The Sober Grad party hosted at Escalon High School included not only the EHS seniors but this year was also opened up to those seniors graduating from Gateway Charter Academy and Vista High.

Organizers reported checking in 106 students for the all-night event, with doors opening at 9:30 p.m. and the last arrivals coming in around 11 p.m., when the doors were closed. Students then couldn’t leave until the event was over, unless they were picked up by a parent.

Once inside, students had the opportunity to put in their tickets for the grand prize, a number of other prizes, pull some money from the ‘mystery prize’ box and enter a free drawing for a new pair of Western-style boots.

Then it was inside the cafeteria at the EHS campus, where a cartoonist was featured, casino table games were offered, students could get Henna tattoos, take part in a Paint Nite to create their own individual Cougar Paw painting or enjoy the 360-photo booth, among other activities.

“I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest,” said graduate Raegan Goff, stopping by the Henna tattoo booth to get her temporary art applied by volunteer Sonya Huff. “There’s a lot to do, it’s fun.”

Outside, in between the cafeteria and the new gym, there was food and drinks available, from spring rolls to pizza, donuts to cookies, water, soda, hot chocolate and coffee, along with freshly made tacos prepared by Renee Snow of Tacos de Nieve.

There was also music for dancing, tables for dining and, on the tennis courts, a huge inflatable obstacle course, laser tag and a cornhole tournament.

Friends Grace Ferreira, Pietro Orlando, Preston Ball and Joslyn Mangnuson were visiting and eating at one of the tables, agreeing that spending their graduation night together with their friends, having fun, was a memorable way to close out their senior year.

All activities closed down shortly after 1 a.m. to get students inside the gym for the hypnotist show, which proved to be a crowd favorite as many hypnotized seniors performed for their peers. They were put through the paces by hypnotist Bill Anapoell and did such activities as portraying themselves sunbathing, eating a melting ice cream cone, playing a musical instrument at an audition and more.

Following the show, tickets were drawn for the wide variety of prizes collected for the event.