How To Host A Thanksgiving Open House Party
Have you been anticipating Thanksgiving, with its traditional menu, all year long? You think about having turkey, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with heap of whipped cream. How could it not be yummy?
Having your friends, and perhaps your extended family, at your apartment on Thanksgiving might be difficult to manage. It might be even worse if most of the potential attendees are married and have children. This will quickly add to the number of people you will have to plan for. The best way to manage an unknown large crowd is to have a Thanksgiving open house party. Here are some ideas that can help you put together this type of event.
Choose The Party Time
One of the best parts of hosting an open house party is that people can come and go during the times that you set. An open house is not like a regular party where people show up at the beginning and then linger far past their welcome. Since it's an open house you can choose the best timing that works for you. You could schedule it as a lunch-time party or later in the afternoon or evening. Just be clear on the invitations as to what times your guests can arrive. You can invite as many people as you want since it's okay for people visit for a short time before heading out to another party or commitment.
Plan The Thanksgiving Menu
It's a Thanksgiving party so people will expect traditional Thanksgiving food. If it's too much work, you could choose to cater the event. Doing this can be a good idea because it frees you up mingle, and you won't get stuck washing dishes during the party just so the next guests can eat.
Another idea is to set up a lunch or dinner buffet. That puts most of the preparation in advance and you just have to watch for refill needs. Regarding timing of the meal, the best choice might be to set aside a three to four hour dinner window. People can arrive any time during the window to get food, but they could arrive early or stay later if you set it up that way. Having designated meal time makes it easier for you to manage.
Make Your Apartment Interesting
No wants to go to a boring party. People want to relax and have fun. They want to enjoy their time with you and others present. Can you find some good Thanksgiving music that most people will appreciate? But don't play it too loud since people will want to talk. Make sure the environment makes it easy for people to mingle. Have some cozy places in your apartment for people to sit around and talk.
Plan Something For The Kids To Do
You might end up with a lot of children coming to your Thanksgiving party. It's a good idea to include them in the celebration too. This way they won't feel excluded and they'll probably even leave their parents alone. That will be appreciated because it makes your party more fun for everyone. You could give the kids activities to keep them busy and entertained. Perhaps prepare some games that they can participate in while the adults talk and mingle. Another idea is to have a responsible teenager agree to play with the children during the festivities.
Hosting a Thanksgiving open house party might seem like a difficult task, but with a little planning it can be your easier choice. Follow the points above and you are likely to have an excellent party that your friends and family will keep talking about until next year's Thanksgiving.