KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Prom season has returned to Knoxville, and an event had high school students stepping out onto the red carpet to show off their outfits on Friday.
The annual "Pre-Prom Stop" in East Knoxville brings together students from different schools and gives them a chance to show off the work they put into preparing for prom. And this year, Yvette Rice's Pre-Prom Stop reached new heights.
"This is prom, baby. This is prom 2024," said Rice. "We need this in this community. Everybody thinks the east side is this and that, but this side is all about love."
The event gives students from Austin-East High School, Fulton High School and West High School a chance to show off the work they put into preparing for prom — giving them the red-carpet experience.
"Really, I just wanted to do something outside of the box. Nobody does it, like, nobody does this — not that I've seen. So, I wanted to do something special," said Leonard Weaver, Valedictorian at Austin-East High School.
Many of the outfits students showed off on Friday stem from years of tradition, all focused on bringing the community together.
"It's the only way to do it," said Laila Foster, a senior at Austin-East High School.
"This is the only way to do it. I mean, for as long as I've known, this is how we do it. This is how you have to do it, you can't go out without a bang. This is our big bang of the year. This is how we have to do it," said Weaver.
Many of the students at Friday's pre-prom event said they enjoyed the positive attention.
"We need to be highlighted for the things that we're doing. Even if it is for the outfits we put on, cause nobody does it like us. We're special, we're unique, and people need to see that. The world needs to see that," said Weaver.
Many also said the spirit of prom was on full display, on the red carpet — spreading happiness and joy for everyone involved.
"That's really what prom is about — making everybody's dreams come true. And, people get to come in what they want people to see them in, and being able to see that and see their dreams come true, and them happy in that state — that's what I love to see," said Weaver.