I've played Stardew Valley for quite some time now. I honestly love all the festivals and their unique traits, my favorite being the Stardew Valley fair. However, one festival I've never really liked, that being the Flower Dance. This may make me sound like an ass but I don't like the Flower Dance mainly because I don't seem to get anything out of it. With other festivals you at least get something. Also, small spoilers for anyone reading if you didn't do all the festivals yet. The egg festival you get the straw hat if you win, personally my favorite hat in the game. The Luau you get friendship points with all villagers. The fair you get special points to buy rare items. The fishing contest you get very useful fishing supplies if you win, etc. The Flower Dance doesn't seem to offer anything that valuable, or it does and I simply haven't noticed it. Do you get a ton of friendship points with the person you dance with? Do you get friendship points with everyone for participating? I really don't know. And yes, I know the dance of the moonlight jellies doesn't have any prizes or contests either but I like it a heck of allot more than the Flower Dance. Plus I don't have to watch character's dance like they have a wedgie or a bug in their dress. Again, I love, love, love, love LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE, Stardew Valley to bits, just I wanted to voice my opinion about my least favorite festival.
You get a nice boost in friendship with your dance partner, yes-- 250 points, or the equivalent of one full heart.
I have never noticed that at all, even the times I have danced with someone I didn't notice any change in friendship levels.
Like most festive occasions, I go for the shopping. You can buy the flower barrel decoration and get the instructions to craft it yourself, as well as one of the collectible scarecrows (and also daffodils and dandelions if you're wanting to stock up). Aside from this, if your friendship levels with everyone are already maxed out, you can safely skip it. It's just fluff beyond that.
I wish your farmer wasn't so bad at dancing lol. And I want a pretty dress too, so I don't stick out like a sore thumb.
Personal satisfaction? Apparently you can decorate the alien rarecrow you get from the casino with hats.
Well, you can get Shane to enough hearts to dance with you fairly easily because Gus sells something he loves. I think you might be able to get other characters too, but they don't have the birthday boost that Shane does.
You can get Haley to dance with you, if you try hard and use her birthday. New players can meet all villagers there who they couldn't find on their own.
You can meet everyone at Easter Festival I don't see how Haley is possible in the first year since none of her favorite items are available. Unless you can get something from the Traveling Trader - which would be a waste of money.
If the travelling trader sells e.g. a sunflower before her birthday it is easy. Otherwise you have to gift her daffodils when you can and visit her each day and talk to her. When you get lucky and find a gold quality daffodil, you save it for her birthday. It's a little bit luck dependent but I believe that it is possible without it. Eight days talking to a person equals one normal quality loved gift. Haley is nearly everyday at the fountain next to the playground.
Speaking only for myself, the single value I've found in attending the first year Flower Dance is grouping so many NPCs in one place so you can get a slight heart boost out of conversation with each. That's all.
One benefit I enjoy is being able to buy the Tub 'o Flowers crafting recipe. Sure, they only look good for half the year, but for that half a year they are glorious!
On my main save, I danced with Haley at the flower dance and married her Summer 25 year 1. So it is possible.
