MIDDLEBORO — Sometimes you have to be well past traditional prom age to appreciate how special the event really is.

Ask Mac Sprague, who attended the adult prom Friday Jan. 26 at the Alley Theatre. Attendees ranged in age from their 20s to their 70s, said Lorna Brunelle, owner and artistic director of the Burt Wood School Performing Arts, which hosted the dance. 

Much of the familiar features of traditional proms were on hand: Lively music, happy dancers, food and drink and even a king and queen, who were crowned by luck of a ticket draw rather than by popularity.

But the perspective can be different once high school years have faded into the day to day routines of adulthood, Sprague said. With age comes the realization, he noted, that spending fun time with friends takes on more significance.

“What you cherish and like changes,’’ Sprague said. “You appreciate things more deeply,’’ including an opportunity to spend time with people who matter. 

Not that he put the high school vibe completely behind him. He was wearing orange sneakers in honor of the color of his alma mater, Middleboro High School, and brought along his letterman jacket.

Having fun is the goal of the adult prom, Brunelle said. A chance to get out and celebrate holds special appeal during the “drab, cold, empty’’ month of January, she said, when some people battle the post-holiday blues.

“They’re really excited to have something to do,’’ she said.

Some promgoers decked out in gowns and tuxedos and at least one group rented a party bus. “It’s just a fun night out,’’ she said.

This fun night also serves a serious purpose: providing scholarships for students to attend the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts, which features  classes in a variety of performance specialties, including voice, instrument and theater. 

The school is dedicated to offering arts experiences to all students. But “arts programming can be expensive,’’ she said, especially when students also participate in other activities.

Nearly 40 percent of students at the school attend on full scholarships, she said. “We’re really proud of that’’ ability to provide opportunities, regardless of a student’s financial situation.

But that takes effort, Brunelle noted, “so we’re always fund-raising.’’

The school hosted a prom in the spring, which took place outdoors on the patio. That was also a hit, Brunelle said.

“She runs awesome events,’’ said Joanne Nickerson, who appreciates the opportunity to “meet up with people you haven’t seen in awhile.”

With a smile, she added, “I like dressing up and getting out on the dance floor with my friends.’’