It’s universally acknowledged that nothing remains a secret in a small town. And yet, Harvard has been keeping a secret for the past 15 years. Each year the theme of Celebration, the alcohol-and-substance-free after-prom party, is kept mum until it is revealed first to community members in a special sneak preview and then to the high school students who attend the all-night festivities. What is not a secret is how amazing Celebration always is. The high school entrance, gym, cafeteria, auditorium, and hallways are utterly transformed. No one can ever believe it is really the same old building underneath the incredible themed decorations. This year, on May 17, with well-known magician Edoardo Pignataro as a special guest, people may well think it is all just an illusion.
A quest for something amazing
Celebration 2013’s head secret-keepers are co-chairwomen Pat Cooper and Patty Wilkey, each of whom is the parent of a Bromfield senior. They and their committee started planning back in September, with people keeping their eyes open for ideas and items that might inspire the decorations. Cooper says that of course the committee wants to come up with something even more amazing than what was done the previous year. With the theme decided upon, the committee moves forward with its very own vision of spectacular. Cooper says she has never worked with so many incredibly talented people as those involved with Celebration, and that it has been amazing to discover what a community we have.
Around the World” was the theme of Celebration 2012. Here, a Venetian gondolier floats down a mock canal. (Photo by Daniel Shrives)
The important job of fundraising is being done this year by Vijaya Maclean, who, Cooper says, has done an outstanding job of securing donations and prizes, some of which involve places far afield from Harvard. The committee is grateful for the generosity of the community and businesses in town and in the surrounding area. (See bromfieldcelebration.com for the impressive list of donors.)
Cooper says that Celebration is a way for prom-goers to continue the fun of being together in a way that has not always been an option for kids. Bromfield senior Bin Han says he sees it as an opportunity to spend time with classmates before they all split off for college. The event is not just for those who go to the prom, either; it is for all Bromfield juniors and seniors. “We want all of them to be celebrated,” Cooper says.
Set-up like a traveling circus
Transforming the high school is not unlike setting up a traveling circus. Everything has to be perfectly planned and organized, because the group of volunteers has only nine hours to work its magic. Late Friday morning, May 17, trucks and cars will line up outside Bromfield, waiting for students to clear the building. On the dot of noon, people will swarm the building, carrying all manner of objects. Structures have been pre-built and hidden in various homes across town, waiting for this day to be reassembled inside the school. Many of the 200 volunteers involved with Celebration will be there for set-up, from those assembling large structures to those bringing prepared food, and everything in between. They will be working up until the very last minute before the public arrives.
The community is invited to the sneak preview of Celebration at 9 p.m. on May 17. (There is an “early entry” item in the Celebration online auction.) For the first time, there will be an official opening ceremony outside the entrance to Cronin Auditorium. In addition to the traditional walk-through, this year the community will be invited to participate in some activities, for a small donation to help defray the cost of the event. There will be a spray tattoo artist, a glitter artist, and, as Cooper expresses it, “this other mystery thing.” Cooper says the committee is getting more and more excited – just bursting with the secret and anxious for people to see what it is.
Dobby, the house elf, welcomes guests to Celebration 2009, where the theme was “Harry Potter” (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
How is it that no one in this small town leaks the secret of Celebration? Partly, it is the commitment the parents and other adults who work on the committees make. And, it seems, the young people really don’t want to know the theme ahead of time. Not knowing is part of the tradition, part of the fun. Keeping the secret on both sides seems to represent something deeper, too: a tacit understanding between the generations. The parents really want their kids making good choices and being safe; the kids really appreciate the lengths to which the adults have gone to show they care.
From casinos to beaches: a history
According to coverage in the old Harvard Post, the first after-prom celebration of this type was held on May 23, 1997, and was the brainchild of a group of parents, interested adults, and students. One can infer from then-Police Chief Bill Chase’s comment that he was “unaware of any private parties that night,” that the impetus for the school-sponsored event was to keep teens safe in one place after the prom. That first year, 135 attended the prom and about 60 of those attended the celebration, with about 20 leaving not too long after arriving. The party was also open to juniors and seniors who did not attend the prom, and many chose this option.
A prom party playground
For those who stayed that first time, there were many delights. Said one senior, “It was a prom party playground. I had more fun than I ever had in my life.” One hall had been turned into a casino, with blackjack, poker, and roulette, where “gamblers” could win raffle tickets. The raffle table was in operation all night, with smaller prizes won frequently, and many large items, such as a TV, boom box, and car stereo, drawn in one final event. A high-jump mat was laid down in the senior hallway. The gym was a scene of ongoing Ping Pong, volleyball, and basketball games, and the cafeteria served pizza and snacks and was also a dance room, with a few college students as DJs. Movies played on a big screen in the auditorium. Attendees were surprised at the extent of the decorations and the planning that went into the party. This reaction grew exponentially as the celebration became a tradition.
The theme was “Games” for Celebration 2011. The foyer of Cronin Auditorium was made into a giant Monopoly board. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The next year, attendance doubled from the year before, with many more staying longer at the party. A sad irony may have influenced their decision: the event was dedicated to a Bromfield senior who had been killed the week before in an allegedly alcohol-related car crash.
At this point the party seems to have been officially named “Celebration,” and the first of the secret themes appeared: “Garden Party.” As one attendee said, “It was like walking into some other world.” There were real trees and a garden area with wicker furniture, and the Garden Café was bordered with a white picket fence. The Vegas-style casino, raffle, basketball and movies of the year before were joined by new activities. Chef Paul debuted this year, serving a gourmet breakfast at 3:30 a.m.
In 1999 attendance had climbed and again the decorations drew gasps of disbelief. “California Dreamin'” rolled out the red carpet, created the Golden Gate Bridge out of the ramp in a hallway, and had sand, beach chairs, and music. Other themes and details are lost to written history—or at least to the pages of the old Harvard Post.
Celebrate the parents
The themes may change from year to year, but the response from the community and the students remains constant. One comment quoted from the first celebration is reiterated again and again: “I’m so amazed the parents spend so much time putting it all together.” It is, indeed, an incredible feat on the part of parents, a testimony to the depth of their commitment to create a fun and safe choice for their kids.
