SPECIAL EVENT | Atari Exhibit and 90's Dance Party/Retro Video Game Night

By Rebecca Rafferty @rsrafferty

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You guys, it has happened. The elements of culture that were current when I was a kid are now considered "retro." Well, we won't have time for tears if we're dancing, will we? Celebrate the music and video games of just a few decades ago this week with the following fun events.

Long before the various accessories associated with the Nintendo Wii, the joystick was considered high technology. The National Museum of Play (1 Manhattan Square) will open a new exhibit, "Atari by Design: From Concept to Creation," on Saturday, June 22, featuring arcade games paired with displays of the preliminary designs and advertisements for "Gauntlet," "Street Fighter" (Atari's deluxe version of Capcom's game), "Gran Trak 10," "Red Baron," and "Gotcha." Several of the machines, including "Street Fighter" and "Gauntlet," will be available for play.

The "Atari by Design" display remains on view through September 8 during museum hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Admission is $13, and free to kids under age 2. For more information, call 263-2700 or visit museumofplay.org.

On Wednesday, June 26, Vertex Night Club (169 N. Chestnut St.) will host a 90's Dance Party featuring 90's classic dance and pop music provided by DJ NaNa and DJ Red. The evening will also feature a Retro Video Game Night with numerous old-school video-game systems to play for free, including Nintendo, Sega, Game Cube, PlayStation, Super NES, and others. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the dance party begins at 9 p.m. Admission is $3 and the event is open to ages 18 and older. For more info, call 232-5498 or visit facebook.com/vertexnightclub.