How to Throw a Galentine’s Day Party
While February usually brings to mind Valentine’s Day and images of spoiling your partner with chocolates and roses on the 14th, it’s the day before that has quickly become one of the most fun holidays of the year. February 13th is Galentine’s Day. This is a holiday dedicated to celebrating female friendships, and it is everything.
Haven’t heard of it? Don’t worry, the story of its creation is almost as wonderful as the day itself. Galentine’s Day was born in NBC’s Parks and Recreation. “Galentine’s Day,” directed by Ken Kwapis, premiered in 2010, and female friendships haven’t been the same since. Parks and Rec was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur and stars Amy Poehler as the ever determined and unflappable Leslie Knope as she battles the problems of local government. In this particular episode, written by Michael Schur and story edited by Katie Dippold and Harris Wittels, Leslie gathers all of the women in her life to celebrate them. When asked to describe what Galentine’s Day is, she says: “Oh it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.”
Basically, Galentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to get together and celebrate all the most important women in your life. Yeah, we knew you would be on board. Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry; we’ve got some tips to help you throw the perfect Galentine’s Day party.
What’s a party without something delicious? Certainly not one Leslie Knope would approve of. If you decide to host your party at a NOAH’S Event Venue, you can have your favorite restaurant cater the event or make it a potluck. We want your party to be unique to you, so we don’t restrict your options. You choose whatever food you like and bring it in with our open vendor policy. The original Parks and Rec Galentine’s Day reflected Leslie’s love of breakfast, and you can carry on that theme. Fill up with bacon, eggs, yogurt, pancakes, fresh fruit, smoothies, or, as per Leslie’s own advice, frittatas. If you feel like changing it up, why not go for a dessert spread? You can’t go wrong with sweets. Even better, why not all of the above?
Fill your Galentine’s Day party with whatever it is that you and your friends like to do. If that means face masks and toenail painting with some girl-power anthems playing in the background, do it. If that means intense elimination style video game tournaments, pass the controllers. Here at NOAH’S, we have everything you need to make your party perfect for you: customizable accent lighting for the perfect zen atmosphere or a projector, Apple TV, or Smart TV for your media needs.
Still feeling a little unsure on the specifics? We’ve got a few ideas. Try checking out this Huffington Post article with 21 Printable Coloring Sheets That Celebrate Girl Power. Party with the girls in your life while reflecting on groundbreaking women that came before you like Rosa Parks or Jane Goodall. If you’re feeling crafty, why not try making these friendship bracelets for grownups from Good in the Simple? For something a little more chill and requiring no extra effort on your part, we recommend a few friendly rounds of pool in our Game Room. Finally, you can’t go wrong with some simple party games that are actually fun for adults. We wrote a whole blog post of ideas on our special occasions blog. Be sure to check it out if you are feeling unsure.
This celebration is a chance to pamper and party with the important women in your life. That may mean a small, relaxing makeover night in a room like NOAH’S Small Party Room, or a large gathering that would only fit in the Main Hall, complete with a lip sync competition. The point is that you need to be sure you have the space to get all of your girls together, and preferably somewhere where you can spoil yourself a little as well. We recommend skipping the crowds and noise of a restaurant and going for something a little more intimate, while also avoiding shoving everyone into your living room and leaving you to clean up the mess. If you split the cost of a NOAH’S room rental amongst the party-attendees, it will probably be less than a hotel, and we want to spoil you more. Let us handle the set up, take down, and clean up for you so that you can relax with your gal-pals.
At NOAH’S, we’re known for being a wedding and big event venue, but we love seeing people use our rooms for smaller celebrations too! If you have a wedding coming up, Galentine’s Day is the perfect chance to thank your bridesmaids in advance. Getting them all together now for something fun like this can also help avoid some awkwardness on the big day.
In 2014, Parks and Recreation returned to the holiday with another episode titled “Galentine’s Day,” this one directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller and written by Emma Fletcher and Rachna Fruchborn (yeah, girl power going on behind the scenes!). This time, Leslie spoils the attendees of her soiree with personalized gift bags. You can do the same! These can be as simple or as extra as you want to make them. Pick up some treats and bath-bombs to allow your guests to treat themselves later or select a specific present for each guest.
Yes, cheese is a welcome addition to any party (cheese platters, fondue, whatever, we’re not picky), but we’re not just talking about food here. If Leslie Knope can write a 5000 word essay about why she loves her girls on this special day, you can write out a few quick letters, or even tell them in person at the party. Get cheesy! Galentine’s Day is the perfect excuse.
We will forever be grateful to Leslie Knope and Parks and Rec for giving us this wonderful excuse to spoil the women in our lives. This year, let’s pay that forward by celebrating Galentine’s Day right. Here at NOAH’S, we would love to be a part of your Galentine’s Day plans. To learn more about what we can bring to your party, visit https://www.noahseventvenue.com/.
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