By Joe Johnson
The fourth annual Fall Community Dinner and Dance Celebration will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 13 in the Grandfather Mountain Ballroom located in the Plemmons Student Union at Appalachian State University. Tickets are $25 for adults, who must be 18 years or older, and $10 for App State college students. Student ID is required at the door for student attendees.
Dinner will be catered by the Daniel Boone Inn and served in a buffet-style setup. Purchase of a ticket includes two drinks of either beer or wine as well. Dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. and dancing will last from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The Lucky Strikes will be performing live music during the event and pre-recorded music is on hand for attendees to keep on dancing after the concert has concluded. The Appalachian State University television channel will be present to film the events’ proceedings.
The focus of the Community Fall Dance is, of course, dancing! Not to mention meeting new people of all different ages and backgrounds who have joined as one to celebrate the joy of dancing together. The App State Shag Club and App State Swing Club will be attending the dance, and much of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated toward these dedicated dance organizations. Last year, tickets sales were able to accrue enough funds to supply both the Shag Club and the Swing Club with a $1000 donation toward each organization.
Sandi Finci Solomon, head of the Community Fall Dance and promoter of partner dancing the five months a year she spends in the High Country, feels that this year’s event will be a major success just like the past three years’ fall dances. Solomon emphasized that you do not have to be a dancer to enjoy the festivities; even those who just attend to have a good time will have fun attending. “Last year a friend of mine who sat at our table, Gary Silverstein, he sat their the whole night and I said ‘poor guy! He’s just not having a good time,’” said Solomon, “But when I saw him this past year and asked how he liked it he said ‘it was the best time I had all year!’ He said, ‘I love the Lucky Strikes music; they play everything I knew, I just love it! I just loved watching the kids dance too.’ The ages of attendees span from 18 to 81, yet there is no ‘age’ in the room. Everybody danced with everybody; by the time you left, everybody knew everybody’s name. It’s like a family wedding; it’s a very different atmosphere than you’ll see anywhere. I’m not just saying it, you’ll see for yourself!”
The reason the Community Fall Dance has been able to happen these past four years is due to the support of sponsors who make donations to fund the dinner and dance festivities. This year’s main sponsors are Mast General Store, SkyLine/SkyBest, Sandi Finci Solomon and Tony Luis, Sandy and Tommy Rouse, Joan and Albert Benbasat, Myra and Tony Manganiello, Nancy and Neil Schaffel, and the Boone Shag Club.
Tickets sell out every year, as the ballroom can only hold 150 people, so make sure to register for tickets as possible at https://conferences-camps.appstate.edu/adult-programs/4th-annual-community-fall-dance or by sending a check payable to Appalachian State University, Conference and Camp Services, ASU Box 32042, Boone, NC 28608 Attn: 2019 Fall Dance.
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