Prom Season

It’s coming. Spring in Amarillo is the season of sharp tuxedos, glamorous dresses and prom night photo shoots. Good or bad, everyone seems to have a story about high school prom. The concept features prominently in most films about teenagers and remains embedded in the memories of today’s adults, years and even decades after the experience. For some, prom was everything it should have been. But others missed out on those positive memories. They didn’t attend, for one reason or another. Or maybe they did attend and had a bad experience beyond the awkward dancing. 

In recent years, a number of local organizations have given Amarillo people the opportunity for a prom season do-over, introducing grown-up prom-style events that allow locals to revisit this high school rite of passage with fun, music and community—and hopefully without the drama. 

For those who want to dress up and celebrate, it’s prom season again, and it’s no longer just for high school students.

Photos by Kelsey’s Photography

Elder Goth Prom

The origin story for this unique event started at Aunt Eek’s Books and Curiosities, a shop along historic Sixth Street. “A group of us were sitting around Aunt Eek’s, talking about our experiences with our high school proms,” says Angelina Marie, a local photographer and occasional Brick & Elm contributor. “Each of us expressed how disappointing the event was for kids that didn’t fit in.” As far back as the early 1990s, they had all experienced high school as part of the alternative crowd. Sequined prom gowns and top-40 pop music weren’t really their style.

Someone joked, “What if we threw our own prom?”

It was a proverbial lightbulb moment. “We all looked at each other and thought the same thing: What if?”

That was more than three years ago, and Feb. 15 brought the third installment of Amarillo’s Elder Goth Prom, which took place at the Khiva Shrine building. (The “Elder” part of the name reflects the fact that the organizers are all in their 40s and 50s.) 

That first year started small and invite-only, with only 50 attendees. The organizers prepared the food themselves.

Last year’s event grew to 250 people and required catering.

This year drew a crowd of 300—including attendees from as far away as Colorado and New Mexico—and sold out months in advance.

The vibe of the event is decidedly different from the pinks and pastels of high school proms. The goth cultural phenomenon emerged in the 1980s, influenced by the post-punk music scene. Black is a prominent color within the subculture, as are themes of melancholy, mystery and the macabre. Back then, bands like The Cure and Joy Division featured prominently. Goth fashion featured dark clothing, Victorian-inspired elements and dramatic makeup. 

This year’s theme: “La Lune Noire,” which is French for “the black moon.” As described by the online event listing: “Think art nouveau meets romantic vampire with a pinch of stardust.”

All elements were on display this year. “You don’t have to dress specifically goth,” explains Angelina Marie, “but there’s a lot of black, alternative fashion.” Guests go all out, designing their own costumes and sewing their own creations, from elaborate headpieces and makeup to dramatic footwear.

A “Goth Prom Royal Court” presents an opportunity for attendees to display their fashions. Prom-goers have the option to purchase a boutonniere-sized corsage that puts them in the running for royalty. “Each [corsage] has a number, and attendees vote for their favorite number,” says Angelina Marie. The winners receive a bouquet of roses, crowns and tickets to next year’s event.

Beyond the fashion, the music, and the Royal Court, the organizers view the rapidly growing event as a way to connect others and build community within Amarillo’s diverse and lively cultural landscape. “We quickly realized how desperately needed this was for our area,” Angelina says. “We have been amazed by the enthusiasm and support. It’s an honor to create a gathering where folks can fully be themselves without fear of judgment.” 

Mom Prom

Two weeks after the Elder Goth Prom, a much more conventional prom took place. This one, featuring brighter colors and musical accompaniment, brought more than 900 women to the Amarillo Civic Center Complex for a fundraising gala hosted by Amarillo Angels. The nonprofit, which assists children and families in the foster care system, scheduled its first-ever Mom Prom in 2022. 

The organization initially had modest plans that year, but the response was so staggering that it quickly had to switch venues. 

“It was an overwhelmingly positive experience,” says Sarena Carpenter about that first event. She’s the co-executive director for Amarillo Angels. “We originally booked the Grand Plaza [at the Amarillo Civic Center], but it sold out in just a few days, so we moved to the North Exhibit Hall.” A total of 600 women attended in 2022. Last year’s Mom Prom attracted an astonishing 930 participants. 

This year’s event, on March 1, had similar community interest. 

Gwen Hicks, founder of Amarillo Angels and Carpenter’s co-executive director, launched the ladies-only gala after researching multiple fundraising concepts. It has since become the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year. It’s not just for mothers, either. All women older than 20 are welcome. 

Local businesses donate raffle products, and the raffle ticket drawing then serves to select the prom queen via the last ticket drawn. Participants also look forward to a “dance off” as the evening winds down, with organizers selecting five participants who appear to be having the most fun on the dance floor. 

Established in 2017, Amarillo Angels provides programs to assist foster children and their foster families. 

Another initiative continues the prom focus. For teenagers in foster care, the Fairy Godmother project provides them with formal wear and accessories for their own high school proms. Foster families can make appointments with Amarillo Angels to “shop” for dresses, tuxedos, shoes and accessories from a collection of donated items. “We’re always looking for donations for this project—physical items mostly,” says Carpenter. 

