Annual Valentine Dance in Crestwood is a Sell Out

Crestwood's 15th annual Daddy & Daughter Valentine Dance Saturday at the Community Center in Whitecliff Park was sold out according to organizers. A total of 127 guests made up of 57 fathers with their daughters enjoyed dinner, dancing, photos, crafts and a game of Jingo with prizes of teddy bears for every daughter.

Recreation Supervisor Todd Stover said Crestwood was one of the first in the area to start the tradition. Sunset Hills held a similar father-daughter dance Friday night in the city's new Community Center.

Many dads wore suits and ties for the night out, and gave daughters corsages or other flowers. Some dads wore a flower in their lapel or shirt pocket.

For the Crestwood event, pink lemonade was the drink of choice. Dinner included pasta, salad and cake. Tickets were $25 per couple and $15 for each additional daughter. By Patch's calculations, ticket sales brought in about $1,800.

The proceeds from the event support Crestwood's summer outdoor theater productions. The summer shows start June 16 with The Wizard of Oz followed by Putnam County's Spelling Bee, Oklahoma and finishing in August with You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Auditions begin in May, Stover said. He pointed out that ticket prices for the shows are very affordable.

"It's the best outdoor theater around, outside of the Muni," Stover said recently.

The Muni refers to a St. Louis area tradition of outdoor summer theater, typically musicals, held in Forest Park.