Randolphians know how to throw a party, but it might have been awhile for some of us. Here are some helpful tips and reminders on how to plan your Porch Party.
If you have your date, some photos, and a short description, you're ready to go
Of course! We would have called it Porches and Lawns of Randolph, but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same.
Porches of Randolph parties should take place during the Randolph summer season July 5 to September 4. Ideally, we would like to have only one party per week to spread it out across the season.
- Providing light refreshments for guests. - Since this is a cocktail-style party seating for all guests is not required however we recommend providing some chairs - Entertaining guests! Answering questions about the porch, view, and home! - Most of all: have fun! Meet new neighbors!
Our volunteers will handle all the marketing, promotion, listing, ticketing, and donations if you prefer not to handle cash/checks.
- Serving - Bartending - Clean-up If you would like additional assistance please let us know at least 2 weeks prior and specify what you have in mind/require eg. “I have a long driveway and it would be good to have ushers help direct people on where to park.”
No, Porches of Randolph is community initiative - a group of friends and neighbors supporting and fundraising for the Randolph Foundation, the RMC, the Library, and Church Benevolence Fund.
You should do what you and those in your household feel most comfortable doing. One of the thoughts for having these as porch and lawn parties was for everyone to be outside. If you require guests to mask up contact us first before signing up so we can figure out the best way to proceed.
Just imagine your favorite Randolph summer cocktail party: great views, repartee, and meeting friends old and new.
Porches of Randolph parties were envisioned to be cocktail hour parties starting 5:00-7:00pm and lasting no more than 2 hours. We leave the exact timing up to hosts based on your experience of ideal viewing times, sunset, etc.
Examples include: - Red and white wine - Beer - Non-alcoholic options - Cheese and crackers - Olives - Nuts - Appetizers and finger food - Crudités - Grapes The above list is just to give you some ideas; you do not need to serve all of the items listed. To simplify your hosting duties we do not recommend offering mixed drinks and cocktails.
Our volunteers can assist at every event and can handle the following duties if you prefer: - Setting up a lawn/street sign close to your driveway - Checking in guests and collecting ticket donations
We thank our hosts for their hospitality and kindly ask they provide food, beverages, and eating/drinking implements as part of their in-kind donation.
We ask that a Porch Party not be scheduled at the exact same time as major town events or one of the organization meetings (RMC, Foundation, etc.) Not all of these have been published yet, so if there are conflicts we will be contact you.
Thank you for your interest in hosting a porch/lawn party for the Inaugural Season of Porches of Randolph! Based on interest, we think this will be a welcome opportunity for safe social gathering and camaraderie, while supporting our beloved community institutions: the RMC, the Foundation, and the Library.
We will ask you for your top date choices during the season. The exact time of your party can be based on your schedule and optimal viewing conditions. Ideally, we would like to aim for no more than 1-2 porch parties each week of the summer season (July 5 – September 4) just to spread it out so we do not have too many in one week. We also ask that you try to avoid any major town events or big meetings (which sometimes occur in the evening).
Please consider a rain date in advance and pencil this in your calendar. In the event of rain postponement please contact us so we can reach out to your guests.
Serving alcohol is entirely up to you. You are not required to serve alcohol. If you choose to, we recommend wine, (white, rosé, red) and beer. We highly recommend against offering up mixed drinks as that introduces another level of complexity to your hosting duties. We encourage you to provide non-alcoholic options as well. If you are not serving alcohol, don’t worry; you will be provided an opportunity later to have that published in your online listing. You may also indicate your party as BYOB – allowing guests to bring their own.
You should also start thinking about your online listing including your headline and a brief description. Think of it similar as an Airbnb listing. For your privacy we ask that you not include the street address and number ie, 123 Randolph Rd. If your house doesn’t already have a name, perhaps think of terms that either describe your house or view. If you have the origin/history of your house that’s great! You can have it published online or feel free to tell guests live at your party. We all love a great Randolph story.
If you prefer, you do not need to be responsible for collecting donations or handling cash/checks. A Porches of Randolph volunteer can be onsite at your event to check the guest list and collect any cash donations. Just let us know in advance.
Since these are billed as porch and lawn parties we inform guests to enjoy themselves on the porch or lawn, and not inside. Hosts are not expected to give interior tours of your home. Restroom provisions are at your discretion. Guests will be provided a guidelines document and instructed to plan ahead.
If you can, please think about having one of your cohosts or family members assigned to take photos of your party so that we can post them on our website and preserve for community news and history. You can email them or will be provide a link for you to easily drop and upload.
You should think about the maximum number of guests you would like to host. We recommend 8-14 depending on the size of your porch/lawn. You know your house, layout, and capacity best, so it should be what you feel most comfortable with. If your party gets a lot of guests signing up, we can also start wait listing which we will manage for you. Keep in mind you can always have more next year!
Give thought to what would like to serve. While not required, we highly encourage you to provide light ‘cocktail hour’ fare at your party. Recommended items include cheese, grapes, appetizers, nuts, chips and dip, etc. however you are welcome to expand beyond these items.
While you may want to impress, we encourage you not to use stemware/flatware of high sentimental or financial value. We also want this to be as simple and enjoyable for hosts as well. We highly encourage all our hosts to be as environmentally sensitive as possible. Talk to us early about sourcing things like bamboo cocktail plates and forks. And remember if you have finger food, you won’t need to provide eating irons.
Porches of Randolph look to our already generous hosts to perform these duties. However, if you need assistance, please contact us in advance so we can work something out.
Start identifying and locating photos (new or historic) of your home, porch, lawn, and view. If you have older printed photos and need assistance with scanning, please contact us. As a reminder, any address numbers in your photos will be purposely blurred out before they are posted online. You may also want to think of having a small table/area to display some photos in frames at your actual party. You will also be able to decide whether you want your name(s) published on the listing ie, Hosted by John and Jane Randolph
Directions will also not be posted in your online listing, but instead emailed to guests a few days prior, so you should start thinking about any special instructions now. Few things to consider include: - If you have long or uphill walk from the parking area to the house you should note that for guests with mobility issues - Uneven surfaces - Specific places you prefer your guests not to park e.g., on your lawn, etc. - Overflow parking areas
If you have a date in mind please click below to submit details on your Porch Party. You're awesome and we thank you!