Daddies and daughters dance the night away at Lincoln Christian Church's 'Best Night Ever!'

[March 02, 2026]  Lovely young ladies in their fanciest dresses along with their daddies, grandpas, stepdads, and uncles gathered at Lincoln Christian Church (LCC) for the 5th annual Daddy-Daughter Dance on Friday, February 27. This year’s theme was “Best Night Ever!” and the entirety of the ground floor of LCC was decked out in fairytale finery. Flowers, lights, castles, and a custom-built wisteria arbor entryway adorned the entry hall of the church. A long Rapunzel braid ran from the entrance through the common room to the fellowship center dance floor to the refreshment area. All this space was needed as the event sold out of the printed 600 tickets, but organizers made room for the approximately 730 daddies and daughters who attended this popular family event.

In the entry hall and common rooms, special activities were set up to keep each family’s little princesses occupied and to document the evening. Two professional photographers took photos of the daddy-daughter duos with a choice of background. While waiting in line to enter the craft room, families were able to add their names to a painting commissioned from Lincoln Art Institute. The painting was filled with lanterns floating in the night sky, and young ladies were able to choose which lantern belonged to their family. In addition to the craft room, a hair salon was staffed by cosmetology students from Lincoln Community High School. The cosmetology-trainees provided flowers and sparkles to enhance the young ladies’ coiffures.

The refreshment room was well-appointed with a tantalizing buffet of treats to sustain both daddies and daughters. Veggies trays, meatballs, cheese and crackers, homemade cookies, and punch provided a boost of energy to get out on the dance floor. Volunteers kept the snacks well-stocked. In total, 60 volunteers helped plan, set up, and staff the event.

Event organizer, and LCC Children’s Minister Chuck McFadden, spent four months braiding 400 plastic yellow tablecloths together to form an impressively long Rapunzel’s braid connecting all the rooms. Balloon art princess sculptures as tall as many of the daughters were created by Emily Bakken to provide further decoration. Volunteer Adrian McFadden, said “It’s so fun to see the little girls’ faces light up and to see the dads beaming with pride!”

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Out on the dance floor (the church fellowship hall and gym), the scene was atmospheric with a fog machine and changing, colored lights. Daughters had a ball singing along with Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Disney favorites, while dads got to “Cha Cha Real Smooth” and show off their “Cupid Shuffle” moves. The evening also featured a daddy-daughter dance contest with several committed contestants. The big winners were Rich and Charleigh Cleveland who earned a sizeable trophy, which Charleigh proudly carried the rest of the night.

Another special benefit of purchasing tickets for Best Night Ever! was two “delicious deals.” Presenting the ticket at Guzzardo’s Italian Villa before the dance earned free kid’s meals for daughters with the purchase of a “Dad” meal. Presenting the punch card from the dance at Top Hat Creamery earned a free kid’s scoop with the purchase of a regular scoop. The $5 ticket price for the dance proved an excellent value for a full night of fun and treats.

The Daddy-Daughter Dance at LCC is a community event held every year in late February or early March for all daughters and their fathers or father-figures. Sunday morning services at LCC are 8:15, 9:30, and 10:45 a.m. with youth and children’s programs on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. For more information about LCC and upcoming events, visit www.lincolnchristianchurch.org.

Daddy - Daughter dance photos slideshow - Part 1

Daddy - Daughter dance photos slideshow - Part 2

[Stephanie Hall]


 

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