See Geneva's blue carpet royalty

Do you love those TV shows where the stars walk the red carpet into premieres, showing off their glamorous dresses?

Saturday afternoon you can ooh and aah at a local version, as Geneva High School conducts its annual pre-prom rally.

Four years ago, Geneva started requiring promgoers to ride to the party in coach buses, instead of driving themselves. School authorities decided to make an event of the departure.

The whole community is now invited to watch the prom king and queen being coronated at 4:30 p.m. in the Mack Olson Gym at the high school, 416 McKinley Ave.

Then at 5 p.m., the school rolls out a blue carpet (the school's color) for the trek to the buses.

"It's a pretty cool thing," said student activities director Terry Burns. "It seems to work out really well."

When proms were held locally, she would invite parents to peek in. Now that the students go to downtown Chicago (this year's prom is at Union Station), the rally gives folks a chance to see the youngsters all dressed up.

Burns, who chaperones the prom every year, said the teens look forward to the rally. And little kids like to see what they have to look forward to.

"It is a big part of the night," she said.