# [2008] Unique Graduation Party ideas?



## suesam (Feb 17, 2008)

My oldest son will be graduating from high school in May. We will be having a large party at our home, probably inviting a couple of hundred people. People will come and go over a 2-3 hour period. Everyone around here has the same old food for graduation parties, roast beef sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, chips, etc. I am looking for ideas from TUGGERS on interesting things I could do for this party. I hate the same old, same old.....  What did you do for your child's graduation party? I need help!!

Sue


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## marion10 (Feb 17, 2008)

One of my daughter's friends got a keg of root beer- evidently at our local liquor store you can order one. It was a big hit. For my daughter's party we had chocolates printed with her picture and name on them. That was a lot of fun.


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## marion10 (Feb 17, 2008)

Here's the company we used.
http://www.prints-on-chocolate.com/index.php


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## elaine (Feb 17, 2008)

*not unique, but we did Mexican Fiesta theme*

DH grilled TONS of chicken and steak the day before, then we heated in big tins in oven. We had tiki torches and Mexican Riviera stuff and did make your own fajitas, tacos and Chicken/Steak Caesar salads with veggie and fruit platters. To make it more fun, you can rent/but a frozen drink machine and make them without alcohol.


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## janapur (Feb 17, 2008)

I have been to so many graduations where I see the graduate surrounded by his/her peers and ignoring the other guests. While I was pretty sure my son would not have this problem, I purchased Mardi Gras necklaces in his school colors (on ebay) and had him greet each and every guest with one. That way I could look around and confirm that he had welcomed and thanked every person. Corny, yes. I was complimented many times however. It seems many people feel that they are invited just for the cash gift and could use a little personal appreciation and acknowledgement.

Jana


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## Nicole D. (Feb 18, 2008)

I went to one when my friend graduated. Her family decorated the house in the colors of the University she was going to attend. Then as we entered, we signed a scrap book with our well wishes and someone snapped our picture with a polaroid camera and attached it to a page we signed. I thought it was cool.


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## suesam (Feb 18, 2008)

Thanks for the great ideas so far! Keep them coming. I am telling the truth when I say EVERYONE has roast beef and turkey sandwiches so anything other than that is unique to me. 

I really appreciate this! 
Sue


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## swift (Feb 18, 2008)

I just let me daughter have a "party" last night. My DH and two sons were out of town so it was just her and I. We did our mother daughter thing during the day and then I let her have her friends over from 7:00 - 11:30. The kids here love having buffalo wings, caesar salad, a bunch of finger food and of course some sweets like brownies. Yesterday we made cookie bar brownies. They are rich chocolate brownies with drops of chocolate chip cookies in them. They were from a box mix you can pick up in the store. Very easy to make. Other than the food they just want to plug in their IPOD's to speakers, hang out and just get silly. She has a great bunch of friends all AP students. A lot of them go swing dancing on Friday nights so they like to show off their stuff when ever they get the chance. They like listening to techno music, swing (I have just absolutely fallen in love with Michael Buble you can Google him to hear his stuff--love, love, love his song titled Everything), of course a little rock and old rock like Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!!! They are a kick to watch. :rofl:


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## irishween (Feb 18, 2008)

For our children's first birthdays we had pig roasts.  There is a lot you can do to decorate around it -luau theme?


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## stmartinfan (Feb 18, 2008)

I've been to a couple of graduations recently.  Two had crock pots of barbecued pork and barbecued chicken - the slow cooked, tender kind, and buns so people could make their own sandwich fresh.  They had purchased the meat from a local grocery and then just heated it, although there are lots of slow cooker recipes around for meats like this or you could do a sloppy joe filling.  (I make a good shredded beef version that uses beer in the cooking liquid.)  If you wanted to do the meat yourself, you could cook it in advance and then refrigerate or freeze to heat on the day of the party.  To accompany this, they had several nice salads like potato salad, fruit salad and a pasta salad.

