Riverdale Neighborhood House's Music in the Garden series builds community through music

Posted Friday, July 17, 2026 10:06 am

As the sun started to set over Riverdale Neighborhood House, community members’ energy didn’t falter. Kids and parents alike, often hand-in-hand, made the courtyard their dance floor. Chi Nguyen, center, led the dance circle, with her 5-year-old daughter Nomi Nguyen-McGloin beside her.

Oliva Young photos

Dash moved to Riverdale in 2020, and his daughter, Maddie, is in Riverdale Neighborhood House’s early childhood program. One of the things he admires most about the community is its diversity. He said his set aimed to speak to other residents of various ages and backgrounds. There are two sides to the music, Dash explained. “One is having fun with stuff that people don’t know and exploring new sounds and things … The other side is I’m trying to hit some nostalgia tonight.” Dash was accompanied by guitarist Emil McGloin, whose 5-year-old daughter also attends Riverdale Neighborhood House. McGloin said he appreciated the opportunity to hang out with neighbors.

Isabella Guzman, 8, was one of several younger community members who grooved to Dash’s set.

John McCarthy attended with his son Jamie, who is not old enough for preschool yet but will likely attend Riverdale Neighborhood House when the time comes. McCarthy described the event as a fun, summertime thing to do. His daughter, Charlotte, “loves nothing more than to run around a little bit unhinged,” and Music in the Garden lets her do that, McCarthy said. “It’s nice to have an event where you can feel very much with your community, but also our children can run off and be with their little community and groups of friends here as well,” McCarthy said.

Ari Schecter and his 6-year-old daughter, Uma Drake-Schecter, boogied into the night.

Remy Edwards pulls his son Ryan in for a hug. Edwards and his wife, Amarilis Falcedl, his daughter, Lily, and Ryan have taken part in the Music in the Garden series for years. Edwards said his family was enjoying the coolness after the city’s heat wave, as well as a chance to get together with neighbors. Falcedl said Riverdale residents are very involved and engaged with one another, and are always searching for family-friendly events that encourage socialization as opposed to being home on electronics. “What we love about our community is that it’s very close knit,” Edwards said. “It’s all about family. Events like this are a great example of what the community is about.”

Past the courtyard in the playground, Riverdale Neighborhood House also had several artistic activities for the kids, such as rock decorating and doodling on a large tapestry.

by Olivia Young

On a warm Friday evening July 10, dozens of families gathered in the courtyard of Riverdale Neighborhood House for Dash’s Block Party, the sixth installation of this summer’s Music in the Garden series.

Emma Pollack, Riverdale Neighborhood House’s director of community engagement, spearheaded Music in the Garden four years ago in order to bring residents together after the Covid-19 pandemic kept them apart. It was also a way to highlight local and Bronx-based artists, she said.

“This is like a sort of old school way of hanging out,” Pollack said. “Listening to music, eating some food and just being in the community.”

Andrew Belton, Riverdale Neighborhood House’s executive director, had the same aspirations for the program, which occurs once a week from May 21 through Sept. 10.

“I love it when people come and they see someone they already know, they meet someone they haven’t seen for a while, they meet someone new,” Belton said. “It’s all about making connections and bringing people together.”

Some community members savored juicy burgers and flavorful potato salad, while others moved their feet to the rhythmic sounds of Riverdale resident and DJ Dashiell Brody, or Dash. His set fused funk and soul — inspired by Dash’s New York roots — as well as African, Latin and Caribbean music.

For attendees The Press spoke to, Music in the Garden served as a space to bond with their neighbors. Lucinda Alonso, a lifetime Riverdale resident who has been going to the neighborhood house for 24 years, described the courtyard as an enjoyable atmosphere.

“It’s nice to be out with the community, people from the neighborhood, listening to some music, watching the sunset,” Alonso, who was at the event with her 26-year-old son Joseph, said. “It’s just a lovely evening.”

Maria Braeckel, whose husband is on Riverdale Neighborhood House’s board and whose 5-year-old son Dominic attended its early childhood program, moved from Crown Heights to Riverdale five years ago. Braeckel said the event always reinforces the family’s decision to leave Brooklyn, describing the energy as “cozy” and “the stuff of dreams.”

Keywords

Riverdale Neighborhood House, Music in the Garden, Dash's Block Party, Riverdale NY, Bronx events, summer concert series, community event, Dashiell Brody, Dash DJ, live music, Riverdale families, Bronx arts, community engagement, outdoor concert, Riverdale community