FAIRLESS HILLS, Pa. — They arrived on pirate ships, on a sled pulled by polar bears and in the shadow of a giant peach. They debarked on the red carpet in tuxedos and sequined dresses as the crowd clapped and cheered.

At the Pennsbury High School prom, getting there is half the fun. The other half begins once the Philadelphia-area students enter a school elaborately transformed by dozens of handmade murals and movielike props.

The recession has led some districts to downscale their formal dances from fancy ballrooms to school gyms.

But not at Pennsbury. For years, including last Saturday's dance, the school has proudly held its homemade prom on campus instead of at a cookie-cutter catering hall. Students build floats for a pre-prom parade that attracts more than a thousand spectators.