Experience the energy, culture, and history of Go-Go—the official music of Washington, D.C.—during an unforgettable weekend in Asheville!

Join us for Bridging the Beat, a dynamic celebration featuring lectures, community conversations, visual art, dance exhibitions, youth programming, DJs, delicious food, and fellowship. Whether you're discovering Go-Go for the first time or you've been rocking to the beat for years, this weekend offers something for everyone.

Led by Sekou Coleman, Bridging the Beat is a collaborative initiative presented in partnership with the YMI Cultural Center and a network of community partners committed to preserving and celebrating Black cultural traditions.

Come learn the history, feel the rhythm, and Beat Ya Feet in AVL as the unmistakable sound of Washington, D.C., takes over Asheville for one incredible weekend!

SCHEDULE

Friday, August 7, 2026

Civic and Business Leaders Brunch and Learn

Time: 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St
Admission: Invitation or registration needed

The Civic and Business Leaders Brunch and Learn is the business and civic entry point into Bridging The Beat. It will position YMI, The Block, East End, and Asheville’s legacy neighborhoods as cultural, civic, and economic infrastructure, using the Go-Go Museum, Anacostia, Ward 8, and related DC work as learning examples. Attendees will consider what responsible investment and ongoing community support for these places should look like.

Curated Conversations

Time: 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St
Admission: Intentionally curated

These smaller conversations will give selected partners more time with Natalie, Ron, and local facilitators after the brunch. Topics may include cultural investment, policy, business preservation, tourism, arts funding, downtown relationships, and practical support for YMI and The Block. Each conversation should leave participants with clear questions, possible partners, and next steps.

Pritchard Park Drum Circle Engagement

Time: 5:00–7:00 p.m., subject to final confirmation
Location: Pritchard Park, 67 Patton Ave
Admission: Public event
This planned engagement connects visiting go-go artists with Asheville’s established Friday drum circle. It is meant to introduce Go-Go Live AVL in a public setting and build a respectful bridge between two live rhythm traditions. The exact participants and format are still being confirmed.

United for Youth Block Party Engagement

Time: Approximately 6:30–7:00 p.m.
Location: Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza
Admission: Public event
Beat Ya Feet Academy will lead a 15-to-20-minute movement demonstration and audience engagement during the United for Youth Block Party. The segment will introduce young people and families to go-go dance and invite them to move with the music. It also serves as an invitation to the rest of the Go-Go Live AVL weekend.

The Art of Go-Go

Time: 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Location: YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St
Admission: $7
The Art of Go-Go is a pop-up exhibit featuring art and cultural materials curated by Ronald “Moe” Moten and Dr. Natalie Hopkinson from the Go-Go Museum & Café. DJ Supa Dan will provide a musical set, and the evening will include an open bar and food vendors. The $7 admission supports Alphas of Asheville scholarship and community programs.

Saturday, August 8, 2026

Community Learning Tour

Time: 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Route to be confirmed
The tour will introduce the DC delegation and local participants to Asheville’s Black cultural sites, legacy neighborhoods, and stories of change, displacement, preservation, and repair. It is intended to give people shared local context before the afternoon community session. The route and transportation plan are still being finalized.

Community Systems-Change Session

Time: 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: Stephens-Lee Community Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave
The community session will use Don’t Mute DC as a case study in how communities organize, build pressure, and move government and policy. Ron and Natalie will explain how the movement mobilized people around culture and expanded into action on health, education, jobs, criminal justice, and other public priorities, while local facilitators help participants identify what Asheville communities need, who has power over those needs, and what next moves are possible. The session is designed to be useful for residents and organizations working toward systems change.

Go-Go 101

Time: 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Location: YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St
Go-Go 101 is a free public introduction to the official music of Chocolate City and Washington, DC. NGK, Beat Ya Feet Academy, DJ Supa Dan, Ron, Natalie, and museum staff will combine live music, dance, history, call-and-response, and audience participation. The goal is for people to understand go-go by hearing it, moving with it, and learning the culture behind it.

Back to School Go-Go Party

Time: 10:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m.
Location: YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St
Admission: $10
The Back to School Go-Go Party is a chance to experience the music that kept the whole neighborhood rockin’. NGK and DJ Supa Dan will bring a live-band-and-DJ go-go party to YMI. The $10 admission supports Alphas of Asheville scholarship and community programs.

Sunday, August 9, 2026

Youth Movement, Activism, and Engagement Workshop

Time: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Location: YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St
This youth-centered session will connect Asheville teens and young adults with visiting DC youth artists, dancers, and cultural leaders. Through conversation, music, movement, and creative work, participants will explore identity, community responsibility, public voice, and how young people can help shape YMI and The Block. Local youth will help design the session and identify what they need from the village.

Go-Go On The Block

Time: 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Location: Triangle Park, 56 South Market St
Go-Go On The Block is the public community celebration that follows the WNC Black Student Send-Off at the YMI Cultural Center. Nex Millen will provide the DJ set with food vendors on deck and roller skating on a closed street as families and neighbors gather in Triangle Park for music, food, fellowship, and back-to-school energy. 

90s Throwback Go-Go Jam

Time: 8:00 p.m.–12:00 midnight
Location: Barley’s Taproom, 42 Biltmore Ave
Admission: $20 at the door

The 90s Throwback Go-Go Jam is billed as one last crank before the weekend ends. NGK will perform from 8:00–10:00 p.m., followed by DJ Supa Dan from 10:00 p.m.–midnight, with a 90s hip-hop and R&B go-go frame. The $20 cover supports Alphas of Asheville scholarship and community programs.