Graduation Parties in Lincoln – April 2022

Graduation day – one of the biggest moments of a student’s life. While graduation marks the end of one’s schooling, it’s also the beginning of the next chapter, whether that’s additional school, starting a new job, moving to a different city, or embarking on a new adventure. Friends and family gather to celebrate achievements and forthcomings for the guest of honor, so be sure that the day is made special with the help of these local businesses!

Knock the Party Out of the Park with Knockerballs

Make the graduation party especially memorable by bringing Nebraska Knockerball (nebraskaknockerball.com) to the celebration! A knockerball is a single chamber inflatable sphere with inner handles and adjustable shoulder straps. They can be used singularly to perfect your rolls, flips, and wheels, but when two or more Knockerballs come together, the experience is catapulted into rip-roaring laughter and exhilarating knocks and rolls that will keep you coming back for more. Owner of Nebraska Knockerball is Manuel Walker, who shared some more information on this enjoyable new offering.

“Knockerball packages begin at six, but we can go all the way up to 12 knockerballs to truly give your party crowd the best enjoyment and allow more to participate,” shared Manuel. “We can also bring more than the knockerballs to the party – we have several yard games, including Giant Jenga; Giant Connect Four; yard dice (called ‘Yardtzee’); cornhole; tug-of-war; human foosball; and foot darts, in which you kick Velcro soccer balls at a 12-foot-tall inflatable dart board. Lastly, while we are not a DJ service, we can provide two giant Bluetooth speakers to really amp up the party!”

Manuel knows how much is happening throughout the day when celebrating one’s graduation, so he wants you to rest assured that when you rent from Nebraska Knockerball, you will get to be a part of the party rather than be the one running it. He takes care of handling the knockerballs and yard games so that you can enjoy your time spent with guests.

“What makes us especially unique is that we are the only company providing these services in Nebraska,” Manuel said. “This is all new to the local market. We are so excited to be here and remind people what it’s like to have fun again – and what better time to do it than when celebrating the great achievements of your loved one?”

Downtown Venues

Keep the celebrations all in one space by planning your post-graduation party at the newly-renovated Courtyard by Marriott – Downtown Lincoln Haymarket (marriott.com/en-us/hotels/lnkcy-courtyard-lincoln-downtown-haymarket). Conveniently located close to both Pinnacle Bank Arena and Memorial Stadium, the locations for this year’s graduate and undergraduate ceremonies held by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Courtyard allows you to make the party planning easy by keeping guests all in one spot. Furthermore, their staff goes above and beyond to make sure you aren’t feeling overwhelmed with party preparation on you or your loved one’s big day, allowing all in attendance to focus solely on the celebration.

“We have full event staff at the hotel,” explained Melanie Maynard, director of sales. “You’ll have our event manager working you through the details of your party. He will provide you with answers and solutions to all of your questions or concerns. If our meeting room is available beforehand, we allow you to come early to set up at no additional charge. We had a graduation party last year, and they came a full day early to set up; they definitely made the space their own. And that’s what we want…we want you to feel at home when you’re with us.”

By the end of your event, Melanie says you will know all of the staff by name, as they remain present from the planning stage through the end when it’s time to pack things up. They stay with you every step of the way to ensure that you are truly able to take in the day.

“You only get to experience something like this once,” said Melanie. “Take the time to breathe it all in. Don’t be stressed about the way your pictures or the centerpiece look. We’ll take care of that for you. Take in all of the love from your friends and family coming to celebrate YOU!”

Another wonderful and convenient downtown location for graduation parties is the Talon Room (talonroom.com). In addition to the unique and gorgeous venue, Talon Room offers catering and bar service to make the party planning a breeze. They provide start-to-finish planning, and, if you are celebrating with other

graduates, they offer plenty of space to host a combined party. Talon Room’s staff works hard to ensure that your day is perfect so that all in attendance can relax and celebrate. Owner Matthew Rogge gave us a few things to keep in mind when planning a graduation party.

“When you are planning your celebration, approach it with an idea of how many guests you would like to invite and how much work you are anticipating putting in to plan it and set up,” explained Matthew. “Most families planning a graduation party realize after the party is over just how much work it takes to host it at their home. We provide the ease of allowing you to simply show up, have a good time, and leave without having the hassle of cleanup after. This way, you can truly focus on the graduate and celebrate their success.”

Talon Room will be offering special 2022 graduation party rates on select dates, so reach out to them today to get started on planning your big party!

Venues Outside of Downtown

Calvert Venue (calvertvenue.com) is a new location for graduates to host their graduation parties in 2022. Originally LoveLand Dance Hall, the venue is now under new ownership and has been remodeled to offer a brand new look for its guests.

“Graduation parties are a great fit at Calvert Venue,” shared Sam Kavan, who owns the venue alongside Jayson Becker and Marty Fortney. “There’s even room to have a joint graduation party with friends. Our elegantly designed space can hold up to 75 people, so it’s great for small- to mid-sized events.”

Not only is Calvert Venue gorgeous on the inside, but it’s in a fantastic location and is surrounded by a beautiful neighborhood, being located at 3601 Calvert St. When booking at Calvert Venue, tables and chairs are provided, and they are able to coordinate the rental of linens with notice.

“Graduation parties are really a time for the graduating student to greet everyone and chat with all the people who have come to wish them well,” said Sam. “Keep things like food and drinks simple, as people will be up and moving around as they interact with each other. We are happy to help you coordinate these plans through our partnership with the reputable Doorstep Diner Catering to make your role as event host even easier.”