Another friend purchased nice bakery loaves of focaccia breads (the round ones with herb toppings).  She made a special mayonnaise by adding some herbs to the prepared kind and then cut the loaves across the middle into too large rounds and assembled sandwiches with meats, cheeses, lettuce, etc.  You could even include some marinated peppers or artichokes.  Once assembled, they were cut into wedges for serving, so people served themselves like taking a piece of pie.  You could make a couple of versions - ones with "spicy" flavors and others milder, and then label them.  You could do something similar with long baquettes or ciabatta breads, sort of like the big subs from Subway, but with better breads and meats.

One of our local supermarkets does a nice deli sandwich - they make a large round bread (like a big "o" shape almost two feet wide) and fill it with traditional deli meats and cheeses.  You could present it whole, and then let people cut are large a slice as they'd like. They usually decorate it with a "sign" on toothpicks that says the year in the local school colors.

I've also seen taco bars - cooked taco meat in a slow cooker,  then with all the toppings to accompany it, so people made their own tacos with either hard shell or soft tortillas.  This would work for "make your own" nachos, too.  You could make a liquor free margarita or pina colada type drink to go with this.  

I've also been to a "Potato party."  One was based on mashed potatoes - where you used a fun glass (almost like a large martini glass), scooped in some plain mashed potatoes and then chose from several toppings, like a stroganoff, mushroom-type gravy, cheeses and sour cream, etc.  Another version was based on baked potatoes, kind of like the restaurants that specialize in potatoes.  There was a basket of hot baked potatoes, plus toppings like chili (in a slow cooker), cheeses, bacon, sour cream, chives, for people to make their own specialty.

Pig roasts are also popular here, as our "bonfires" based on using the fire pits you can purchase now.  They will often have smores ingredients available at those, to make your own dessert after serving more traditional sandwiches, etc.  

Others have purchased the keg of rootbeer as mentioned earlier, and one family also offered cups with scoops of ice cream, so guests could make their own root beer floats.  

Thanks for bringing up this topic - I've got a grad. this year, too, and need to start thinking about what she'll want!


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## Rose Pink (Feb 18, 2008)

suesam said:


> What did you do for your child's graduation party?
> Sue


 
Never even occured to me to host one.  The high schools throw a big party at one of the activity centers (bowling, roller blading, movies, etc).  My kids never asked for a private party and I don't recall ever hearing of any one else who had one.  My parents didn't give us one, either (back in the old days).  sheesh.  Am I a bad parent for not thinking of this?   One more thing to feel guilty about---not!


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## Jestjoan (Feb 18, 2008)

*web sites*

www.graduationparty.com 

Who knew (to quote a famous Tugger)? E-newsletter with countdown.....

www.party411.com


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## cathyv (Feb 18, 2008)

We had around 100 people and my brother grilled pork tenderloins and we had that and a really large salad.


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## sun starved Gayle (Feb 18, 2008)

Rose Pink said:


> Never even occured to me to host one.  The high schools throw a big party at one of the activity centers (bowling, roller blading, movies, etc).  My kids never asked for a private party and I don't recall ever hearing of any one else who had one.  My parents didn't give us one, either (back in the old days).  sheesh.  Am I a bad parent for not thinking of this?   One more thing to feel guilty about---not!



Rose Pink,  I am curious what part of the country do you live in? How long ago did your kids graduate?

Another reason I like TUG so much is it gives an insight into how people in other parts of the country live, what is commonly done, traditions etc. I find it very interesting to hear how other people celebrate!

I live in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State to be exact and Graduation parties are very much the norm here. People plan their own child's party after consulting friends to avoid overlapping, or in some cases combining parties.  

For my oldest daughter, we had kind of a picnic theme because I did not want my husband hovering over the BBQ. Nothing was hot.  I made a ton of interesting salads ahead of time, bought vegetable and fruit trays and rearranged on my own platters.  Had the "must have" graduation cake as well as some brownies and cookies.  I also ordered a bunch of fried chicken from a local grocery store which people went nuts for.  People seem so heath oriented these days that fried chicken is a real treat.  I also cooked a couple of Costco garlic pork loins and served those cold, sliced thin with differents breads and rolls, mustards, cheeses etc.

