For a moment last Saturday night, BART ran back in time.
BART’s first-ever prom, themed after the 1980s, drew hundreds of denim, neon and silver-pleather-decked transit fans to Rockridge BART station in Oakland. Promgoers filled out a checkered dance floor, bought BART merch, and meandered around on BART-blue carpet. The total ticket sales for the event, which sold out within minutes, hit 1,200.
Ajith Araiza-Singh | Staff
Celia Clark | Staff
Celia Clark | Staff
An AC Transit bus strolled through the crowd, and Luigi, donning his iconic cap, hit the dance floor. One man was dressed as Poseidon, sporting ripped jean shorts and a fanny pack, “a night to remember.”
Rockridge station lies within the BART section internally known as the C line, which inspired the second theme of the night, under the sea.
Jaymee Rayford, a senior marketing representative at BART, decided at the last minute to bring her 5-year-old daughter, Seniyah, to the event after seeing the other families there. When asked how long she plans to stay at the event, Seniyah said until her bedtime.
“You can kind of tell all the effort that everyone put in, and I’m just really proud and really happy that I can come back, and my daughter gets to enjoy it,” Rayford said.
Celia Clark | Staff
Recent high school graduates Lucia Harper and Jasmine Orozco both asserted it was better than their own senior prom.
“The DJ is better … The food is better, better vibes from people, people are actually dancing,” Orozco said.
Celia Clark | Staff
People went all-in for the event.
“I was worried people were gonna not step out, but I’ve been seeing some really cool outfits,” said Rosie Bultman, a multimedia journalist at KALW. “I think it’s like showing the quirky side of the Bay Area that we all know and love.”
Celia Clark | Staff
The prom was kicked off with the crowning of the BART Prom court, where Mermaid-themed couple Wendy Reyes and Porfirio Rangel stole the show, walking away with the coveted BART crown.
Prom guests came from far and wide. Cameron Phillips, a self-described “big transit nerd,” traveled from San Jose to attend. Yoo-Yoo Yeh from Union City said she was the only public transit nerd in her friend group and came to find more.
“I wanted to find my people, and this is definitely my people,” Yeh said.
Luca Vicisano | Staff
“People turned up,” said Jay Sathe, a graphic designer at BART, who was outfitted in his dad’s old tuxedo serving punch. “I think it’s hard to find a place with a better vibe in the Bay.”
Celia Clark | Staff
BART chief communications officer Alicia Trost praised the event, describing it as a way to bring revenue to this system and rebuild trust with the public.
“We want families to come back to our stations and see how clean and safe they are,” Trost said. “A lot of people have ideas and misconceptions about what transit looks like.”
BART Prom comes at a time when the financial future of its host is uncertain. The November ballot will feature a measure to fund BART, and failure to pass it could lead BART to close 15 stations and lay off 31% of its staff.
After the initial batch of a thousand tickets sold out quickly, event staff Sathe said organizers had to go to the fire marshal to find ways to increase capacity, allowing 200 more tickets to be sold.
“I love that it’s like all ages, there’s everyone, all kinds of people pulled up,” Harper said. “I feel like that’s kind of representative of the Bay Area, for real.”
Jackson Woodward contributed to this report.
Celia Clark | Staff
Celia Clark | Staff
Celia Clark | Staff
Celia Clark | Staff