The Presidents’ Ball will be returning this year after being canceled due to COVID-19 the past few years. This event is one of Grand Valley State University’s oldest traditions.

The ball will be held on Jan. 27 with “A Winter Wonderland: The Night Time Stands Still” as the theme. GVSU President Philomena Mantella will be in attendance.

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) is in charge of organizing this event and careful thought has gone into making it a memorable night. CAB Director Aisha Jones said there is always much to do in preparation for the Presidents’ Ball.

“Every year, there is a director who basically spearheads it from the student’s point of view, and that was my job,” Jones said. “I was picked as (director) through an interview process that happened at the end of last year.” 

Jones said choosing a theme was the first task she had to do. The next phase was to plan the performances, choose the decorations and finalize the time and date of the dance with DeVos Hall, the event’s designated location. 

There are two ticket options available, a dance ticket and a dance ticket that includes a dinner.

The cost of tickets have increased since the previous Presidents’ Ball. Jones said some of the reasons for this increase are the rising costs of catering and transportation.

Students are able to use their own transportation, but there will be buses running from the Kirkhof Center in Allendale to the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids as well.

Jones said she hopes students will enjoy their time and appreciate the effort that went into making a formal event like this possible.

“A lot of time and effort went into making sure that this is something students would enjoy and not just something that is thrown together,” Jones said. “You get to dress up and actually have fun.”

The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. The dance will end at 12 a.m.

Jones said students 21 and older will have access to a bar and there will be snack stands, candy stations and multiple spots to take professional photos throughout the venue.  

GVSU students, faculty and staff can purchase tickets online. After Jan. 20, the dinner and dance ticket price will increase to $45.

Ticket sales will close on Friday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m.