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Young girls sit patiently at pub tables as their dads learn to brush, detangle and style their hair while taking the occasional sip of beer.
Brian Kong’s daughter Lydia says her dad is doing “fine.”
“He’s working his way up, but I think he’ll do fine in the end.”
Kong is one of 30 fathers at a Pints and Ponytails event at the Hub on Martin pub in Penticton, B.C., where dads were given lessons on basic hairstyles for their daughters.
Thirty father-daughter duos attended a sold-out event in Penticton where dads learned how to do their little girls’ hair. (Dale Boyd/CBC)
It all came to be when pub co-owner Kori Iceton was alerted to a viral video out of the U.K.
Classes like this aren’t new; CBC stories dating back a decade show communities across the country have embraced hair workshops for dads.
But, they’ve recently gained in popularity after the hosts of The Secret Life of Dads podcast, Lawrence Price and Mathew Lewis-Carter, started running their own events in the U.K. Videos from their events have gone viral, including a post on Instagram with 21 million views.
Someone on social media suggested Penticton could use an event like that, so, Iceton obliged.
She asked her cousin Carley Johnstone, a hairdresser in Oliver, to come out and teach the group.
“We love catering to our community,” Iceton said.
For some attendees, it’s simply a night out to spend quality time together. For others, it’s about dads wanting to take on some of the work, often done by mothers, of helping their daughters get ready for school or prepare for a dance recital.
Johnstone’s goal was to teach the basics: buns, ponytails and simple braids.
Carley Johnstone, a hairstylist from Oliver, B.C., showed dads how to do buns, braids and ponytails. (Kori Iceton)
Nathan Philips ended up at the Hub with his five-year-old daughter Harper at his wife’s suggestion.
“The wife thought it was a good idea for me to get some practice,” he said.
Kai Holmstrom decided to go after seeing the event advertised on social media.
“It seemed like a good event to try and come learn how to do hair,” Holmstrom said as his five-year-old daughter Stevie sipped a Shirley Temple. “I got two daughters, so it’s definitely something I need to learn.”
WATCH | Ottawa dads attend ‘Braids and Beers’ event:
These Ottawa dads get a lesson on how to style their daughters’ hair
When it comes to styling their daughters’ hair, many dads aren’t sure where to start. Recently, some of them gathered at Thr33’s Co. Snack Bar in the Glebe for Ottawa’s first ever “Braids and Beers” event where they got some pro tips while they sipped.
No matter the reason these families showed up, Iceton said it was important for her to host an event that gave dads and daughters the chance to make memories.
“We know there’s tons of different families out there in different roles and everything’s fluid nowadays,” Iceton said. “Sometimes the dads are working hard and don’t get to spend that quality time with the kids as often. Just creating those memories … it’s just important.”
LISTEN | Pints and Ponytails in Penticton:
Daybreak South6:35Pints and ponytails brings dads, drinks and hair tips together in Penticton
The CBC’s Dale Boyd went to share some shears and beers with local dads. Pints and Ponytails promotes dad-daughter bonding and teaching dad’s how to do their daughter’s hair.