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my husband will be graduating this spring (we hope, or at the very least, this summer) with his doctorate. we would like to host a casual celebration of his accomplishment, one that won't break the bank & will show some of the local flavor to our out-of-state friends & family attending, as well as his friends here.
i've considered renting out the butterfly house or a tent rental at the NC museum of life & science in durham & having it catered with barbecue from hog heaven (one of his all time favorite foods ever is barbecue). i'm waiting on some info from them with regard to cost. in the meantime, i'm wracking my brain for a venue that will offer affordability & accommodation for an estimated 40-50 guests.
any recommendations from the peanut gallery with regard to the following criteria?
affordable - preferably under $500 for the accomodations & food
available - sat, may 14th is graduation so most likely that evening or sun, may 15th afternoon/evening; outdoor locations would probably need tenting in case of weather issues
location with a nod to his scientific degree in biology/zoology - this is why i was considering the museum of life & science but i'm wondering if they'll be out of our price range
would prefer raleigh, but would consider durham area for the right place
tent rental recommendations welcome if we decided to do it in our own backyard with catering
i wish we had more to spend on this but for now we are awaiting his procurement of a job & given the economic climate, we don't want to overextend or raid our savings.
with a budget of $500 for both location and food, I think something like Blue Jay Point Park should enter your list. It's off of 98 in Wake Forest. There are play areas for littles and bigs (to keep younger cousins? happy), ball fields to play soccer, grills & tables to use. for 40-50 guests, the bill for food alone is probably going to be $500 if it's catered. You might also consider Durant Road Nature park? Or perhaps Falls of the Neuse State Park or Umstead?
"Hill House" in Durham is a neat "mansion" right near downtown where I have attended a similar kind of event before. I have no idea of the cost, however.
If I were planning that kind of party (and I might be soon), I would have it at Fullsteam Brewery in durham. They don't sell food, only beer, so it's easy to bring in food. It's very casual. long tables, ping pong, pinball, etc. I see people having get-togethers there a lot, and have sometimes seen it closed for private parties--usually in the afternoon. and it's plow-to-pint philosophy, reliance on local ingredients for their brews, and support of community events make it a way to showcase the area (although most specifically if you're trying to showcase Durham).
I'm sure it's affordable. and children run amok there, so if there are youngsters on your guest list, don't worry about them being in a bar.
for 40-50 guests, the bill for food alone is probably going to be $500 if it's catered.
you're probably right about that. given my husbeau's love of barbecue, i know that's doable for that number of guests. the venue fees would then be in addition to that & we may have some wiggle room. plus, i may have overestimated that number (better safe than sorry!). i considered doing something at the pit but their minimums alone already price us out.
i'd not be opposed to hosting it at a restaurant, but that would require that we get a place with decent ambiance & availability on graduation/mother's day weekend.
basically we want to do something casual but fun to recognize the occasion. the important part is that we are together to celebrate his accomplishments. he's not a fancy guy & would rather have a casual afternoon together with his friends & family then do something fancy & over-the-top.
you're probably right about that. given my husbeau's love of barbecue, i know that's doable for that number of guests. the venue fees would then be in addition to that & we may have some wiggle room. plus, i may have overestimated that number (better safe than sorry!). i considered doing something at the pit but their minimums alone already price us out.
6 years, ago, we had a birthday party for my dad, catered by a local (not in the Triangle, but in NC) Barbeque place and it was $7 a plate. We provided our own plates, forks, etc. If you allow for inflation, and the fact that the Triangle is probably more expensive, then maybe estimate $9-10 a head? There's your $500.
another great park imho - is the park at roseville. You can reserve a eating area (covered) with tables and a grill. Nice walking trails, places for littles to play, nice bathroom facilities. nice places to take pix of the graduate too.
6 years, ago, we had a birthday party for my dad, catered by a local (not in the Triangle, but in NC) Barbeque place and it was $7 a plate. We provided our own plates, forks, etc. If you allow for inflation, and the fact that the Triangle is probably more expensive, then maybe estimate $9-10 a head? There's your $500.
indeed - hog heaven is around $9.25/head so we're just shy of $500 without tax.
but clyde cooper's is $7.95/head (catered) or $5.95/head (carry out). that does include all plates, napkins, cups, & serving utensils. not too shabby. i'm seriously leaning more toward doing that in our backyard or in a nice park somewhere.
please keep the suggestions coming for the park ideas! those may be perfect! maybe i'll look into renting a shelter somewhere as i'm mostly fearful of surprise showers or crazy hot sun.
good call - i hadn't even thought of umstead. plus he does really enjoy taking walks on the trails there & most of our friends are active & enjoy frisbee, outside sports, etc.
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