Prom off-campus is something that all students hope and work hard for. Since 2000, only two proms have been off campus, and joining that list this year is the prom of 2025. Many students tend to think that prom is never off-campus because the administration team doesn’t want it to be, but in reality, there is so much more behind it.
The main reasons prom hasn’t been held on-campus in the past are convenience and money. Finding a venue in Fauquier County that can hold anywhere between 300 and 600 students is challenging. “There’s a lot of expenses to prom. I always like to keep the price down, which means more people can come. The more you raise the price, the less people you’re going to have that are going to be able to go,” said administrator Diana Story.
The prom of 2000 was held off-campus in Old Town. It was located in front of the Warren Green Building. While the night might have been memorable for some, many problems spurred from that prom. “It was a security nightmare trying to keep students in there because there were so many streets that they could jet off in, and it was dark,” Special Education teacher Jamie Payton shared. The students abused the off-campus location and caused many more problems. “There were several people that got in trouble for alcohol and doing things that they should not have been doing down side-streets. It was pretty bad from a security standpoint,” finished Payton. While it might not have been the safest night, students still remember it fondly. Physical education teacher Catherine Anderson said, “It was the first weekend in June, so it was warm… We had a lot of fun.” Fifteen years later was the next off-campus prom.
Held at Alwyngton Manor, the prom of 2015 went much smoother. The process to get that prom off-campus took a lot of dedicated students. French teacher Nicole Goepper commented, “A group of seniors came to me. They had gone to Marriott Ranch for a DECA FBLA thing and came back. I was [the] junior class sponsor in charge of prom and said, ‘Can we please have prom off-campus?’” Goepper continued, “I called every venue, like Alwyngton Manor, which was privately owned at the time, and the kids did a huge presentation to the administration.” Goepper also talked about all the resources Alwyngton Manor provided for the prom, saying, “We didn’t have to decorate anything because Alwyngton Manor did all that. [FHS] provided food and a chocolate fountain,” Goepper finished. And now, in the year 2025, is yet another off-campus prom.
Prom this year, 2025, will be held at Airlie House on April 26. Students are very excited to have yet another prom off-campus. English teacher Traci Mellor, junior class sponsor this year, shared an insight on the process of getting prom off-campus this year. “The junior class officers in the summer had talked to [principal] Dr. Ferguson… and administration and then got approval to go for that,” Mellor stated. She then continued, saying, “We had to find a venue in Fauquier County. That’s trickier than it might seem because we have to have room for 300 or more students to be in one place.” Students are very excited about the upcoming prom and hope to see more off-campus proms in the future.
Getting proms off-campus is no easy task. It takes student determination and faculty patience to make it happen. This year’s incredible team has pulled off what sounds like a night to remember. Students look forward to experiencing an off-campus prom and making memories that will last a lifetime.
