NORTH ADAMS -- Friday's storm brought on the snow for Saturday's ball without slowing down attendance, as more than 375 came out for an Eagle Street party making its winter debut.
It marked the first NAMA Snow Ball, held at the Elks Lodge and featuring a live music cocktail hour followed by a night of dancing and liquor-infused snowcones, for the brave.
Veronica Bosley, head of the city's Office of Tourism and Cultural Development, said the event would continue to grow as long as people keep showing up.
"We like putting on events for the community," Bosley said. "It's not to make money and not for any particular cause -- it's a party for the sake of a party."
Already a successful springtime event, friends had suggested throwing a separate NAMA ball some other time during the year.
"People often say ‘by popular demand' as part an advertising campaign, but in this case it's actually true," Kate Merrigan, another organizer, said. "We ended up picking February because it's a wasteland. The holidays are over and everyone's getting sick of the cold."
To fit the theme, an ice sculpture of Mount Greylock's Veterans War Memorial Tower, made by Shima owner Suzy Helme, adorned the front entrance of the Elks Lodge.
Merrigan said she thinks the event and others like it represent an opportunity for the city to up its evening offerings.
"We think you can have an interesting night life in a rural community,"
Bosley called the Snow Ball "pretty successful overall."
"People like a chance to get out, [get] dressed and stop hibernating for a night," she said.
Merrigan wants the city's Prom Committee to continue hosting at least two similar events a year, and potentially branch out to Halloween or one of the other big party holidays.
The Prom Committee has been active in organizing similar events for seven years, demonstrating growth each year. Bosley said each event will feature "a little twist to make it interesting."
Organizers thanked Lickety Split for catering and the Elks for hosting.
To reach Phil Demers, email
pdemers@thetranscript.com.
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