<div><strong>Updated June 2026</strong>
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<div>In July 2021, as the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic made its first cautious allowances, some friends got together to turn a Tampa living room into a dancefloor for the night. The music ranged from classic disco and house to danceable indie and global folk sounds, and told a story of the power of love and togetherness.
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<div>It was simple enough, but it worked, and any of the 30 or so guests in attendance could tell you it was no ordinary evening. Dear friendships were born; a soon-sacred space inaugurated, and for a few, a lifelong commitment taken up. Four years of dances have now followed at the <strong>Cozy Nook</strong>, and an ever shifting but tight-knit community—a family, for many—has bloomed.
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<div><em> “...a communal, free spirited, and visceral space…” </em>
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<div>The success of the formula was foreshadowed in its inspiration. Not only in experiences across scattered dancefloors in which the party's hosts had first witnessed the transformative power of collective movement, but in the radical countercultural history of disco and beyond.
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<div>It was enchantment with the story of foundational parties like the Loft, which began fifty years earlier in New York City with more or less the same premise, that first spurred June Morning, also known as jubilee, to host an evening of music and dance. The Loft, always a house party at its heart, quickly became a sacred melting pot of previously segmented communities, drawing from host David Mancuso's wide social circle of uptown rent party-goers, Village hippies, and children of the recent Stonewall rebellion coming out into a blossoming gay culture. The impact of such gatherings on attendees amidst the daily grind and explosive transformation of New York through the 70s and 80s, and on dance music culture as a whole, cannot be overstated.
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<div><em>“The Nook means the world to me; I feel it's where I became myself for </em>
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<div><em> the first time, and it's a home away from home.”</em>
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<div>Moved to channel the Loft's spirit in her own modest way, June couldn't wish for much more on that first night than for everyone in attendance to have a good time, and for perhaps a few to have a special, meaningful time. There can be no question now that many dozens of "Nook Babies" have been touched by meaningful, transformative experiences in this cozy living room, a space to dance and shout, move and play… and amidst a background no less harsh, especially for many of the LGBTQ+ Floridians increasingly threatened by the state's repressive legislation and emboldenment of those who wish us harm for the crime of existing as our authentic selves.
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<div><strong>And there can be no doubt it is an understatement that many in Tampa Bay and beyond stand to miss the Cozy Nook a great deal if it were to close its doors.</strong>
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<div>As much as this space has become a home to so many, it has also been a rented house—which in 2025 was offered for sale. Graciously, the owner granted us the first chance to purchase the Nook before listing it on the open market, and for nearly a year we have been aboard a rollercoaster down all possible avenues toward making this a reality. <strong>As of May 2026, thanks in no small part to your generous contributions, we have closed on the Cozy Nook and begun to ensure the party will continue!</strong>
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<div>Our efforts turned from fundraising while navigating some unexpected obstacles, but with our collective having drawn on every possible resource cross this threshold, we are leaving this fundraiser open in order to put the Nook in the best position to continue and begin expanding our service to the community.
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<div>In realizing the great gift of ownership of the Cozy Nook, we hope to set on a path of improvements to the space and soundsystem, increased resource and programming offerings with collaboration from the local community, and more frequent dances.
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<div><em>“Long live the Nook + Long live the party!”</em>
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<div><strong>It is with resolve to make this future possible, and a commitment to continuing to serve this community for which we care so deeply, that we appeal to you, as partygoers, kindred spirits, allies to LGBTQ+ people struggling through these hostile times, and all other charitable friends. </strong>
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<div>The value of the house was set at $200,000, and the final deal we struck allowed us to secure a mortgage for ~$11,000 in costs to close. We have reset this fundraiser's goal at an even <strong>$8,000, </strong>but we are incredibly grateful for whatever else the community may be able to contribute.
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<div>If you have read or scanned this far, or if you contributed without even needing to do so, we extend our sincere and deep gratitude.
