Viewfinder: Prom in the Park

A beloved tradition played out Thursday evening as in Huntington Woods filled with young ladies wearing fancy dresses, their dates in coordinating tuxes and emotional parents snapping photos.

Party buses ringed the grassy gathering place during the event, dubbed Prom in the Park, before teens headed to the big dance at the Atheneum Suite Hotel in Detroit. Easily hundreds of people turned out to take pictures and show off their finery, amid squeals and excited hugs.

Short, sequined dresses and long gowns with tropical patterns were quite popular. There was also a sizeable contingent of girls wearing hot pink and purplish-blue frocks. Most of the young men stuck with traditional black tuxedos, but some jazzed it up and chose white versions with accents to match their dates' dresses.

Oakland County Commissioner Helaine Zack of Huntington Woods, who came out to snap photos of a family friend, said the tradition started years ago with resident Arlene Selik.

When her oldest son, who's now in his 30s was getting ready for prom, Selik would put food out and have his friends over for photos in the park, Zack said. Each year, more and more people came until eventually Prom in the Park became an annual tradition, she said.

If you'd like to share your prom photos, e-mail them to Leslie.Ellis@patch.com and we'll add them to the gallery!