Whether you’re looking to spend some family fun, socialize or burn a few calories, folk dance might be what you’re looking for.

From 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 25, the Midway Traders Village in Oak Harbor will come to life with the sound of the fiddle, the accordion, the guitar and a crowd’s rhythmic footsteps. The Summer Family Folk Dance is an event for everybody, “from the youngest of the young to the oldest of the old,” according to event organizer Johann Steinke.

In spring, after going on hiatus in 2020, Steinke and his wife brought back to life the group “Whidbey Island Contra Dance,” hosting monthly contra dance events at the Coupeville Recreation Hall before moving to the Whidbey Island Nordic Lodge Hall to accommodate growing interest. Before the hiatus, it was hosted at the Clinton Recreation Hall.

The Steinkes were recently invited to host a family event at the Traders Village, just a few days before the monthly gathering at the Lodge on Aug. 28.

The dance will be very similar to contra dance, Steinke said, with music brought by the group “Bonds of Harmony.” Typically, he said, people dance to traditional Irish or bluegrass sounds.

Attendees can easily follow the caller’s moves, which Steinke said are very simple, fun and an easy workout. Some dances will consist of forming a line or a circle, spinning a partner or performing a do-si-do — a common move where two dancers move around each other while facing their partner.

People will dance under the lights in an social and intimate environment, Steinke said.

“That girl or guy you’ve been dying to talk to?” he said. “You’ll be able to hold them close and look them right in the eye.”

These events used to be much more popular in the past, as they offered a way for people to get to know their fellow community members and have fun in a group setting, Steinke said.

“There’s something timeless about it,” he said.

Admission is by donation, with $10 suggested for adult attendees.