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<div><strong>Your hosts with love,</strong>
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<div><strong>Jubilee, Kerri, Micah, &amp; Shrey </strong>
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<div><em> “Hard times require furious dancing.</em>
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<div><em> Each of us is proof.”</em>
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<div><em> Alice Walker</em>
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<div><strong>Testimony</strong>
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<div><em>“So [in July 2021], there was this party that changed my life. Never have I felt so alive and connected. To music and to every friend and stranger in that room. Every element made me feel safe, supported, and free. And then there was another and another and another party and suddenly there’s this whole community of people! All there to dance to love to connect to play to listen! Our presence and energy sustain the space and the space in turn nurtures and enlivens us.”</em>
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<div><em>“I want to say thank you so much for having me in your space, for having me at these parties. I haven't been to many at this time, but I'm coming to love each one even more already. I'm really grateful to you for holding this space. It's not something I knew was going to be possible when I moved back to Tampa, and it's something I really, really needed. Thank you so much for making this possible.”</em>
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<div><em>“Thank you for the party… Every time I come away from one I feel new and obsolete in the same breath, like my skin shed to the rhythm. It’s amazing how many little takeaways there are from the course of just a few hours. I get to know myself a little better every time."</em>
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<div><em>“[Growing up] I always disliked dancing and couldn't stand playing sports. I used to feel so disconnected from my body. Your parties are powerful… Every time I go I feel like I'm less stiff with my movements and I feel more… What you do is a source of great warmth.” </em>
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<div><em>“The music and the vibe you cultivate is magical!!! To say your parties have had a great effect on me would be underselling it quite a bit.”</em>
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<div><em>“Dancing with my friends, I can’t help but think of God and everyone who danced before us. I feel very lucky to know such pure love.”</em>
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<div><em>“...carving out a special space and time…”</em>
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<div><em>“...such a lovely pocket of safety and comfort and love.”</em>
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<div><em>“Best f***ing party ever, always is. The vibes were out of this world. It was so good that I'm sweating my ass off! Everyone is! I know it's a good time when my voice is gone but it's okay… I'm not even drunk. I am a sober person in this situation– I'm f***ing gone bro!”</em>
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<div><em>“Happiness togetherness lovingness peacefulness…healing hearts healing souls as we move our legs we shake our hips nod our heads jump up and down swaying to the sounds. Freeing our bodies freeing ourselves.”</em>
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<div><em>"Bearing witness to it all is like seeing a flower growing through cracks in the pavement. Everything beautiful here, in Tampa, in Florida, blossoms in spite of all the evil that is present... Thank you, again, for everything, but especially for having a continual commitment to this place."</em>
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<div><em>“When I arrive there is always a balloon tied to the banister of the steps leading up to the house. Above the door is a sign that says ‘Cozy Nook,’ which was there when June first moved in and has given these ‘nook parties’ their name. Entering, I am enveloped by a rhythmic warmth as shifting dim lights illuminate a handful of people lost in dance. The ceiling is decorated with streamers and balloons. I let the music and energy of my fellow dancers puppet my body until I’m out of breath and sweaty. I then go to grab a vegan refreshment from the kitchen, which I take out to the backyard where I can sit with other depleted partygoers as we regain some strength. I re-enter the dancefloor and the cycle begins anew. The night’s energy gains complexity with each revolution. Through each ecstatic vocalization and each rhythmic stomp on hardwood floors, participants become a part of the music. When the beats soften and the lights begin to come up, I exit this timeless space and re-enter the world dripping like the day I was born.” - Valerie Smith, May 2025</em>
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<div><em>“I try to instill in people the feelings of love and power – or just the experience of being in touch with the wider, cosmic experience of being human… As general as that is, everything I’m trying to do is always aimed towards helping my queer and trans siblings collectively access these feelings in ways that are actively denied to us in other facets of our lives.” - jubilee </em>
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<div><em>“The safest place for me &lt;3”</em>
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<div><em>“The Cozy Nook will live forever.”</em>
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