more into drum & bass, and I’m a house head.”

Fate united the two, who ventured through different parties, yet in time they shared one vision: to throw parties together. The combination worked. Daniel and India were yin and yang. His personality fits the profile of a house head—extrovert, makes new friends easily, the constant promoter—so he worked the indoor area, making sure attendees were having fun. India is a typical drum & bass worshipper—introvert, more cautious and calculated—so she worked the door and oversaw finances.

Following almost eight years of throwing parties—including Summer Session (Daniel’s first, in 2006), Hop Till You Drop, Wham Bam and others—the couple took a break, settled down, and started a family.

Before long, Daniel and India missed throwing parties—specifically, connecting with their community. Thus arrived the idea of Playdate, a safe, kid-friendly electronic music party dedicated to families. It’s a gathering of old-school raver parents with kids, getting down in a beautiful park. The moms and dads get to dance, while all ages of children enjoy endless activities, including a bouncy castle, an art area, face painting, and climbing trees.

Most importantly, Playdate is a convergence of the electronic music community, where old friends reunite and new longtime friendships are made. And thanks to the Owens’ experience, the sound system (by 840 Productions) and DJs are really good. The first Playdate occurred on June 12, 2016, and with six parties following since then. Southern California DJs who have shared their sounds include Robtronik, Liquid Fish, Thee-O, Tony Gamboa, Ben Annand, Alex Castillo, Rithma, John Kelley and more. It is a well-balanced meal of various genres that satisfies all attendees.

“We wanted to create a series of parties that were more of a staple with the community, rather than a bunch of different people going to a random party with a random name—with no real plan, other than it’s just a party,” Daniel explains. “Now we have kids, and we are geared toward something else. Our focus is not just our family, but also bringing other families to get closer together. It has to be something bigger than just us.”

Playdate is a support system that includes friends who provide the tunes, sound and other equipment. Attendees not only dance and enjoy time playing with their children, but they are also welcome to contribute.

“It’s the people that come to Playdate who make it happen,” Daniel says with gratitude. “It’s a community where people can come to the party and share their creations—whether that be face-painting, hula-hooping, or if you work with kids and have a passion for doing activities with them… We are always looking for people to be involved with their creativity. I am excited to finally bring my mom down to a party I do, to be a part of something I am doing.”

Parents love Playdate. It’s a safe setting for the kids to have fun, be free and wander. And that is how they learn. They also grow by learning the skills of making new friends, sharing, and engaging in art. But the number-one reason parents love Playdate is the safety aspect. The party is usually huddled in a corner of the park, where all parents have a bird’s-eye view of the entire setting. Kids play within the area, and if one kid wanders, a parent takes notice. Playdate is a dream come true for parents in the scene. They finally have a party where they can dance, have a good time, and feel assured of their kids’ safety.

“When we got home from the last Playdate, I looked down at Daphne’s toes and laughed,” Daniel recalls with a smile. “Someone at the party had painted her toenails. I was so happy because I thought, ‘Wow, my 2-year-old daughter had fun doing that, and she actually sat still for a long time!’”

For information about future Playdate events, Like them on Facebook.