UltraBar nightclub opens for family time

It was the inaugural area Rock-n-Tot, a family-friendly dance party started by Bethesda mom Liz Weirshousky and her friend, Naomi Hattaway, of Cleveland. The idea behind the event was to provide an opportunity for kids and parents to have fun in a setting that is more disco than Disney.

Events like Rock-n-Tot appeal to parents who want to maintain some semblance of their pre-parent interests and hobbies, but include their little ones as well.

‘‘We wanted to do something that everyone could enjoy,” said Weirshousky, who has a daughter who is nearly 2 years old. ‘‘It kind of recaptures the time before you had kids. And the kids just go crazy for the dance floor and the lights.”

Another family-friendly event, Rock-n-Romp, which started in Silver Spring in 2002, offers afternoon rock concerts by local bands. Shows are held in a relaxed environment and the volume is lower than at grown-up rock concerts.

‘‘You may hear a kiddie song every once in a while, but these shows are about the kind of music you listened to BEFORE YOU HAD KIDS,” states the event’s Web site, www.rocknromp.com.

Weirshousky said she thinks parents are looking for ways to connect with others who have similar interests. Attending kid-friendly events in grown-up settings provides opportunities for those connections to happen, she said.

‘‘Once you’re not in college or high school, it’s harder to meet people,” she said. ‘‘Hanging out in this atmosphere, people start talking.”

Rock-n-Tot is held the fourth Saturday of each month. Last weekend’s event drew more than 400 people, including moms, dads, grandparents and children ranging from just a few months old up to 12.

Jennifer Kirin, a mom from Ellicott City, said she had been looking for an event like Rock-n-Tot to attend with her daughter, Katie, 3.

‘‘She loves to dance and I like to dance, so I thought it would be great to come out for a big dance party,” Kirin said. ‘‘We dance in the living room, but I thought this would be taking it to a whole new level.”

The multi-level club had a little something for everyone. Grown-ups and kids shook their groove things on the main dance floor as DJ William Rivera spun tunes that were kid-friendly, but not just for kids.

‘‘I want to play for the adults,” said Rivera, who usually DJs at the club on Thursday nights, ‘‘because if the parents aren’t having fun, the kids aren’t going to have any fun.”

A darkened lounge area provided a quiet space for kids — and parents — who needed a little chill-out time. And for those who wanted some pampering, massages, manicures, eyebrow waxing and other services were also offered.

‘‘I love the idea,” said Ali Weitzman of Potomac who was there with her daughter, Hannah, and Hannah’s friend, Julia Lesche. ‘‘I would love to have a massage.”

For many parents who are constantly looking for something new to do with their children, the sheer novelty of a nightclub matinee was enough of an attraction.

‘‘I try to find different things for him to do every weekend,” Debbie Berhane of Washington, D.C., said about her 3-year-old son, Marcus. ‘‘I thought this was pretty interesting. The fact that it was in a club, I thought that was definitely different.”

The entire experience was a new one for Sean Greene, a District dad, who came out to the club with his wife and their 5-month-old baby.

‘‘We definitely aren’t club people, but it’s fun to try something different,” he said. ‘‘I work a block from here, so seeing the valet parking with all the little strollers is really funny.”

If you go

Rock-n-Tot will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on March 22 and April 26 at UltraBar, 911 F St. N.W., Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.Rock-n-tot.com.