Sandcastle's Jukebox Sunday Nights offer beach-like ambiance

Shaking your groove thing under the stars is not limited to a vacation on the Riviera.

Just ask Kathleen and David Hahner, of Munhall. The couple spent Sunday night dancing, holding hands and strolling along the water.

And, in these days of high prices, all they had to do was take a short trip to West Homestead.

"It's like you're in paradise -- the music, water, food and drink, camaraderie and beach-like ambiance," echoed Kathleen O'Hare, 67, about the delights of Jukebox Sunday Nights held at Sandcastle water park each Sunday evening in the summer.

On Sunday, Ms. O'Hare, a nurse anesthetist from West Homestead, joined about 800 other fans of rhythm and blues, do-wop, rock 'n' roll and jitterbug, twisted, rocked and slow danced on an open-air dance floor.

The oldies fest, in its seventh year, is held through Aug. 31, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. in the Sandbar at Sandcastle, which is part of the Kennywood Entertainment family of parks.

"It's a day's vacation for many people," said the evening's disc jockey, Jeff Allen, 63, of the summer dancefest in the water park nestled along the banks of the Monongahela River.

To keep the floor in full swing, the Murrysville resident focuses on tunes from the 1950s, with a sprinkling of Motown, soul and pop from the 1960s and line dances.

Dancing Queens note: Mr. Allen plays no disco.

"I love to boogie-woogie to the old-time music," said Joseph Cabray, 72, of West Mifflin, a school bus driver, who said his favorite is, not surprisingly, "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu."

He and his wife, Angie, 70, a retired accounting clerk, come by twice a month.

"It's nice being outside, and I love the festive atmosphere," she said.

Bonnie McElhaney, 67, of Butler, began attending Jukebox Sunday Nights five years ago.

"It's a wonderful place to meet new people," said the retired teacher who is recently engaged.

It was an encore visit for Teresa and Andrew Yourish, both 47, of Monroeville.

While they attend oldies and ballroom dances, this dance "is special because it is held outside," said Mr. Yourish, a self-employed advertising photographer.

Sue Bryan, 64, of Turtle Creek, a nurses' aide, comes by every week to relax in the fresh air and socialize.

A widow, she listened to the oldies as she lounged in a nearby hot tub.

"You feel like you're out of Pittsburgh," she said of the experience.

Kathy and John Koerber, of Baldwin Borough, said they will return. Mr. Koerber won two future admission tickets in a raffle that evening.

But they would have come again anyway.

"I love watching other people dance. It brings back memories of my Carrick High School days," said Mrs. Koerber, 59, a retired cashier.

Her brother, Jim Farrier, 49, of Brentwood, a disc jockey who recommended the place to his sister, called the dance "a peaceful and inexpensive night out."

Renee Fera, 48, of Baldwin Borough, who swam at the water park earlier, enjoyed relaxing by the large fire pit in her bathing suit and munching on snacks.

"As a single parent, I have to watch my finances. I buy an annual pass and all this is included," she said. Ms. Fera is a customer service administrator who likes to dance.

"This is my vacation," she said.

For more, visit: www.sandcastlewaterpark.com

Admission to Jukebox Sunday Nights is $9.95 with buffet, or $6 without the buffet. After 8:30 p.m., the cover charge is $3. Full-service bars are available. Admission is free for season pass holders but does not include the buffet.

Post Gazette
Thursday, August 07, 2008
By Margaret Smykla