Carpenter says some of this year’s attendees spent months shopping for their dresses. Suggesting that the event is a “two-for-one special,” Carpenter explains, “It’s a night where a woman can go, get all glammed up, and forget about everything.” At the same time, it helps improve the lives of local foster families and kids in the foster care system.

Night To Shine

In communities worldwide, the Tim Tebow Foundation’s annual Night to Shine event has become a global movement “centered on God’s love, honoring and valuing people with special needs,” according to the Foundation. That includes Amarillo’s own Night to Shine on Feb. 7. 

Unlike the previous Mom Prom or Elder Goth Prom, this prom-style event is open to children (13 and older) and adults with special needs. The first local Night to Shine gala, in 2019, began at The Loft Church with 175 guests. This year, 500 attendees and 800 volunteers occupied Amarillo Civic Center’s Regency Room, Heritage Room and the North and South Exhibit Halls. 

For those with special needs, community donations and sponsorships make this event free. 

Volunteers play a critical role. “This is a completely volunteer event,” says Kyndra Munsell, local Night to Shine logistics coordinator. “The biggest number of volunteers is for our buddies.” 

Each child or young adult is paired with a “buddy” at registration, and that volunteer escorts the guest throughout the evening. Additional volunteers are present in every room of the event, including a special Sensory Room. 

It’s more than just an opportunity to dress up and dance. After registering, each guest may choose a limousine ride that drops them off at an elegantly decorated entrance, complete with flash photography and paparazzi. The Palo Duro High School Don Diamonds and Tascosa High School Cheer team welcome each guest. 

After walking the red carpet, young men may opt for a shoe shine while the women are treated to hair, makeup and jewelry in the Glam Room. Photographers take professional portraits. Each guest and buddy enjoy a catered meal, with music, karaoke and a dance floor nearby.

The event also provides a much-needed break for moms and dads. While the buddies accompany the guests for the evening, parents and caretakers relax in the lavish hospitality of the Respite Room—complete with door prize drawings and a catered steak dinner. 

Amarillo’s Night to Shine event took place at the same time and date of hundreds of other similar events across the United States, and at the end of the Feb. 7 event, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow delivered a recorded message to all of the prom guests around the world. After that, the prom king and prom queen are named—and everyone wins. The young women are given tiaras and the young men receive crowns. 

Munsell says the event, now in its seventh year, has given her a new perspective and made her more grateful. “It’s something I didn’t know I needed until I volunteered for it,” she says. “It made me realize how much I took for granted.”

Second Chance Prom

A final local prom experience offers young women the opportunity for a do-over, giving them another chance to create positive memories through a prom experience. A Night on the Town, scheduled for this fall, even made that intention explicit with its previous name: Second Chance Prom. Martha’s Home hosts this gala, which is slated for Oct. 11 at the Amarillo Civic Center.

Even though most prom nights occur in springtime, the calendar date is intentional. “The one thing we didn’t want to compete with were other proms,” says Sharon Miner, director of development for Martha’s Home. The organization serves as a shelter providing support for homeless women and their children as they work toward stability and self-sufficiency.

It’s a place of refuge, safety and encouragement, Miner says, empowering women in tough circumstances toward a new, better life. “We move you on to your future,” she says. “We’re not a scholarship program.”

The prom, however, is definitely a big event. Last year’s prom included a live band and comedian. Additionally, 20 different restaurants catered—taking up half the venue—serving steaks, barbecue, bakery items and more, along with a sizable silent auction to raise money for the organization. 

Attire for the event is varied. You’re as likely to see attendees wearing formal wear and sequins as you are jeans, boots and blazers. 

“It’s a time of celebration,” explains Miner. “It’s a time that we tell our story.” Beyond the community’s traditional ideas of a homeless shelter, Martha’s Home provides a warm, loving atmosphere that removes barriers to success for its residents.

Miner describes A Night on the Town as a second chance for young women who may have missed their high school prom due to a variety of circumstances. It’s an opportunity to dress up, as Martha’s Home receives donations of formal wear and accessories for each attendee, along with opportunities to glamorize their hair and nails. 

“They always look beautiful, just fabulous,” she says. 

Most women and families spend an average of three to five months at the shelter, getting back on their feet in a secure environment complete with mentorship, individual case management, assistance with community resources and vocational training. 

A portion of that self-empowerment is education, Miner says. “Ninety-five percent of our current residents are in school,” she says. And attending prom should be one of the highlights of the educational experience.

For local teenagers in the High Plains, this spring’s prom season represents a high school rite of passage—a milestone with the potential for magic, of course, but also the possibility of less desirable moments marked by social anxiety or financial pressure. Prom-style “memories that last a lifetime” aren’t always good memories.

Amarillo’s adult proms are proving, however, that these diverse celebrations aren’t reserved for high schoolers. They look like the embrace of less mainstream interests at the Goth Prom. They take the form of moms unwinding in support of foster families at the Mom Prom. They look like overcoming hardship at A Night on the Town and celebrating individuals with disabilities at A Night to Shine.

More than anything, these events transform the sequins and punch bowls of prom into something deeper and richer: a welcoming community experience. It’s never too late to find a reason to dance or a place to belong.