Kings Park DJ Turns Adventureland Saturdays Into A Dance Party

FARMINGDALE, NY — For DJ Justin Michaels, Adventureland is not just another place to set up speakers, cue a playlist and entertain a crowd.

The Kings Park resident, whose real name is Justin Schwarz, grew up in Hauppauge and remembers Adventureland as part of his own Long Island childhood.

Now, years after first visiting the park as a kid, Schwarz is helping create new memories there through “Party on the Midway,” a recurring DJ show bringing music, trivia, dancing, games and live interaction to the Farmingdale amusement park this summer.

The show launched with performances on May 30 and June 6 and is scheduled to continue on select Saturdays through the summer.

Schwarz, 44, performs through his company, We Bring The Vibe, and said the goal is to add another layer of energy to a place already built around family fun.

“It just really does change the whole vibe of what the park is, and it's been really cool so far,” Schwarz told Patch. “We didn't really know what to expect those first two weeks, but it definitely seems like it's going to catch on and become something of real value.”

A Full-Circle Moment At Adventureland

Schwarz’s connection with Adventureland began several years before the new summer series. Around 2021, shortly after the pandemic, his company became involved with the park’s Helping Hands Foundation VIP Night, an annual charitable event usually held the Friday after Labor Day. Schwarz said Adventureland was looking to expand the entertainment component of the event, and his team helped put together a fuller entertainment schedule that included a DJ.

Making The Whole Park Feel Connected

Beyond the fundraising, Schwarz said the park itself felt different once live music became part of the experience. His DJ setup was connected not only to speakers in one section of the park, but also to Adventureland’s house sound system, allowing the music to carry throughout the grounds.

“The vibe inside the park just totally changed,” Schwarz said. “It makes the park feel like one group of people instead of everyone being scattered around.”

That first VIP Night led to additional work with Adventureland, including private events and a large union group that rented out the park and requested a DJ. After several successful one-off events over the next few years, conversations with Adventureland executives and promotional staff turned toward a larger summer entertainment concept.

How The Show Came Together

The show is centered around the midway area, the section near the middle of Adventureland beneath the Frisbee ride, close to Tony’s Tavern and several food spots. While Schwarz can see and interact directly with guests in that area, the music plays throughout the park.

“You don't really ever know what you're going to get at Adventureland,” Schwarz said. “They've been so supportive and they haven't given me any real restrictions.”

During the first two shows, Schwarz incorporated trivia, shoutouts to different parts of the park, line dances and live interaction designed to reach guests beyond the immediate DJ area. Every 15 or 20 minutes, he said, he tries to make visitors in other sections feel included.

"It's really cool when you're 200 feet away, or probably more than that, to know that you're actually reaching people at the other end of the park.”

From Trivia To Conga Lines

One of the clearest signs that the concept could work came during a recent mascot appearance.

Schwarz said Adventureland sent out Alfie, the park’s mascot, around 5 p.m. during one of the shows. Normally, he said, children stop for photos, high-fives or a quick hello.

This time, Schwarz decided to try something more interactive. He played “Conga” and watched as Alfie, and a growing group of guests began moving through the midway area together.

“The next thing you know, there's about 30 people that were on a conga line in the middle of Adventureland,” Schwarz said. “That was my first attempt at really trying to get some audience participation that way— and it worked.”

Schwarz started DJing when he was 15. Like many DJs of his generation, he said, his earliest attempts involved recording music off the radio and trying to piece songs together. As a teenager, he worked in a record store, which led him to sell DJ gear and professional audio equipment. Over time, his career grew into retail, content marketing and online business, including DJSupplyStore.com and The DJs Guru.

Reading The Crowd, One Song At A Time

Although he has been part of the DJ industry for decades, Schwarz said he does not DJ full-time. That choice, he said, has helped him preserve the joy of performing.

“I truly love to play music for people, to get reactions from people and to bring my level of energy to an event and enhance it,” Schwarz said. "I never really wanted it to feel like work.

At a traditional event, Schwarz said, he watches the dance floor closely. If people are walking away, losing interest or waiting for the next song, he adjusts. If he notices a particular demographic in the room, he may shift the music to connect with them. At Adventureland, that could mean playing a song for young children, a throwback for parents or a track that energizes the entire park.

Giving Families More For Their Visit

His goal for the rest of the summer is to make a day at Adventureland feel even more worthwhile.

Schwarz said he understands the cost of taking a family to an amusement park, especially as a single parent

“It's not cheap to get into Adventureland?” Schwarz said. “As a single parent, I feel that a lot, and I can relate to that and understand it. So you want to add value and enhance the experience for everyone, because truthfully, based on what the prices are for everything nowadays, it's still a good value for what you're getting there.”

Schwarz said he hopes the summer series gives visitors another reason to enjoy the park and, eventually, another reason to come back.

“If you could go to Adventureland and you could stay an extra hour because there was a DJ and you got a chance to dance and hear some of your favorite songs, and that brings people back, I feel like I've done a good job,” Schwarz said. “It's not about me. It's not about our company. When you work for a place like Adventureland, you consider yourself lucky. My goal is to keep showing up and make sure that they're happy with what we're doing.”