As winter turns into spring, that is the classic time for prom. For those of you who may not know or may not understand what to expect during prom, this might be for you.

 Prom is a formal dance towards the end of the school year for juniors and seniors; sometimes the dances are combined with both grades or they have separate dances. For Ledyard, the upperclassmen hold two separate dances and are funded by the classes, meaning that class raises money throughout the school years leading up to fund for prom. 

This year, junior prom is held at the Lake of Isles Golf Course Ballroom, which is located just by Foxwoods Casino. The dance is Saturday, May 9, starting at 6pm and going to 10pm. Prom tickets for juniors are seventy-five dollars a piece, including for outside guests. No guest can arrive over an hour after the doors open. Outside guests are invited by either juniors or seniors to bring to their prom, who either do not go to Ledyard High School or who are in the different grades; for example, a junior going to junior prom can bring a freshman, sophomore or senior from this school or a different school as long as a form is filled out by parents/guardians and both school administrations and is brought back to the Ledyard High School APO, which then determines if that student can attend. All students also have to attend school on May 8 to be eligible to go to prom as well. 

The seniors’ final prom is Friday, May 15, also from 6pm-10pm, but this dance is held at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, which is located on the Mashantucket Tribal Reservation. Senior prom tickets are also the same price as junior prom tickets, seventy-five dollars and the same rules also apply for seniors who want to bring a younger guest or someone from a different school. These forms are now available in the APO. 

If you are someone who is going to attend one of the dances but may not have time outside of school or any way to get to any prom stores, Ms. Finnegan, the teacher who teaches the sewing and fashion, culinary, and child development classes, has a rack of suits and all kinds of dresses for those who want to look or borrow them for the dances. She typically has them out in the main hallways during the third block or lunches as well so students can browse when they have time. If one has any questions, all three of her classrooms are located in the 100s hallway.

As far as eating, the dances normally have and hold a sit- down dinner, which is also included in the ticket pricing, and as to why it is considered a higher pricing, meaning the ticket pricing plays a role in covering the food cost at the venue and other reasons, but the types of food being served depends on the location. Junior Skylar Botts says, “I’m very excited for the free photo booth and supposedly, I heard there’s going to be a taco food truck and also just seeing my classmates dressed up.”

Finding the best spot to take pictures can also be hard. Here are some nice locations near Ledyard that people go to. First, there is Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford. This is typically a popular location for weddings, prom photos, or, in general, any type of photoshoot. People also like to walk down to the beach and take pictures there or stay by the building and stone area. Closer locations could be the Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill on Iron St. This place is a very pretty place with the Sawmill museum or the little lake that it is on as well. Where junior prom is being held is also a place that is used for photos, with the golf course and by the ballroom. There is a dock on the water that is popular too. Junior Olivea Shelton claims, “I think it’s going to be really nice at Lake of Isles, and I hope the food is going to be as good as the banquets that I’ve been to there. I’m also excited to be there with all of my friends.”  It is also more convenient for those who can not drive or will have a harder time getting from certain locations to the dance. 

Of course, there’s always more, and it depends on personal preference and what is convenient. Overall, prom is supposed to be fun and enjoyable for everyone attending, and for these juniors and seniors to have a good time celebrating either their last year of high school coming or celebrating their high school career coming to an end soon. 

Junior  Madelyn Thomasson is a staff writer for the 2025-2026 Colonel News Site. She likes spending time with her friends, shopping at TJ Maxx, and listening to music.