On Friday, May 1, 2026, Paint Branch held its annual prom for seniors and juniors at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, Maryland, which is where it was last year as well. The theme of this year’s prom was “Enchanted Forest,” although besides some candles on the floor and tables, there wasn’t really anything related to it.
The festivities officially began at 7 PM, and arriving students were greeted by hotel staff and directed to the second floor, which is where the ballroom was. After volunteers (teachers and staff members from Paint Branch) checked people’s tickets, they were allowed inside, where a photographer took photos of people entering. In the early parts of the night, there were very few people inside the ballroom, and the dance floor was empty, but around an hour later, everyone pretty much started flooding in. After that, the ballroom lights turned off, and the sky was getting dark outside, and the DJ invited everybody onto the dance floor, and immediately it filled up. The dance floor was filled with energy as people danced along to upbeat songs such as “The Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper, “Juju on That Beat” by Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall, “Gangnam Style” by Psy, and “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Bieber, and of course the DJ said people could request songs if they wanted to. Abruptly, the DJ held a contest to see who could do the best Michael Jackson impression, and there was applause and cheers after each go, and after that was over it was followed by some Michael Jackson songs. Although some were unhappy with the DJ and song selections, everyone seemed to at least be able to dance and sing along with them and have a great time.
If students felt hungry, the hotel provided dinner food, including garlic bread, pasta, and chips. Later, desserts including brownies and cookies were provided. Students also had cold water, fruit punch, and pineapple juice as available beverages.
Besides dancing on the dance floor, there were other places people could go to, including a room that served as a photo booth. Additionally, if people wanted peace from the loud action occurring or to talk with friends, they could go onto the balcony next to the ballroom.
Unfortunately for those who didn’t want the night to be over, it eventually did, as at around 11 PM, the ballroom lights turned on, the music stopped, and everyone started to go home.
PB senior Robin Daniel thought it went well and praised the vibes. “My friends were here, we took photos. Music was awesome, better than homecoming. Loved it. Had a good time.”
