North Adams Dance Party 'Out of This World'
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Prom Committee will host a mid-winter dance party on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Elks Lodge.
This year's theme is "NAMA Prom: Out of This World." NAMA stands for "North Adams, MA" that is being used younger residents as an affectionate abbreviation.
The party starts at 7 p.m. with a cocktail hour and goes to 1:30 a.m. Cocktail hour admission is $10 and includes food and live music. Dance party admission is $5 and applies after 8:30 p.m. Attendees must be 21 and older.
The cocktail hour will include hors d'oeuvres by Lickety Split, live music by the Nathan Rodgers Trio and — to go with the theme of the night — a tinfoil-hat building contest with prizes.
Also in the early part of the night, guests will be able to enjoy a look at the night sky inside of an inflatable planetarium — Star Lab—courtesy of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' STEM Program. Professor Chris Hime will offer a planetarium show inside the Star Lab at 9.
Other special features include a photo booth where guests can have their photo taken with giant inflatable aliens; space-themed decorations; a black light and glowpaint face painting station; drink specials, and a late-night bar menu provided by the Elks.
A frequent question is what to wear to the prom?
"Anything from a tuxedo to a tuxedo T-shirt," Committee member Darcie Sosa says. "And, given the space theme for this party, people have been telling us they might dress as astronauts, aliens, or characters from their favorite sci-fi shows. Really, whatever makes people feel good!"
The Prom Committee has been throwing the popular NAMA Prom party since 2005. It draws about 500 partygoers to the Elks Lodge every June. Last year, the group started throwing a winter dance party as well.
The committee is an all-volunteer group of young professionals who live in and love North Adams and have enjoyed working with the Elks in particular to grow this event. Prom organizers aim to create a unique and playfully glamorous event that appeals to a large cross-section of the community. While largely popular with people who live in or near North Adams, the dance attracts people from all over the Berkshires and typically sees some attendees travel in from New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
This event, which has a cash bar, is strictly 21 or older with IDs required. For more information, visit facebook.com/namaprom or call 413-652-2462.