1940’s WWII Era Ball

Last year we attended the 1940’s WWII Ball for the first time. My husband and I were visiting from Ohio. We brought my grandparents along (we thought they’d enjoying a trip back in time to their younger days). We all had a blast, they still gush about it every time we visit! The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, it really was just like stepping into an old movie, the decorations and props were spot on, and everyone looked perfect. It wasn’t like going to a costume party at all, there was so much attention to detail and all of the couples dressed up with classy 40’s style, it was such a wonderful evening!
My grandparents had a fabulous evening, feeling young again and dancing to the tunes they grew up with. I’ve never seen them act so energetic, it was like the years just fell away. We had a great time getting ready, too. I laughed over old pictures with my grandmother while we dressed and did our hair — she did up our hair in perfect victory rolls, I had no idea! My husband and grandfather definitely enjoyed the vintage WWII airplanes and vehicles. I think my favorite part of the evening (besides the wonderful memories we made) was the musical performances, it was so authentic and got us all dancing. We’re going to be making this a spring time tradition, I definitely recommend it to young and old alike!

In summary: I’ll skip it next year and avoid the lines and cheap imitations. The best part was the attendees dressed up, not what the event itself coordinated.
After this year’s ball I think the organizers have outgrown their event coordination skills. You have roughly 1000, 1200+ people in attendance. It’s hard estimating big numbers but whether you were near the stage area, Rick’s Café Americain or the four food trucks, it was crowded.
Crowded didn’t both me so much as the inability of the event to handle service for the crowd. There was a line of cars for miles as soon as you turned onto Valmont. The line was so bad because they kept everyone in single file the entire way. That was the first big wait. Getting in was quick but they had two tents selling drink tickets, second big wait. At this point, we’ve burned the over an hour of our experience in lines. Get a cop working the traffic light on the street to direct traffic, split your vehicle lines and park people in different areas of the field at the same time.
At the stage, Winston Churchill is mumbling something I can’t understand so we head over to Rick’s Café in a hangar. Rick’s café consists of a well painted backdrop and a sign. I’ve seen high school plays with better stage art. There are belly dancers but all we can see is the occasional head and hands in the air since they are performing at floor level with the guests watching so once the crowd is six or seven deep, you can’t see much. The area around Rick’s was cluttered with shopping to pick up last minute 40s items if you came empty handed.
We decide to hang out in line yet again for pictures by an old jeep that was being manned by the Colorado Military Historical Group. Nice group of guys, had some small chat and moved on.
Someone is talking on the main stage so we advance to the food trucks. This is where I’ve just finally had enough with the event coordination. Four trucks and unless you want a slice of pizza, the other three trucks have lines 50+ people deep. It’s past seven and the truck operator keeps coming out to the line to tell people they have run out of this or that. We get our food after an HOUR of waiting in line. It’s sometime past 8 now and we’ve had a weak cocktail a bit of food truck meh and stood around in line for the most of the night.
Finally let’s dance. We dance a few songs and the band stops for the ladies pin-​up contest. 20 women parade on stage, we get a brief moment to dance again while the judges decide and then they parade all 20 on stage again, more deliberating, narrowed down to 3, lame questions to the 3 finalists and finally the judges select a winner. That was good 40 – 45 minute debacle. Here is the kicker. The women all looked lovely but the crowd was bored. It was just twenty women picked out of hundreds of women who attended that night whom all looked really nice in their 40s attire but it was not, a 40s pinup competition. Maybe a 40s costume contest.
Then, they announce they are going to do the men’s competition. I think I heard the crowd on the dance floor groan and we just decided leave. The only place we didn’t have much of a wait was the bar service area post drink ticket line. They had enough bartenders that the staff was standing around bored.
I wouldn’t go again but I would have probably given the event two stars until I read this description of the event on Unilocal «These events help pay for the non profit’s operating costs, staff and event development. After these expenses are paid, all net proceeds are donated to The Wounded Warriors Project and The Spirit of Flight Center Colorado. We have donated over $ 35,000 to our charities» Here is the kicker, if you have 1000+ people in attendance at a minimum of 42 $ a head, that is $ 42,000 dollars. Then you have a minimum of one drink per attendee, some won’t drink but plenty of attendees drink 2 or more drinks. Another $ 7,000 in revenue for drinks minimum. We’re near $ 50,000 and that doesn’t include their fee from the food trucks or vendors. Yes, there may be fees charged for the volunteers like the CMHG and the young marines guiding traffic, the event space, some staff, entertainers, but if they can only scrape $ 35k for donations since 2008, then I’m guessing the organizers have an obscene salary or other overheads to eat up the profits. I’m hoping the $ 35k in donations listed on this site is not current but my feeling is that this is a profit event for those running it that acts as a non-​profit by giving away a very tiny margin after their expenses are covered.
Yes it was nice seeing people not dressed in normal Colorado attire but most of the night was spent in lines and the event does a poor job of handling the needs of the crowd. Some people want to dance, some are into the recreations of nostalgia with impersonators. Split your venue and have band and music in one area, the era impersonating events in another. Your field was certainly big enough.

for my review of the 1940s White Christmas Ball. please follow this link.
For years I was wanting to go to this event, and this year I finally had the chance to go. But was disappointed in the lack of activities that were offered. It seemed like it was just an overpriced flea market with a band and some highly expensive food trucks that people went cosplaying too. The schedule of events included a fly over by WWII era planes, but that didnt happen, and since the weather was bad, most of the people were crammed in the small hanger.
Inbetween the bands songs were stage acts that were very contrived and not very entertaining. There was belly dancing in the hanger, but after a few acts it kinda got old, and you could tell that they were making up their dance routines as they were going along. The best part of the evening was the people watching, looking at the level other people put into their costumes.

This ball is a re-​creation not to miss. I went last year with my husband and every aspect of the ball screamed the 1940s and 1950s. The entertainment was on par, and grander then I could have ever imagined. The creators exemplify what parties from the past were. The WWII veterans that attend are just fabulous. I saw one man last year with his dress blues on and donning all of his medals, it melts my heart to know that man and many others risked their life for their country. I will be returning this year and every year to come.