This year’s adorable theme was ‘Love You to the Moon and Back’
ATASCADERO — Atascadero’s Father and Daughter Sweetheart Dance has become a standing tradition for many a local family, and last weekend was no exception. The Friday, Feb. 7, event, which featured primarily daughters under 12 dancing the night away with their dads, sold out early. The dance on Saturday, Feb. 8, which was for the older crowd and their fathers, sold out closer to the event’s date. Both nights were filled with joy and making more family memories.
“This is our seventh year with my oldest and three years for my little one,” said father Antonio Anaya. “We can’t wait until the tickets come out. We buy them because we know it sells out quick. It’s always a big big day for us.”
“I really like it because it makes me feel closer to my dad,” said Antonio’s oldest daughter, Bella, about the dance as she held her little sister Bailey’s hand.
Both girls were in coordinating pink dresses that Bella said her mom had picked out for them.
“I hope it [the dance] never ends so I can bring them with my grandkids one day,” added Antonio.
This year’s theme, “Love You to the Moon and Back,” was shared with the first official Mother and Son Dance, which took place on Friday, Jan. 31. And the new crowd of fathers and daughters enjoyed the theme just as much as the first group did.
Kelly McClendon and his daughter Ellie have been attending the dance for six years and look forward to it every year.
“It’s amazing. It’s amazing because every year it’s been growing on how many friends come with us, but we spend some time together since it’s a father/daughter dance,” Ellie commented. “It’s amazing, I really enjoy it. It’s one of my favorite things that I like to have for my memories.”
“Same, I look forward to it every year,” added Kelly.
The dance was held at the Pavillion on the Lake and, like always, put on by the City of Atascadero, with Recreation Coordinator Ashley Zamora taking the lead on the event. This year, Rena Riffel, who works at the Pavillion, was there to help Zamora keep the night’s festivities going.
“The daughters, all the little kids are just so cute and excited. All the dads are so excited, and they’re all saying hi to each other. It’s just like a really good vibe,” said Riffel, of working on the event for the first time. “It’s giving me so much joy to see how happy the fathers with their daughters are. Showing up here. They’re all dressed up. I’m so impressed that so many of the dads dressed up like they’re going to a very formal event. In suits.”
She also commented that the Father and Daughter Sweetheart Dance reminded her of when she was a little girl growing up in Atascadero and how the first dance she ever attended when she was 10 also took place at the Pavillion.
The DJ for both evenings was Manuel Medina of Medina Light Show Designs. The event was also sponsored by Cielo Ristorante, Lonely Oak Arts, Sylvester’s Burgers, Jimmy De Photography, and Boom and Grow.
The Father and Daughter Sweetheart Dance will be back for its 21st year on Feb. 6 and 7, 2026.
Featured Image: Daughters participate in choreography at the 20th Annual Father and Daughter Sweetheart Dance. Photo by Rick Evans