Give your graduate something especially exciting to really mark their celebration as unique by booking your graduation party with Robber’s Cave (robberscavelincoln.com). Robber’s Cave not only has varying event spaces to accommodate your party size and needs, but they have Lincoln’s oldest tourist destination located below the venue, a historic Sandstone cave that can’t be found anywhere else in the region. When you book with Robber’s Cave, the venue comes with tables, chairs, setup, cleaning, and time to decorate before the big event.

“We want your seniors to feel like they are the center of attention that day,” said Justin Fuchs, venue manager. “To celebrate, you have to have food, and we partner with Yes Chef catering here in Lincoln. Their menu has a wide range of great options from appetizers to desserts. Want to have a theme? Yes Chef can accommodate their food selections to go along with it. All you need to do is show up and celebrate!”

Robber’s Cave has multiple areas available for Friday and Sunday graduation celebrations, which are broken down even further into morning, afternoon, and evening bookings so that you can have time to celebrate both your senior and their classmates at other times in the day. Robber’s Cave provides LCD displays to showcase a slideshow or video footage. They offer special areas to set up a photo booth, display jerseys, or set out pictures.

“Our indoor and outdoor spaces work hand-in-hand with each other,” said Justin. “Outside we have a large deck and theater space that can be used for yard activities or outside gathering. Guests can also take a tour of the historic, 5,600-square-feet of tunnels located beneath the venue, and learn about the history that dates back to 1864! Robber’s Cave also offers convenience with our great parking and central location.”

College graduates or others who are 21+ may enjoy hosting their graduation party at a venue with a bar – or they may even take it up a notch and throw their party at James Arthur Vineyards (jamesarthurvineyards.com) and enjoy the added bonus of the beautiful scenery. The vineyard’s St. Croix Room is a party room overlooking both the

St. Croix grapevines outside and the wine production area inside. The beautiful, sunny room features a stone fireplace, wine-tasting bar, catering kitchen, and French doors leading to a private deck.

“Guests are able to enjoy the natural beauty of the estate along with our award-winning signature wines, and our facilities on-site offer a warm and relaxed atmosphere ideal for gatherings of all sizes,” said Owner Jim Ballard. “For the party fare, you could opt for a spread of hors d’oeuvres or a sit-down meal, or alternatively, we can set up tasting
stations. This approach allows guests to travel from station to station where a wine has been paired with a specific appetizer. We also offer personalized wine bottle labels with the graduate’s photo or a custom design, which are a great special touch for graduation parties as well as the perfect keepsake item.”

Located about 10 miles north of downtown Lincoln in Raymond, James Arthur Vineyards is just a short trip away. Reach out to them today to get started on creating a truly beautiful graduation party!

Dress to Impress

Gary Michaels Clothiers (garymichaels.com) specializes in men’s tailored clothing. For a man concerned with looking his best, there is simply no better place to shop. With graduation being a big moment in a student’s life, we spoke to Owner Gary Novotny to learn more about why this is a great time to invest in a suit.

“The average retail price for a quality, all-wool suit that is tailored to perfection is between a $495-$795 value,” explained Gary. “Investing in a suit is wise because many young individuals typically will need a suit multiple times over several years – especially recent graduates who are off to college or are beginning the job interview process. Suit rental can be over $200 for a single wearing; it just makes sense to invest in a quality, tailored suit that will last you for many years.”

Gary recommends purchasing early, as the pandemic has created inventory challenges in certain sizes. However, they still have fresh items coming in daily, ranging across suits and sport coats. Trending colors as of late have been shades of blue and grey, and charcoal remains a strong choice both as a solid fabric or one with a slight pattern to it.

Party on Wheels!

For the 21+ graduates, consider renting a party bus from Tailored Dreams Limousines and Party Buses (tailoreddreamslimousines.com) to really go out with a bang and make it a night that everyone will be talking about all summer long. Tailored Dreams is Lincoln’s premier party bus company, known for their friendly drivers and for creating an experience tailored to your particular group. Just reserve your bus ahead of time, and then tell your chauffeur where you want to go when you arrive for your party, and they’ll get you there and back safely.

“Our fleet consists of six party buses,” shared Owner DeeDee Loomis. “The biggest bus can fit up to 45 people, so you can take along the whole gang to celebrate your graduation. Each bus has a Bluetooth sound system, loud speakers, heating and A/C, and fun LED lights. We are also the only party bus company in the area that has handicap accessible buses.”

Delicious Catering

For catering recommendations, we suggest Tipsy Tina’s Taco Cantina (tipsytinas.com) for their mouth-watering tacos made from quality ingredients and the made-from-scratch salsas, dips, and dressings that perfectly complement the tacos. Tipsy Tina’s catering menu includes a taco bar, where you can build your own taco or create some of their most popular options: Carne Asada, Carne Fajita, Al Pastor, Carnitas, American, or Pollo. Add on Elote or Chile Bites; chips and dips or salsas; seafood or fiesta salads; a side of rice or beans; churros; and Jarritos, or Mexican sodas.

“Another catering option we provide is our Taco Box. Pick out up to four different types of tacos, and we will make a total of 12,” said Nathan Stewart, co-owner. “You have a variety of taco options to choose from; it’s your chance to try each corner of the menu. Try our Chorizo taco alongside the Buffalo Chicken, Shrimp, and Sweet Potato tacos. We even have breakfast tacos!”

Even if you’re not planning on ordering catering, Tipsy Tina’s is a great place to enjoy with friends and family for a night out on the town to celebrate. They have 32 draft beers, over 200 tequilas, and signature blended drinks.

Congratulations, graduate – you did it! It’s time to celebrate your success and the start of the next chapter. Reach out to these local businesses to make your graduation party one to remember!