Madelyn Castro

Palo Alto High School’s Prom was held at the Exploratorium in San Francisco two years ago. Paly will be hosting its 2024 Prom on May 18 at the Gilroy Gardens amusement park. According to senior Eliza Roth, Prom would be a special night for her if she got to dance with her longtime friend. “Prom would be an enjoyable experience for me if I get to have one last dance with my best friend who I grew up with,” Roth said.

Upperclassmen are preparing their formal attire for a night under the stars on May 18 at Gilroy Gardens, where this year’s Prom will host a blend of amusement park thrills and dances.

This will be the first time since the start of the pandemic that Prom will be hosted at a theme park. The location is a stark contrast to the location last year at the Metreon mall in San Francisco. Various carnival rides will be open to students at the park as well as a dance space under a pavilion.

The Associated Student Body put some of their funds towards lowering Prom ticket prices. ASB President Julian Hong said one of his main goals was to make sure that the tickets were affordable.

“ASB has put in money to subsidize Prom tickets so they’re affordable to everyone,” Hong said. “My goal this year was to have every student able to attend, no matter their financial needs: These prices are what I believe to be the cheapest of the decade.”

Prom tickets are $115 for students without the Viking Pass and $100 for students who have the Viking pass.

According to senior Eliza Roth, the Prom location will make the experience a long-lasting memory.

“I love it [the location],” Roth said. “I think a carnival has such an awesome vibe, and we’re gonna be having fun and going on the rides. My friends are especially excited for it.”

Although Prom has received many positive comments, there is some reluctance. According to senior Beckett Annes, the main downside for him is that the venue is far away. 

“One thing I don’t like is that it’s pretty far, and the school forces us to use their means of transportation for a long trip,” Annes said. “However, I’m still excited that it’s a unique location this year.” 

Junior Arun Tamura said that even though the venue has benefits, there are some detractors that naturally come with the location. 

“Although I really like the fact that we are going to be at an amusement park with many rides, one thing that I don’t like is that if there’s dances, most people will probably be on the rides instead of at the dance floor,” Tamura said.

According to Tamura, Prom is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and he intends to experience it to its fullest. 

“The opportunity to go to Prom excites me because this is the only time you get to experience it in your life,” Tamura said. “So the opportunity to just spend time with my friends at Gilroy Gardens will be a great experience.”

The last day to buy tickets is 3 p.m. May 3 on GoFan.