Dinner, dancing, a dance contest and a costume contest provided a pleasant evening of entertainment for all who 
participated. The Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force hosted “A night in the 40’s Big Band Dance” last night in the Arizona Wing Hanger Museum at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona.
The open hanger and mild temps are perfect for the evening of fun. The B-17 Sentimental Journey among other WWII aircraft and memorabilia provided the backdrop for this nostalgic event. I must admit that I was not here in the 1940’s (close though) but a celebration of the sacrifices of the military and a reflection of era is a tribute to the men and women who preserved the way for us today.
The US Marines opened the event by proudly presented the flag for the National Anthem.
Early entertainment provided musical melodies including Ballroom, Latin, Swing, and Country from the war years performed by the Kathy Donald Jazz Ensemble. Brownies and coffee for dessert topped of a great dinner provided by Taylor Rays.
The costumes were amazing and some of the military uniforms were actually donned by those who proudly wore them in the 40’s. The costume contest is always a fun spectacle as the variety and originality
are quite vast. From Rosie the Riveter and Carmen Miranda to the ‘All American Family’ & a variety of armed forces uniforms - all who participated were dressed to reflect the era. The ‘All American Family’ won this year. Not everyone who dressed in the flavor of the era joined in the contest. So, the friends we went with decided that next year we should also join in the fun and dress for the occasion…..we have a year to figure out what or who we want to be and then search for just the right clothes! Photos to follow next year :-)
The Sun Lakes Big Band performed a wide selection of Big Band Music from the war years including Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller among others. It was fun to dance and equally as much fun to watch the dancers. Our group concluded we may want to look in to group dance lessons so that we felt more comfortable dancing to some of the swing music. That should to be fun! 
There were 2 dance contests. One for those 15-40 and the second for those 41 and older. It is amazing how talented both groups were! Even with our dance lessons, I don’t think we could compete with these couples. We will be quite content to sit and watch the contests again next year.
It may take a while for some of those catchy tunes to leave my brain! “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”, "I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time", “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree”….
Watch for the dates of this annual event next year!
Arizona is a great place to live and play!
See more photo on our flicker account http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyandclaudia-scott/
