Celebrating summer’s end on Lopez

The Atlantics, who will be helping Lopez dance the night away on Labor Day.

The community is invited to dance, feast, and party the night away at Lopez Island’s famous end of the summer season party.

Throughout the years it’s been called various things: the Lopez Wave, summer’s end celebration, take back the rock, but whatever a Lopezian calls it, it remains an end of summer celebration, with the Atlantics bringing their hot motown sounds and Lopez businesses sharing their food and their space, as they have done for the last 22 years.

Holly Bower, owner of Holly B.’s Bakery, started her business in 1978.

“We all put out food, people brought food as well,” Bower said. “The band played where Phyllis’ bookstore is currently, and the Lopez Village Market still had gravel in their parking lot and people danced on the gravel and raised up a cloud of dust.”

Jeanna Carter remembers the origins of the party.

“I opened Jeanna’s Seafood Gallery in 1986 and it was either that year, or in 1987 that the first after-summer outdoor dance was held on Lopez Island and was still located in the village. Gail’s was over at where Love Dog is now; Holly and I put out food in front of the bakery and the seafood place, and then Gail’s had food in her area as well.”

Eventually, the celebration morphed into the Lopez Wave, which took place around the band shell at the Lopez Community Center.

This year, it’s on Monday, Sept. 7, from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. in front of Holly B’s and Caffe La Boheme, in their parking lot. It’s free to one and all, and the Atlantics will kick off the event. Everyone should bring their dancing shoes.

Robert Herrmann, who is co-sponsoring the event this year with Holly Bower, commented, “It’s a chance for the community to give a big exhale after the mania of summer and it celebrates the end of the season. I mean, after the afternoon boat on Labor Day sails off,” Herrmann quipped, “you could fire a cannon through the town if you could find someone to light the fuse.”