A friend who is from the midwest, had a bunch of ice cream and root beer in a keg left over from HER daughter's party the night before and brought that over so we had root beer floats too.  I had never heard of having root beer in a keg before at a graduation party but apparently that is very popular from where she is from.

I also decorated in my daughter's high school colors, and even planted all my annual flowers in those colors around the yard and on the deck.  I also put some balloons in those colors out in front of our house to help show where the party was.

Another friend had a salmon BBQ for her son. Her husband is an avid fisherman and was very pleased for an excuse to go fishing.

Good luck with your party.  The benefit of having a big party with a ton of people over was it made us tackle a bunch of stuff around the house and yard that we had been putting off, and we enjoyed the results all summer long.  My deck had never been prettier!

Gayle


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## janapur (Feb 18, 2008)

sun starved Gayle said:


> Rose Pink,  I am curious what part of the country do you live in? How long ago did your kids graduate?
> 
> Another reason I like TUG so much is it gives an insight into how people in other parts of the country live, what is commonly done, traditions etc. I find it very interesting to hear how other people celebrate!
> 
> ...



You could just as easily be from the upper midwest. June graduations are as common as June weddings, so we plan way ahead to avoid overlapping with those too.  Some weekends we just go Open House hopping from one to another. Isn't it neat to learn that they are not common elsewhere? Like the Sweet 16 or "coming out" parties we don't have. 

Gosh, I remember my mom telling me about her graduation Open House. I only remember it because someone broke into their home and stole her gift money while they were away.

I love the pig roast idea! We did rootbeer floats, which I would not recommend. It was rather tedious to keep the ice cream from melting, as people were coming and going all afternoon. Just the rootbeer next time. 

It's soo true about home improvements in line with Open Houses. LOL Seems like everyone is replacing carpet, building a new deck, etc.


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## Rose Pink (Feb 18, 2008)

sun starved Gayle said:


> Rose Pink, I am curious what part of the country do you live in? How long ago did your kids graduate?


 
They graduated between 5 and 9 years ago in the Salt Lake City area.  Maybe some parents threw parties but my kids never talked about them--and I never heard any of my friends talking about having parties for their kids, either.  We got a flyer from the school each time re the giant graduation party.  I'm sure my kids probably went to some private parties but so far as I know these were not big events hosted by their parents--just friends getting together to celebrate.


I graduated almost 4 decades ago from a town in Idaho.   The school held a graduation party that included events at the high school followed by late night at the movie theater.  The senior class also had a picnic and barbeque one afternoon shortly before graduation.

My dd graduates from university this spring.  She has not asked for and I do not plan to have a party.  The way I figure it we, the parents, paid for tuition, books, room and board for 5 years.  We hauled her and her stuff to school each fall and back home again each spring.  She got a "free" education from us.  She owes us the party!  Who's throwing the party for the parents who nagged the kids to do their homework, transported them to school and school events, paid for the roof over their heads and the food in their bellies and the medical bills, and, and, and?  Why don't we get a party?


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## Rose Pink (Feb 18, 2008)

janapur said:


> someone broke into their home and stole her gift money while they were away.


 
This was a question I wondered about.  You are expected to bring a gift or  money to each and every one of these parties?    Good grief!  I sent a small check ($20 or $25) to my nieces and nephews but if I had to give money to all my friends' kids and my kids' friends, I'd never get to go on vacation or be able to fix up my house.

I guess I am just not "with it" but I am soooo glad we didn't have to go through this.  For those of you who love to party and to plan parties, it is just another time to have fun.  Happy celebration to you.  And I do mean that sincerely.


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## janapur (Feb 18, 2008)

Rose Pink said:


> This was a question I wondered about.  You are expected to bring a gift or  money to each and every one of these parties?    Good grief!  I sent a small check ($20 or $25) to my nieces and nephews but if I had to give money to all my friends' kids and my kids' friends, I'd never get to go on vacation or be able to fix up my house.
> 
> I guess I am just not "with it" but I am soooo glad we didn't have to go through this.  For those of you who love to party and to plan parties, it is just another time to have fun.  Happy celebration to you.  And I do mean that sincerely.



