Club La Vela facts for kids
Club La Vela is a very large nightclub located in Panama City Beach, Florida. It's owned by Patrick and Thorsten Pfeffer. Many people say it's the biggest nightclub in the United States. It's open most of the year, but it becomes super popular during spring break when lots of college students visit.
How It All Started
Club La Vela was built in 1984. It was first called La Vela Beach Club and Concert Hall. Alois Pfeffer and George Christo were the first owners. After the first season, Mr. Pfeffer became the only owner in 1985. He then started making the club much bigger.
The building was put together very quickly, in just 54 days! It opened on Labor Day in 1984 with a concert by John Prine. Alois Pfeffer, who was an engineer, helped a lot with the building plans.
In the early years, the club grew a lot. They added an outdoor stage and more deck space. Over time, Club La Vela added nine special "theme rooms" and more dance floors. They also added swimming pools and extra bars. Famous musicians like Ramsey Lewis and Gregg Allman played there.
From 1997 to 1999, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held some of its WCW Monday Nitro shows at the club. These events happened in March during spring break. They helped WCW connect with younger viewers.
Club La Vela Today
Today, Club La Vela can hold up to 6,000 people. It has become a huge place for entertainment. Different dance rooms play different kinds of music. You can find house music, trance, rock, and hip hop. One room even has special foam blowers!
During summer and spring break, the club opens "The Darkroom" for visitors under 18 years old. Sometimes, the club also hosts "Teenbashes" on Sundays. On these days, only teens are allowed inside.
Because it's so popular during spring break, Club La Vela has been shown in many TV shows and news reports. MTV has often set up its spring break events at the club. E! and other channels like ESPN, TNT, and Travel Channel have also featured Club La Vela. Many companies have sponsored events there too.
In 2014, the Pfeffer family also started running a radio station called WPCF in Panama City. This station plays dance music and helps promote the club's events.
There have been many rumors that the club would close to build new condominiums. But the club always stayed open. However, in 2018, Hurricane Michael caused a lot of damage. Because of this, Club La Vela did not reopen. As of 2021, it is still closed, and there is no date announced for it to open again.
