Thursday, October 1, 2026
A Long Island DJ whose beachside performances have gone viral on TikTok hoped to spend the summer bringing his pop-up sets to some of the region's most recognizable shorelines, including Jones Beach. But before those plans could get off the ground, a planned gathering at Robert Moses State Park was shut down by state officials.
Antonio Espinosa, a Central Islip native who now lives in Hauppauge, has built a growing online following by filming house music DJ sets in scenic locations across Long Island. His videos, featuring portable DJ equipment powered by a battery pack, have attracted thousands of viewers and sparked a wave of interest from followers eager to attend a live performance.
His latest idea was simple: invite followers to a free pop-up DJ set at Robert Moses State Park on July 9. The event was never intended to be a large-scale festival, Espinosa said, but rather a chance for a few dozen people to enjoy music while helping him create content and grow his brand.
"I figured if I can get 20 to 30 people to just pop up to my events, it won't be the end of the world," Espinosa said. "I wanted people in the background. I wanted people to have fun and enjoy the music and look good on camera. At the same time, I didn't want that many."
Instead, the online buzz quickly grew beyond what he expected.
Espinosa said comments poured in from people across Long Island — and even New York City — saying they planned to attend. Others began suggesting future locations, with Jones Beach emerging as one of the most requested stops alongside Smith Point County Park and Far Rockaway.
"I had plenty of people wanting me to come to Jones Beach," he said. "Jones Beach, Smith Point and Far Rockaway were probably the three beaches everybody was asking for."
The idea grew out of nearly a decade of DJing and several years spent trying to build an audience after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the nightlife industry.
Espinosa began DJing in 2017 after discovering electronic dance music while in college. As clubs slowly recovered from the pandemic, he turned to social media to reach listeners directly.
Inspired by DJs posting performances from unusual locations around the world, he began recording his own sets across Long Island. His first was filmed at Bay Shore Marina, followed by another at Lake Ronkonkoma during freezing winter temperatures.
Last summer, he recorded a sunrise set at Robert Moses that helped introduce his videos to a wider audience. A return visit this year unexpectedly drew a crowd of beachgoers participating in a nearby yoga class.
"I started off by myself," Espinosa said. "They weren't dancing, but they were enjoying the music. I wasn't expecting it, and people loved the footage."
Encouraged by the response, Espinosa decided to organize his first public meetup.
He said he visited the Robert Moses park office about two weeks before the event to explain his plans and later submitted a permit application through the state. His goal, he said, was to work with park officials rather than surprise them.
"I basically snitched on myself," he said with a laugh.
Instead, about a week before the event, Espinosa said two New York State troopers arrived at his home and hand-delivered a cease-and-desist letter.
The notice informed him that the planned DJ event was unauthorized and warned that proceeding could result in fines, summonses or arrest. Espinosa said the letter also included screenshots from his TikTok page promoting the event.
"What shocked me wasn't necessarily getting denied," he said. "It was how high they went to tell me, 'Don't do this.'"
Espinosa said he understood officials' concerns, particularly as interest in the event continued to grow online.
"I care about safety first and foremost," he said. "People were talking about bringing their kids. I wanted everybody to leave having had a good experience."
He acknowledged that, as a one-man operation, he did not have formal plans for crowd management or security and hoped park officials could help if the event moved forward.
"I wanted to work with security, the beach and the police to help facilitate that if anything," he said. "As much as I want the footage and I want to build my brand, safety comes first."
Since canceling the event, Espinosa said he has been exploring other opportunities to perform at restaurants and venues across Long Island while continuing to grow his audience online.
Although this summer's beach meetup won't happen, he hasn't given up on eventually performing at Robert Moses, Jones Beach or other waterfront locations through the proper channels.
"I would love to have that event," he said. "I'd love to work with the people who are really in charge and figure out how to make it happen. Maybe it won't happen this summer, but there's always next summer."
