NEWBERG, Ore. — Newberg may soon strike down an outdated law requiring minors to be supervised while dancing in public—a rule that hasn’t been enforced in decades.
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The City Council is expected to repeal the ordinance at its Sept. 15 meeting. The law, passed in 1940 as Ordinance 910, required anyone under 17 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian when dancing in public. It also set licensing and insurance requirements for public dances.
Subsequent ordinances—1362, 2234, 2251 and 2258—clarified those regulations, according to City Recorder Rachel Thomas.
Thomas raised the issue at the Aug. 18 council meeting, calling the rule outdated and unnecessary. She noted that events falling under the ordinance are already regulated elsewhere in city code.
“Much of this regulation comes from the Quaker heritage of the City of Newberg,” Thomas said. “There were movements against movie theaters, and movements against pictures that people thought were too dramatic. It’s really fascinating that we still had it on the books, but haven’t used that code in a very, very long time.”
Newberg’s early residents, many of whom held strong religious beliefs, often opposed dancing. Groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union worked to restrict alcohol and social dancing alike.
Even under the law, many events were exempt, including dances at religious, educational, and fraternal organizations, as well as those held in private homes.
Thomas said few events today would even qualify for regulation under the code. One example, the Old Fashioned Festival, is already covered by the city’s amplified sound ordinance, which requires only a $10 fee—less than the cost of administering the license.
Other activities, she noted, could technically fall under the law, including the library’s toddler story hours where children sometimes dance, outdoor concerts like Tunes on Tuesdays, or even Zumba classes.
“Practically, the terms of this code are covered by other sections such as those for special events, amplified sound, OLCC licensing for beverages, and street closure permits,” Thomas said.
As for the public dance license itself, Thomas said the sergeant in charge of issuing them has never issued one in his 26 years on the job, nor has she received a single request.
“Historically, police were often requested to serve as the security and crowd control for special events, which usually relied heavily on reserve officers,” she said. “We want to ensure that we are not requiring something of our department that may be unnecessary for smaller events.”