I don't think it has to do with being "with it." Rather, you live in an area where it isn't practiced . . . lucky you. Last year, it was like we just passed money around. Imagine my shock at learning the going rate is $50!


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## glenmore (Feb 18, 2008)

We didn't have high school graduation parties here, either. Instead, after we got back from unpacking the last one at college - we headed off to Hilton Head!!  That began our party


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## stmartinfan (Feb 18, 2008)

Graduation open houses are a big deal in Minnesota, too.  My parents had one for me with mostly relatives in attendance when I graduated more than 40 years ago.  In the suburb where we live now, there are usually open houses for kids on most Saturdays or Sundays during the weeks around graduation.  (You can tell by the balloons on the mail box.)  Attendees are usually a combination of relatives, neighbors, kids' friends and parents' friends.  It also ends up being a time many people redecorate and otherwise spiff up their houses.  I had thought that was odd, but then realized that for many of us, our furniture has survived toddler and teen years, so it's time for some new stuff!  Having the party gives one an incentive to finally get it done.


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## suesam (Feb 18, 2008)

How funny, I thought I was the only one basically remodeling my house because of a graduation. I have new furniture, appliances, paint, countertops and accessories. truthfully I really did need it all, it is just the graduation that has motivated me to do it. My mom always said you should have a big party once a year just so your house gets cleaned from top to bottom. So true. 
I am very envious of those of you who do not have graduation parties! It is going to be rather pricey and stressful! 

Sue


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## rudymcbill (Feb 18, 2008)

I don't remember graduation parties when I graduated (years ago) in Colorado, but it's a really big deal in Madison, too.

We had shredded beef and pork for people to make their own sandwiches last year when our daughter graduated: along with salads, and a chocolate fountain.  The fountain seemed to be the biggest hit.
Another family did a breakfast buffet, which went over very well.  
Based on our daughter's info there were lots of subs, cold cut platters, and a few taco bars at the parties she attended. 
We planned way too much food--my daughter and her friends basically made the rounds from one party to the next for three full days, so none of them ate much at each stop. 

We enjoyed the chance to visit with our friends, and finish up home projects in preparation.

Our second daughter graduates this year, so we have a little bit of a head start on knowing what to plan for this year--but we also have a list of projects we didn't finish last year.
This year we'll be ordering fruit bouquets from Edible Creations in lieu of most of the salads, since this daughter loves fruit.


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## Janis (Jan 12, 2010)

Graduation Parties are de rigeur here in Maryland.

We rented our neighborhood pool for the evening and paid the lifeguards to stay. This was actually not that expensive 

Hooked up the iPod to the PA system for music

Got our trusty Texas Smoker out the day before and smoked 50 pounds of brisket/sausage/ribs for everyone

Made appropriate BBQ side dishes, dumped tons of soda/beer/ice into tubs and let everyone eat, sip and socialize.

After eating, the teens all jumped in the pool, and the adults relaxed in all of the poolside seats!


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## MelBay (Jan 12, 2010)

We did Sunday brunches for both of ours, before the 1 p.m. ceremony.  My kids went to Catholic school and it's a pretty tight bunch as they've known each other since they wore diapers to Mass.  The parents are equally tight, so we get invited to many of the parties of classmates.  If I do brunch, we can make the rounds after the ceremony and go visit all our "other" kids.

I served an egg casserole, cheesy hash browns, huge fruit bowl, a variety of muffins, rolls, etc., Flat Earth Blueberry chips (try 'em!) sausage, ham, bacon, choice of juices and coffee & tea, and we had a cake with their picture on it (local bakery does this if you take in the photo).  

It was a big hit and we had lots of fun doing it.


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## DeniseM (Jan 12, 2010)

Please note that this is an old thread that was brought out of mothballs by a spammer....


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