What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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MAY 14-20, 2023 WHAT'S UP! 27 • Host an Open House Party. An open house party enables guests to arrive and depart freely according to their schedules so graduates can hop from one party to the next. This occurs over a long period of time (four to five hours is a good window) and the party does not follow any strict schedule. An open house party requires having food and beverages available at all times, so it's important to have an array of options that can be served room temperature or kept safe over ice or heat. Chips and dips, sliced vegetables, and small sandwiches are good options. Crocks and chafing dishes can be used to keep foods warm. • Stay Flexible. Be open to new ideas. If preferred venues and vendors aren't available during peak graduation season or if scheduling conflicts are making it hard to pick a date, remain flexible and open to new ideas. Think about scheduling a graduation party in mid-summer. This can serve as a sendoff to high school graduates about to leave for college or provide a great way for college grads to get back together with friends before the end of summer. Another option could be to finance a trip for grads and their friends to a nearby amusement park. Turn Up the Fun! Here are some great ways to make the party memorable: • Where and when? Start the festivities mid- to late-afternoon and, if weather permits, set up seating outdoors and fire up the grill or order from their favorite restaurant. • Consider hiring a DJ or having a karaoke machine available. • Set out the food buffet-style so guests can serve themselves, with drinks on a separate table or in coolers. If you have room, place bowls of easy snacks like nuts, popcorn, or chips and dip on small tables throughout the party. • Show your school spirit! Decorate with the graduate's school colors — balloons, streamers, pom-poms — and make sure that framed diploma is out for all to see. • "Most likely to …" Make a bunch of name tags and let guests fill in the end of the sentence. • Everyone wants to know: "What are you going to do now that you've graduated?" Why not take some pressure off the recent college grad and turn the tables? Ask each guest to write what they did the year after they graduated on a large piece of poster board, guestbook or scrapbook. • Smartphones have given people their own portable photo booths. Set up a backdrop and provide props. Make a sign asking guests to hashtag and share their photos. Preserve those memories for a lifetime. • The warm weather of spring makes a sundae station a great addition to any graduation party. Hosts can create a homemade sundae station by supplying the ice cream, toppings, whipped cream and, of course, cherries. • Consider a nonalcoholic open bar for guests. Even if the party will feature a mix of students, friends and adult family, it may be safer to avoid serving alcohol. This way you do not run the risk of an underage guest sneaking an alcoholic beverage. Open bars need not serve alcoholic drinks. A smoothie bar can be a great alternative, or you might serve specialty "mocktails." Questions about this or other dining features? Contact Karen Rice at 479-571-6474 or krice@NWADG.com