Los Alamos Big Band Hosts Valentine’s Dance Saturday at Fuller Lodge

The Los Alamos Daily Post posted a community announcement (submitted Feb. 11, 2026) for a Los Alamos Big Band Valentine’s Dance taking place on Saturday, describing it as a community social event (fundraise). The short notice appears in the paper’s community listings under the headline “Los Alamos Big Band Valentines Dance Saturday,” and encourages attendance.

The Los Alamos Big Band bills itself as a revival of classic swing. “We are a full-size Big Band (16 musicians, plus a singer), playing traditional 1940s swing music. If you like Glen Miller Big Band, and Duke Ellington tunes, check us out! Our performances are great for dancing, general entertainment, or just for listening (such as banquets),” the band’s promotional materials state. Their publicity emphasizes an evening of swing tunes, vocal songs and ballads meant to get people onto the floor.

A typical set list offered by the band includes popular dance standards in this sequence: New York, New York; Little Brown Jug; Tangerine (Vocal); In The Mood (fast swing dancing!); Quando Quando Quando (Vocal); Let’s Fall In Love (Vocal); That Old Black Magic; And the Angels Sing (featured trumpet soloist); Guantanamera (Vocal); String of Pearls; Beer Barrel Polka; One O’Clock Jump; Charade (Vocal); When the Saints Go Marching In; and The Lady Is a Tramp (Vocal). The band presents that list as representative of a performance designed for dancing and social entertainment.

Logistics published on the band’s booking page note practical needs for any hosting venue: “We provide our own sound system. We will need two electrical outlets within 50 feet of our performance. Please provide a secure (locked) location for us to store our instrument cases.” The band’s stated booking range is “$930 to $2555 (non-new year's eve),” and the profile indicates it “Travels up to 120 miles,” with a 5.0 rating based on one verified booking.

The Valentine’s-season dance sits within a pattern of local community dances. The band’s past calendar includes multiple Valentine’s events and Fuller Lodge appearances: LosAlamosBigBand’s archive lists “February 17 Valentine's Dance, Fuller Lodge, Los Alamos,” and Gigsalad past bookings show a February 17, 2018 Valentine’s Dance and other community dances at Fuller Lodge and nearby halls. Fuller Lodge continues to host Valentine’s programming from other local presenters; the Los Alamos Arts Council lists Fuller Lodge at “Fuller Lodge (2132 Central Ave, Los Alamos, NM 87544)” and advertises Valentine’s concerts there with doors opening at 5 PM and performances beginning at 6.

Community dances like this carry public-health and social implications for Los Alamos. Social dancing supports mental health and intergenerational mixing, offers a low-barrier social activity for older residents, and provides paid work for local musicians. At the same time, costs for admission or ticketing, venue accessibility, and technical requirements such as electrical access and secure instrument storage can create barriers for smaller community groups or older adults with mobility needs. The band’s pandemic-era note that “During the pandemic time, we spent significant effort digitizing and transcribing many of the hand-transcribed charts we have been playing off for decades” reflects ongoing effort to preserve repertoire and adapt to changing performance conditions.

For residents planning to attend, check the Los Alamos Daily Post community listings for the full event blurb, ticketing and venue details. The dance continues a long-running local tradition of swing-era socials that bring music, movement and neighborhood connection back to Los Alamos, and underscores the need for accessible, affordable community arts programming as the county reopens its calendar.