Stepping back to the good ‘ol days of town hall dances

Hello! I’m Bonnie, lover of creating beautiful spaces where connection, community and belonging can happen. Jolly Good Events is a dream-turned-reality that came tumbling out of my wistful mind and romance-loving heart back in 2013.

The idea came one evening as I was lamenting the lack of options for wholesome, in-person entertainment, and wishing I could go ‘back to the days of the town hall dance’. I loved how many in my grandparent’s generation had met and fallen in love there, and just how much fun they sounded.

“Well then, why don’t you bring it back?”, my friends challenged. And I’m not sure what came over me, but something sparked and I thought, ‘Why not’?!

The response from the community was stunning. People generously volunteered time and talent in the form of music, dance instructing, stringing up lights, cooking, serving and everything else needed to make the first event an absolute hit. I’ll always remember the feeling of awe, relief and delight when over 120 people showed up dressed in their 1940s-inspired outfits, ready for a night full of lively music, swing dancing, food, laughter and community. It was pretty special.

From 2013–2018, we held ten events, raising over $38,000 for community-building, poverty-alleviating projects based in Uganda. Then, in September 2020, inspired by the couples who had met and fallen in love at our dance events, we held our first speed dating event, ‘Connect Two’ (now with it’s very own website). It seemed only a natural extension of the dances; an intentional space for potential romances to begin, away from the all-too maddening dating apps.

More than the laughter-filled dancing, amazing live music, delicious food, pretty lights, or even funds raised for wonderful causes…the magic for me, and the reason I keep going, is the genuine, joy-filled connection and community I get to see at every event. It bursts my heart every time.