News Release

The Friends of Fort Vancouver's Sweetheart Dance on March 16 Recreates 1940s-era Dances

The annual Sweetheart Dance offers an opportunity to dance the night away - 1940s-style!

NPS Photo

News Release Date: January 30, 2019

Contact: Mary Rose, Executive Director, Friends of Fort Vancouver, [phone]

Originally scheduled for February 9, due to weather forecasts predicting snow and ice, the Sweetheart Dance has been rescheduled to March 16, 2019. Learn more and purchase tickets here.

In the style of a World War II-era dance, the annual Sweetheart Dance on March 16, 2019, is a grand fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of Fort Vancouver, a local nonprofit organization that supports the educational mission of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Proceeds from this event contribute to educational outreach programs offered year-round at the national park.

The dance features "big band" music played live by the VanPort Jazz Band, providing the perfect atmosphere for dancing, socializing, and fun! Many attendees enjoy wearing vintage 1940s styles, or vintage US military uniforms. The event also features a no-host bar.

In addition to serving as a fundraiser for the Friends of Fort Vancouver, this event evokes the World War II history of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. During the war, soldiers passed through Vancouver Barracks on their way overseas, thousands of workers constructed aircraft carriers and Liberty ships at the Kaiser Shipyards, and the city's population boomed. Learn more about Vancouver Barracks during World War II here.

Tickets for this event sell out quickly. Tickets can be purchased online at friendsfortvancouver.org, or at the Friends of Fort Vancouver's bookstore, located inside the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center.

What: The annual Sweetheart Dance, hosted by the Friends of Fort Vancouver

Where: The Historic Hangar at Pearson Air Museum, 1115 East Fifth Street, Vancouver, WA 98661

When: March 16, 2019, 7 pm to 10 pm

Cost: $30 per person. Purchase tickets here.