The glamour of the Roaring 20s is back 100 years later in an exquisite time capsule event held at Governors Island. The annual Jazz Age Lawn Party returns twice this summer, with parties on June 16 – 18 and August 25 – 26, book-ends to enjoying the summer season in serious style. Hosted by Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra, each two-day affair harkens back to the days of prohibition, resurrecting the music, fashion and zeitgeist of one of the most exciting movements in history. Grab your tickets early (because it will sell out), hit your favorite vintage store and become one of Arenella’s “time travelers” for an epic day of dancing, cocktails and hot jazz.

For the past 13 years, Arenella and his troupe have helped to revive the provocative spirit of the 1920s in New York, paying tribute to the days when flappers and jazz musicians ran amok amongst the secret speakeasies that dotted Midtown. An afternoon with Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra is a musical transport back in time; the bandleader croons familiar jazz and swing standards, along with his own compositions into an appropriately vintage microphone, or sometimes singing to the crowd into an acoustic megaphone.

The Colonial architecture of Governors Island frames the party’s dance floor and food halls, a complete departure from the chaos of Manhattan, which stands only a five minute ferry ride across the river. The Jazz Age Lawn Party’s followers are what completes the “time capsule” effect. Regardless of August’s wrath, revelers always suit up in period garb – pressed three pieces suits and wicker hats for the gentlemen, and biased-cut flapper dresses and cloches for the ladies. Coupled with dancing and champagne cocktails, it is easy to allow yourself to imagine a New York of a hundred years ago, at least for the day.

If you aren’t in town for the Jazz Age Lawn Fest, you can still recapture the romantic spirit of the Jazz Age every Wednesday through Saturday right here at The Roxy. Descend into our cavernous vintage live jazz club – The Django, and experience our very own 1920s Jazz Age Parisian boîte without having to leave New York. Book a table and treat yourself to our rotating cast of the finest Jazz performers while sipping one of our signature craft cocktails.

The Jazz Age Lawn Party is Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27 from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Grab your tickets here: http://jazzagelawnparty.com

Words by Lori Zimmer