After prom is canceled, California teen finds a sweet way to still dress up for the occasion

Annette Barranco models her prom dress outside her grandparents' house.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Ligia Ruiz-Barranco)

Annette Barranco knew her grandparents were looking forward to seeing her all dressed for prom, so when the dance was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, she decided to turn their front lawn into a runway.

Barranco is a senior at Beaumont High School in Beaumont, California, and while she was sad when her prom and graduation were both scrapped, she said she understands it is for the greater good. She had already picked out a sparkly blue prom dress, and didn't want it to stay hidden in her closet, so she put it on, fixed her hair, and headed over to her grandparents' front lawn.

Barranco's grandmother was shocked when she looked out the window and saw her granddaughter walking outside, wearing her beautiful gown. Barranco modeled the dress as her enthralled grandparents watching safely from inside their living room. When her grandmother first saw Barranco, her eyes filled with tears, and "it was emotionally really nice to see her reaction," Barranco told ABC Los Angeles.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.