For Gunn’s dance lovers and party enthusiasts, the Bay Area’s burgeoning teen club scene is shaping up to offer all of the scintillating social scenes and bass-pumping entertainment in new, high school-friendly events.

In the past year, new teen clubs or instituted “teen nights” at adult clubs have become increasingly more common throughout the Bay. Clubs and restaurants like Sunnyvale’s The Glow or Palo Alto’s Illusions Fayrouz Dining and Entertainment have begun to offer these occasional teen nights to meet the rising interest amongst high schoolers for large social events outside of school.

“Teen clubs are popular because they are a really new thing for kids,” junior Madeleine Traver said. “Teenagers are always looking for fun new ways to socialize and this is a perfect opportunity for them.”

Sophomore Kate Parkinson agreed that clubs offered an appreciated fresh scene outside of school. “There’s more freedom away from your school that let’s you be more independent,” Parkinson said.

Just like their over-21 counterparts, teen events offer high schoolers a venue at which they can mix, mingle and dance to pounding bass beats. What sets these youth events apart, however, is the distinct lack of alcoholic beverages and the strictly enforced PG-13 regulations. Most Gunn students cite this relatively safe environment as a major incentive for their trips.

“Teen clubs are really tame compared to adult clubs,” Traver said. “There’s high security to make sure no one gets hurt so there’s no alcohol or drugs and the kids are just trying to have a good time.”

Other Gunn students are skeptical of the entertainment value of structured clubbing.

“I think for high schoolers, clubbing is something you do if you’ve got nothing else to do,” junior Alex Berenfeld said. “Why not wait until you’re old enough to get into a real club?”

Still others state that despite rules, the club scene can edge towards being too rowdy.

“I only went to The Glow once, but that night there were at least three fights,” Parkinson said. “It may have just been a bad night, I don’t know, but I didn’t go back.”

Students who did not have negative experiences also recognize the need to be cautious in a club, even one that is controlled.

“Just be safe,” Traver said. “A lot of the guys can be sketchy which is something you have to look out for. Plan a ride home.”

For those willing to make the effort to have a night out, one of the more popular venues amongst Gunn students is the Mediterranean restaurant and sometime-club Illusions. The events are labeled “All-Peninsula Under 18 Parties” and, as their name suggests, are open to students of any school who meet the age requirement. Events are usually planned and publicized largely through word-of-mouth and coordinators’ Facebook pages.

Tickets for events at Illusions can be found at www.brownpapertickets.com, where they sell for $15 apiece. Regular entrance tickets are also available at the door for an additional $10, as are $35 VIP tickets that offer unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. Illusions is located on 260 South California Ave. in Palo Alto.