Parks & Rec safely holds Valentine's Day event

Social distancing makes event possible

Simpsonville, S.C. — With safety guidelines in place, the Simpsonville Parks & Recreation Department hosted Daddy Daughter Date Night on Friday.

About 50 fathers and daughters spent the evening eating and dancing at the Simpsonville Activity & Senior Center for the annual Valentine's Day event. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the maximum number of attendees was cut in half in 2021 from the usual 100.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at Daddy Daughter Date Night on Friday, fathers and their daughters were required to practice social distancing by maintaining at least 6 feet from other groups. However, the social distancing certainly did not stop them from having fun | City of Simpsonville

Special Events Coordinator Lisa Everidge said the safety precautions implemented by Parks & Rec staff ensured that a beloved event could continue despite the pandemic.

"Daddy Daughter Date Night is one of the more fun events for both the public and staff, so we wanted to figure out a way to safely make the event happen," Everidge said. "The event was both fun and safe because the dads and their daughters followed all guidelines, including social distancing. It was a little different this year, but those differences did not make Daddy Daughter Date Night any less fun. They all had a blast."

All groups of fathers and daughters were required throughout the event to social distance by maintaining a minimum of 6 feet from each other, such as sitting one group per table. To prevent fathers and daughters from having to stand close together in a line, Parks & Rec provided boxed dinners instead of a catered one.

Instead of seating several groups of fathers and daughters at a table for dinner during Daddy Daughter Date Night on Friday, Parks & Rec staff sat one group per table to allow for better social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the Valentine's Day event | City of Simpsonville

In a year without a pandemic, Parks & Rec would provide a catered dinner at Daddy Daughter Date Night. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the event on Friday, daughters and fathers received delicious boxed dinners so they did not have to stand close together in line | City of Simpsonville

Hand sanitizer was also available, and while wearing masks was not mandatory, masks were available, and mask wearing was highly encouraged. Additionally, the event was held in two gyms at the Activity Center instead of one with dinner in Woodside Gym and dancing in City Gym so the configurations of tables and chairs could be set up to allow for a seamless transition between dinner and dancing.

The tables at which single groups of fathers and their daughters were sat were spread apart to promote social distancing at Daddy Daughter Date Night on Friday | City of Simpsonville

To allow configurations of dance floor seats and dinner tables to promote social distancing at Daddy Daughter Date Night on Friday, fathers and their daughters danced in City Gym and ate dinner in Woodside Gym | City of Simpsonville

Community Relations Specialist Justin Campbell photographed the event.

"Daddy Daughter Date Night is my favorite event to photograph because of all the smiles that you see on the faces of both the fathers and daughters," Campbell said. "Simpsonville Parks & Recreation did a superb job of keeping the event fun while also keeping the attendees safe. The City of Simpsonville continues to strike the right balance between continuity of public services and protecting public health."

The Simpsonville Parks & Recreation Department will co-host with First Baptist Simpsonville Upstate Church THE GREAT EGGVENTURE: The Ultimate Egg Hunt on March 20 at Heritage Park at 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Visit fbsimpsonville.org for more information and updates.