By Shelley Widhalm

The Surveyor

Go no further than Grace Place’s eighth annual Father Daughter Dance to step into the fun of a Barnum & Bailey circus.

The carnival-themed dance Oct. 26 will center on the 2017 movie, “The Greatest Showman,” as fathers get to spend an evening with their daughters.  

“We’re going for that vintage circus sort of feel … the different characters you would see there, the different performers and the animals and stuff,” said Kellie Davidson, pastor of adult ministries at Grace Place and lead organizer of the dance. “We want to bring that circus feel to life, so we’ll have decorations that feel like and resemble the big-top tents.”

The décor will be in red and gold and include top hats and circus cars bearing animals. Volunteers will be welcoming guests dressed as a ringmaster, bearded woman, tattooed person, and other performers.

The theme of the Father Daughter Dance changes each year and has included things like a sock hop, steampunk and Hollywood. The idea is to treat fathers and daughters — or grandfathers, uncles and older brothers and their granddaughters, nieces and sisters — to dancing, deejay music and fun.

This year’s dance will take place in the church’s plaza, auditorium and café. There also will be a photo booth with photographs taken by a professional photographer and some do-it-yourself photo opportunities. Plus, there will be circus-themed foods and Berthoud vendors bringing in Italian sodas, snow cones and ice cream.

The dance had its start to give fathers and daughters an event geared just to them and serves as a form of outreach for the church.  

“Really, we want this to be a launching point for dads to see the significance of their role and how easy it is to spend a good time with their daughters,” Davidson said. “It has a really fun, larger-than-life sort of feel to it, so it’s easy way to spend a really fun night with your daughter.”

The Father Daughter Dance will be 6:30-9 p.m. at Grace Place, 375 Meadowlark Dr. The cost is $30 for a father-daughter couple and $10 for each additional daughter. Tickets can be purchased in advance at graceplace.org/events or at the door.