John Coffelt, Editor

The Manchester Arts Center is offering homeschool students in grades ninth through 12^th the opportunity for a night of music and dancing at the first locally offered homeschool prom.

One of the minds behind the event, local homeschool student and MAC volunteer Gianna Afflerbaugh said that most of the other options for proms are expensive and far away.

So Afflerbaugh and fellow homeschooler Loralei Petty brought the proposal to the MAC’s Board of Directors, complete with cost analysis and a slide show.

Starry, Starry Night – Homeschool Prom, the event is called, will be for homeschool students, singles or couples, on April 1 from 8 p.m. until midnight. A homeschooler’s guest does not have to be in homeschool, but must be between the ages of 14-19.

“We want to give our homeschool community the chance for a memorable high school experience. 

The evening will include catering by Crazy Daisies, dessert table Blessed Be Cakery, professional themed photos by Jaxen Waggoner, a selfie station presented by Nik Dunavant Photography, and music by local DJ, Eric Keith.

Tickets are $45 single or $80 a couple and that includes a meal. Crazy Daisies food truck will be set up outside and guests will be given a ticket for their meal to eat any time throughout the evening.

The “black box” area (an auxiliary rehearsal area to the left of the foyer)  of the theater will be the dancefloor. Local photographer Jaxen Waggoner will be set up on the stage for photos for $20 a shot.

MAC’s auxiliary group, the Millennium Repertory Company, has a homeschool program that offers theater classes to area youth. Those classes give homeschoolers group activities and extracurricular activities outside the home.

“Since we had a built in audience, in a sense, we would expand on that,” said MAC board member Danelle Afflerbaugh. “It’s a great facility, a pretty facility … and a safe place to have students come and enjoy.”

Afflerbaugh said that the event is open to any homeschooler, not just those in the MRC program. Additionally, the event is open to Coffee County Virtual Academy students, who are not eligible to attend the Coffee County Central High School prom. 

“Everybody should have a prom experience,” Danelle Afflerbaugh said, “at least once.” 

To register follow the link provided at the Starry, Starry Night –Homeschool Prom event on Facebook or at ArtscenterManchester.com.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.