Ask any dad who has stood behind a wiggly five-year-old with a brush in one hand and a hair tie in his teeth: some skills nobody teaches you. On Friday, February 19, the Daddy Daughter Doll-Up gives Northern Colorado dads one evening to learn them, with real stylists, makeup artists and nail techs right beside them. Then dads and daughters walk the runway together.
How it started
In 2018, a car accident left Sarah Johnson with a long recovery and her husband, Andrew Johnson, suddenly in charge of the family’s routines. That included getting their daughter, Dahlia, ready for dance class.
“I walked into dance class with no idea how to put her hair in a bun. I had to ask another mom for help,” says Johnson, who owns Business Networking Done Right in Loveland. “I figured I wasn’t the only dad in that spot. So we built a night where dads learn what I had to learn, and moms get the night off.”
The first Doll-Up was in 2019. It came back in 2025 and 2026, and for its third year it moves to a bigger home: The Arabella in Johnstown. Sarah is mostly recovered. Dahlia still checks his work.
What happens on the night
Dads and daughters move through hands-on stations at their own pace: ponytails and buns, braids, makeup, nails, hair tinsel, crafts and balloon twisting, with a photo booth after every stop. Then the tables turn at the Daughter Revenge Station, where the brush goes in her hands and Dad becomes the canvas. The evening wraps with a runway walk at 7:45, when every pair shows off their work to the room, and prizes are drawn at 7:55.
She walks out feeling loved and pampered by her dad. He walks out with a new skill, a photo strip for the fridge and a memory she’ll bring up for years.
A head start for dads
Can’t wait until February? Three basics to practice at home:
A ponytail without tears. Spray in detangler, then brush from the ends up toward the scalp a few inches at a time. Gather the hair where you want the ponytail, smooth the bumps with the brush, and use a fabric-covered elastic instead of a rubber band.
The recital bun. Start with a tight, high ponytail. Twist it, wrap it around its base, and slide bobby pins in toward the center of the bun rather than straight down. A bun net and a little hairspray hold it through the final bow.
A three-strand braid. Split the hair into three equal sections. Cross the right section over the middle, then the left over the new middle, and repeat with a gentle, even pull. Tie it off at the end. Go slow. She won’t mind.
Where the money goes
All ticket sales and raffle donations go to ChildSafe Colorado, a nonprofit with offices in Fort Collins and Loveland that provides specialized treatment to help children and families heal from abuse and neglect. Business Networking Done Right and the event’s sponsors cover the costs of the night, so families’ donations go to that work in full.
If you go
When: Friday, February 19, 2027, 6 to 8 PM
Where: The Arabella, 4520 Venture Drive, Suite 100, Johnstown (I-25 and Highway 34, next to Scheels)
Tickets: a suggested donation of $20 per daughter; dads are free, and nobody is turned away. Every couple gets a raffle ticket, plus one more for every $10 donated.
Details and tickets: businessnetworkingdoneright.com/doll-up
Giving it as a gift? The event page has a printable “You’re my date” card to tuck in her stocking.
Sponsors and stylists: businesses that would like to sponsor or host a station can reach Andrew Johnson at andrew@bn-dr.com.