For Dr. Jason Rich, Friday night’s Daddy’s Little Sweetheart Dance at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion was a little bittersweet.
“It’s our last one,” he said, with his 14-year-old daughter Tessa by his side. The dance is for girls ages 3-14. “I’ve been with my oldest daughter, who is a junior in college. This is my 18th one of these in a row and the last one. This is Tessa’s 12th.”
Tessa said it was a tradition.

    Nathan Rhoades and his daughter Raeann pose for a picture at Friday night’s Daddy’s Little Sweetheart Dance, sponsored by the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union
  

“Me and my sisters have been coming our whole lives really, so now it’s just something I look forward to every year,” she said.
Jason said it was a time for them to just get out of the house, “just Dad and little girls and just have some daddy-daughter time, which never happens at home.”
Tessa said she was probably the better dancer. “Dad, normally, does not encourage us to go out there because he is ‘a bad dancer,’” she said.
“I can chicken dance and that’s where it ends,” he stated. “I can slow dance. You just stand there. It’s pretty easy.”
Jason said the dance was just a chance to get all dressed up like they were going to a formal and have fun. Afterwards, they always end up at Mad Anthony’s for dinner.
“We look so good, we can’t just go home,” he said, generating a laugh from Tessa.
The two nights of Daddy’s Little Sweetheart Dance are sponsored and hosted by the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department.
Dusty Wiggs, a longtime employee of the Parks Department, brought his two youngest daughters to the dance Friday night. It was the second consecutive year he took them.
“They absolutely love it, and the Parks Department does an incredible job putting it on,” he said, noting that the girls have a lot of fun.
Warsaw Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer said the Daddy’s Little Sweetheart Dance has been going on for more than 18 years.
“I think it’s really important for dads to have special time with their daughters, or grandfathers with their granddaughters. Those were always special times in my life, spending time with my dad. We just try to make it as magical as possible, and as you can see tonight, it looks really pretty in here, and they’re all having a great time. Just making memories together is important,” she said.

    Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Recreation Director Stephanie Schaefer (L) hands out some “Beauty & The Beast”-themed cupcakes to Dusty Wiggs’ daughters Friday. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union
  

The theme for the two nights of the dance this year is “Be Our Guest,” from Disney’s “Beauty & The Beast.” The theme was set last year because Schaefer likes Disney and she thought it would make for a great night.
Derek Tenney served as DJ for the event. There was a photo booth and decorative cupcakes were served at around 7 p.m. Friday.
Each of the girls received a golden “swag” bag. In them were a rose necklace, a little compact mirror shaped like a rose, a rose barrette and rose Hershey kisses.
“When you come up with a theme, it’s really fun putting it all together, and just coming up with different things that go along with that theme. And I think these are pretty special,” Schaefer said.
Tickets for the event were $20, but funding for it all came out of Schaefer’s budget.
“The demand seems to be very big for this night,” she said.
A mother and son dance is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. May 2, with the same theme of “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty & The Beast.” The dance will be similar to the Sweetheart Dance, but the sons will receive a swag bag with items geared toward them.
The mother and son dance in 2024 was filled up with 100 participants. There were 300 tickets available for the daddy-daughter dance.
“It’s just really popular,” Schaefer said. “I just hope they look at our Facebook page. They look at pictures that are posted just to see how magical of a night it really is.”