What began as a small social gathering in a church fellowship hall has evolved into the biggest social event of the year in Valdosta — the annual Father/Daughter Valentine’s Dance on Feb. 10.

The dance has grown so big that First Presbyterian Church had to move it the conference center, and now there are two 2-hour time slots for fathers to take their beautiful princesses.

The most recent edition of Southern Living has an elaborate spread on the event in their state section, which is sure to spawn even more interest in the dance. Look for the March 1 edition of the Valdosta Scene for photos from the dance, as well as the Feb. 11 edition of the Valdosta Daily Times.

Tickets go on sale this week at First Presbyterian, Valdosta Greenhouses and Glamour Shots, and I suggest you get yours early as they tend to sell out quickly. And mothers, please stay home this year as this event should be for fathers and daughters only. You can watch it on the Fun Channel like the rest of us!

The most unique part of this event to me is that the men who attend voluntarily dress up in suits or tuxes, make reservations themselves and take their ‘dates’ for the evening out to a nice dinner, buy them flowers, and then spend the entire night on the dance floor with them. Miracles do happen.

Seriously, First Presbyterian Church should be applauded for planning this beautiful and special evening.



Lakeland COC to host state commissioner

The Lakeland-Lanier Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual banquet this week, and as always, has attracted an excellent speaker — Mike Beatty, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

Local governments work closely with DCA as many of their grant funds are administered through the agency. To have Beatty in their community Thursday is a coup for a Chamber with fewer than 150 members.

If you’d like more information about the banquet, call the Chamber at 482-9755.



Business Roundup

I’ve had quite a few calls and notes this week asking what’s going in on Bemiss Road next to the McDonalds, with speculation varying widely. Mystery solved — it’s another O’Reilly’s Auto Parts. Given the speed with which the location on N. Ashley St. was built, this one should be open in a week or two.

There is another new store on Bemiss Road in Godfrey Plaza called Wishes Granted, offering consignment, creative home furnishings and decor. They also offer a number of unique antique and vintage items, including vintage Madame Alexander dolls.

The new Steamhouse seafood restaurant near Exit 18 should be open by the end of this week. I haven’t been in yet, but from the outside at least, it looks like a pretty cool place. Nestled by the two new hotels on the non-mall side of St. Augustine, maybe business will be so good that others will follow and the congestion on the other side will see some relief.

There’s a new store opening in downtown Valdosta this week called the Vintage Dragonfly on N. Patterson St. offering antiques and gift items.

The mall is moving along well, so PetsMart may see its April grand opening day yet. No word on the other stores besides the four they’ve already made official, but I’m holding out hope for word soon. No official word yet on Kohls either, but those corporate types apparently don’t know how to keep a secret, so look for work to start in March on their location by Home Depot. If a store breaks ground in the first quarter of the year, there’s an excellent chance they’ll be open by the holiday shopping season.

That’s it for this week, but please share your news if I’ve missed anything.