Celebrating Graduation in Lincoln, NE

With the arrival of spring comes a lot of things – the reemergence of green in our landscapes, the beginning of wedding season, the final stretch before summer break…and last but not least, graduation ceremonies and celebrations! As such a major life accomplishment and milestone, many friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, and other loved ones gather to show their support and celebrate the graduate’s accomplishments. When thinking about these parties from the standpoint of whoever is put in charge making arrangements for the entertaining, there are several important bases to cover—the venue, food and drinks, and entertainment.

THE VENUE: Finding the Perfect Spot

Choosing where you’ll host your party depends on a lot of factors, but for graduation parties, you’ll commonly find the ideal venues to be local gathering places such as bars and restaurants or the ever-popular “backyard party” at someone’s home. Most of the time the venue is chosen based upon how many people will be in attendance, but for graduation parties when many guests will be coming and going throughout the event, it’s a little more flexible.

James Arthur Vineyards is a particularly wonderful destination for a graduation party (especially a college graduation so most attendees are of age) as guests can enjoy the natural beauty of the estate, as well as a host delicious JAV signature wines, and the facilities on-site offer a warm and relaxed atmosphere ideal for gatherings of all sizes. James Arthur Vineyards is the largest winery in Nebraska, and is located near Raymond about 10 miles from downtown Lincoln, which makes it a close enough trip for guests to be able to get out of the city and back in time for any other graduation parties that they might be attending that day. With several private party spaces complete with comfortable furnishings, rich décor and spectacular views, it’s sure to be an enjoyable event for all. James Arthur Vineyards can provide a personalized menu of food options, and works with clients to offer custom-catered meals paired with the extensive award-winning selection of fine wines. “Aside from a spread of hors d’oeuvres or a sit-down meal paired with our signature wines, a popular option for this type of event is to set up tasting stations,” advises James Ballard, owner of James Arthur Vineyards (www.jamesarthurvineyards.com) . “These tasting stations allow guests to travel from station to station where a wine has been paired with a specific appetizer. If you’re attending upcoming graduation parties and looking for the perfect gift, we have plenty of gift baskets available, we can customize one for you, and gift certificates are always a great option for a future tasting, special event, or just to enjoy a few hours at James Arthur Vineyards. We also offer personalized labels, which are a great special touch for graduation parties. Above all, you can’t beat spending time with family and friends over plenty of great food, wine and a healthy dose of fresh air in a picturesque setting that gets everyone away from it all to celebrate such a special occasion together.”

Another great venue for hosting graduation parties that are a bit more intimate, particularly for those who are celebrating graduation from advanced degree programs or graduate school, is the newest craft beer and cocktail bar that’s debuted in the Haymarket: Inglenook. This venue is a cozy, refined space with modern touches. Inglenook has a fantastic line-up of craft beer as well as a unique craft cocktail menu with recipes created in-house combining the perfect blend of fresh, homemade ingredients. Matt Taylor, owner of Inglenook (www.facebook.com/Inglenookcraftbeerbar), notes, “Our inspiration for the space was to make it feel like the study at your college professor’s house, so it’s the ideal place to gather and celebrate career-oriented accomplishments such as graduation. If you’re interested in booking a party this spring, feel free to contact me at (402) 202-7664 or Diana Gutsche at (402) 450-1442.”

THE FARE: Catering for the Party

Next up on the list after deciding on the venue and securing your date is to make all the other arrangements for hosting your guests. Aside from entertainment, which we’ll touch on next, the first things to consider are the food and the drinks to be served. Greta’s Gourmet, well known for quality catering in the Lincoln area, can definitely help you with the arrangements to feed your guests. Offering many options from delicious dips and hors d’oeuvres to more unique specialties like a hog roast, and everything in between, Greta’s Gourmet excels at creating a unique menu that your guests are sure to love. New to the Lincoln market but a well-established, highly experienced and talented catering company in the Omaha Metro, Attitude on Food Catering is another fantastic resource to consider for your party fare – and it’s always fun to try out something brand new to our area!

As with booking your venue and everything else party-related, you’ll definitely want plan as far in advance as possible for your party fare. Be prepared by having a budget in mind, an estimated guest count, and whatever ideas you would like to bring to the table such as the theme you have in mind. Again, the more time you give yourself to prepare the more stress-free your planning will be. However, as catering companies are experienced in putting an amazing spread together, you can oftentimes figure something out on short notice as long as the company has the availability to accommodate your requests – but if at all possible it’s wise not to chance it!

THE ENTERTAINMENT: Get Creative!

There are several popular ways to entertain guests at graduation parties, from live music to yard games being at the top of the list. Particularly with this type of event, the more creative the entertainment the more fun everyone will have! There are so many graduation parties going on that it can be easy just to jump from one to the other, with the same thing going on at all of them, so doing something different will also allow your celebration to stand out as the most memorable for those in attendance.

Group Therapy Bike Tours offers the perfect opportunity to bring everyone together in a fun group setting for just about any type of celebration you can think of, graduation parties included. With the addition of a smaller bike that can serve groups of 6 or less, Group Therapy Bike Tours is ready to help you celebrate in style and have an unforgettable time! They are able to bring either the large or smaller bikes to your venue and provide rides for guests, or you could opt to schedule a tour depending on the size of your group and itinerary.

All things considered, the goal of a successful graduation party is to enjoy the company of friends and family who are wishing you well in your next chapter. Katie Philippi, owner of Group Therapy Bike Tours (www.grouptherapybiketours.com) , points out, “It is obvious to see how much fun everyone has on Group Therapy Bike Tours – in being outdoors, staying active and having fun together with friends and family, you’ll make memories that all will enjoy. Your party will be unforgettable and talked about time and time again!” She adds, “Group Therapy Bike Tours can be as flexible as needed. Plan a standard 2-hour ride in the Haymarket or contact us to discuss any specific accommodations.  Our large bike can comfortably seat 15 adults and our new smaller Conference Bike is perfect for smaller groups of 6 or less.”

For the party planners out there, it’s also important to note that with the recent legislation, Group Therapy Bike Tours now has a Nebraska liquor license. This allows for BYOB gatherings, enjoying adult beverages while on the tours, which is especially nice for college graduation celebrations. Also, as there is generally a diverse group in attendance from children to grandparents, it’s important that the entertainment is geared towards all ages. Group Therapy Bike Tours are great fun for all guests; there is no age restriction, those that are pedaling simply have to be tall enough for their feet to reach the pedals. If not, on the larger bike they can ride along on the bench seat which does not require any pedaling at all. This way, no one misses out on the fun!

So this year for graduation parties, no matter how big the event, you’ll want to be a celebration to remember. Ensuring that guests are able to enjoy great food and refreshing drinks along with some sort of entertainment is the foundation to all of the fun times and memory making that is sure to ensue. As with throwing any fantastic party, make sure to utilize your local resources so the only thing you’ll have to worry about is being a great host and spending time with your guests! Finally, we extend our congratulations to all of the 2016 graduates and wish you the best in whatever the future holds!