by James Coulter
Valentine’s Day is a time to show your love for the people and things that you love. And if there’s one thing Frostproof residents love, it’s their semi-annual street dance parties.
Nearly 1,000 residents and guests took to Downtown Frostproof for a night of singing, dancing, and overall cavorting during the city’s annual Valentine’s Day Street Dance Party last Saturday.
Vendors and food trucks lined East Wall Street in front of the Ramon Theater in Downtown Frostproof, while a stage set at the very end along Scenic Highway provided a venue for that evening’s live entertainment. Hundreds of attendees took to the street to dance the night away as music was performed by DJ Jeremy and Outta Hand Band.
Since 2017, the street dances have been a semiannual tradition for the City of Frostproof, being hosted every spring and fall. Each time, these dances draw in hundreds, nearly a thousand, guests to Downtown Frostpoof. These turnouts prove so phenomenal that other cities have inquired about how they can experience similar turnouts for their events, Vice Mayor Austin Gravely said.
“I had other cities call me and ask how we get people to Frostproof,” he said. “I say we keep it simple.”
Indeed, simplicity has proven to be the key to these semiannual community events. The street dances are free and open to the public, and people of all ages are welcome to attend. Aside from the vendors, food trucks, and live entertainment, the events remain simple and uncomplicated, allowing attendees to enjoy simple, uncomplicated fun.
“That is the number one rule: keep it simple,” Gravely said. “We tell people to come out and enjoy the music and food and that is it. We do not overcomplicate with too much going on. People just show up, eat food, and that is it. Good entertainment is also part of it. We always have a great DJ who pumps up the crowd in the beginning. But there is no other magic to it other than keep it simple.”
The events are based on the old-time street dances that were hosted in years gone by. Hosting these new street dances not only brings back good memories for older residents, but also helps create new memories for the younger ones. Overall, everyone loves them, which is why these events receive so much love.
“I love the fact the community gathers with a common goal to have a good time with all of the food and live entertainment,” Gravely said. “It is just good clean fun for everybody. We do not try to sell anything there. It is strictly a place where people can come and relax and enjoy themselves without spending a lot of money. It is very simple and fun.”
