It's that time of year again . . .

If you think football games, soccer matches, and lacrosse tournaments are exciting at M&T Bank Stadium, you should be here on Prom Night.

It was a little hard for me to get my head around this concept.  (Admittedly, I am of the era when prom meant crepe paper streamers in the high school gym.)  Though things have evolved a bit, I still wasn't prepared for the popularity of our stadium for one of the biggest nights of high school life.

(Do you think they coordinated these ensembles around the decor?  Was Nike involved?)

This month there will be 16 proms held in M&T Bank Stadium.  Since there are only four weekends in May, you might wonder how that's possible.

Well, this weekend there is one on Friday night and three on Saturday.  That's right -- three high school proms staged at one time, in one place.  Next weekend, there are two on Friday and three more on Saturday. 

Drive down Russell Street either night and watch the convoy of stretch limos snaking through the lots.  Sometimes there are even spotlights criss-crossing the sky. All they need is Joan Rivers doing fashion commentary and you'd swear it was the Academy Awards.

So getting back to the appeal of a football stadium for the Big Event.  One of them has to be pictures like these.

Another has to be the appeal of the behind-the-scenes look at a City icon.  Yes, these are in the locker room.  Yes, everyone wants to stand in Ray Lewis' locker.

But a big part has to be the beauty of the setting.  The proms are held on the Club level, beautifully decorated and dramatically lit for the many functions held there.

Oriole Park also hosts proms, but not nearly as many because the two seasons conflict, and outside events can't be held during home stands.  (Would make an interesting theme, though.)  Like M&T, Oriole Park boasts a beautiful club level with spectacular views of Baltimore.

So while these proms don't feature an Eiffel Tower made of aluminum cans (no kidding, it really was) for a centerpiece, they certainly capture the flavor of a night on the town in a very unique way. 

The staff at MSA is proud to help make that night a lifetime memory.