Close Menu
    Entertainment

    Taylor Swift gives Arlington dancer special souvenir at closing AT&T Stadium show

    Updated:

    Jaylan Ford got the gift of a lifetime after supporters pitched in for his floor ticket to Swift’s ‘Eras Tour.’

    Jaylan Ford, a Taylor Swift super fan from Arlington, was gifted a signed "22" hat by Swift...Jaylan Ford, a Taylor Swift super fan from Arlington, was gifted a signed “22” hat by Swift at Sunday’s “Eras Tour” show at AT&T Stadium.(Isabella Volmert)

    Once again, Taylor Swift gifted a lucky fan a signed “22″ hat at her “Eras Tour” concert as tens of thousands of Swifties looked on.

    Swift bestowed her hat Sunday to Jaylan Ford, an Arlington dancer who boasts a local following for his regular performances on South Cooper Street. On Saturday, Swift gave a hat to Grand Prairie native Selena Gomez’s little sister, Gracie.

    Swift knelt at the edge of the stage and handed the hat to Ford, who jumped up and down in front of a crowd of 70,645.

    Known online as Jaylan Jamming Arlington, Ford has gained recognition over the years for his moves near the Parks Mall at Arlington, a welcome sight for commuters.

    In thanks, fans paid for his roughly $1,500 floor seat through a GoFundMe launched in January. Swift is his favorite artist, he told The Dallas Morning News.

    The big moment came when security guards approached Ford ahead of Swift’s transition into her Red tracks.

    “I’m never going to forget this moment,” Ford said after the show. Fans approached him to...

    “I’m never going to forget this moment,” Ford said after the show. Fans approached him to snap pictures with the hat, complete with Swift’s signature under the brim.(Isabella Volmert)

    He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, he said, but before he knew it, he was in front of Swift as “22″ blared and she took off her hat, placing it in his hands.

    “I’m never taking this off,” Ford said after the show. Fans approached him to snap pictures with the keepsake, complete with Swift’s autograph under the brim. Ford described the experience as the most memorable of his life.

    “I’m never going to forget this moment,” he said.

    The show, Swift’s seventh on the tour, closed out a weekend of celebration at AT&T Stadium. Swift became the first artist two play three nights in a row at the venue and set an attendance record of 210,607 in that span, according to stadium officials. Sunday’s concert drew the biggest crowd.

    Other fans rushed to get last minute pictures with their carefully chosen outfits. Some struggled to find the words to describe Swift’s three-hour nonstop performance.

    Cynthia Lee, 23, called it “mind-blowing,” and said, “On the whole ride home, we’ll definitely just be talking about the concert, reminiscing and be feeling sad that it’s over. But happy that we have been here.”

    Lee, a Dallas resident whose outfit included highlights of pink and blue from Swift’s Lover era, attended the concert with high school friends who visited from Arizona.

    Her friend Bethany Aloi, 25, had similar sentiments. “I think it was amazing how she was able to cover all of her different eras in one concert,” Aloi said, “and that she performed for three hours was just astonishing.”

    ‘T-Swift time, not tornado time’

    Thunderstorms and a tornado watch over most of North Texas failed to deter Swift fans from traveling crowded highways to reach Arlington for the last of her three shows.

    By about 5 p.m., Swifties milled outside the arena, taking group pictures and selfies of their concert outfits. Sequins, cowboy boots and glitter were favorite choices.

    Mallorie Day, 24, wore a handmade interpretation of Swift’s ringmaster costume from her “Red Tour” that also nodded to her album Lover. Her sister Karagan Walter, 26, sewed the outfit, along with her own.

    Walter wore a reversible cloak akin to Swift’s in her music video for “Willow.” On midnight blue fabric, she stitched constellations of a cat and the number 13, two pieces of Swift iconography.

    Walter and Day drove from Austin along with two others and attended a Swift-themed party at an Arlington bar. TVs broadcast area weather alerts as it rained outside, the group said. But they had few problems getting to the stadium, where Swift has been giving fans their money’s worth since Friday. The rain had stopped by the time they took pictures outside.

    “This is T-Swift time, not tornado time,” said Kelsie Schiavone, who wore a black sequin body suit and hood created by Walter, modeled after Swift’s “Reputation” tour costume.

    Day also wore a white top hat with an interior pocket to hold a handful of friendship bracelets made out of brightly colored beads. Fans, she said, have been swapping them at the concerts.

    “What I like about Taylor Swifts fandom is that there are so many little traditions that we have with each other,” she said. “We write 13 on our hands and all of these little things that connect the community. It’s really cool.”

    Swift walked out on stage just before 8 p.m., and the show was on.

    Gomez to Swift: ‘Proud to know you and love you forever and always’

    Saturday’s concert drew 70,246 including members of the Gomez family, who took in the performance from a VIP box, accompanied by security. Gomez, a longtime friend of Swift, wore a Folklore-themed outfit with her hair pulled back and a white, flowing dress and cardigan.

    Gracie wore a blue halter dress that gestured to Swift’s Speak Now era. From the stage, Swift gave her a signed “22″ hat while Gracie handed Swift what appeared to be a bracelet.

    Joining the Gomez family was Austin-born Ethan Hawke.

    Tommy Cummings contributed to this report.

    Src: dallasnews.com

    Keep Reading