<p>We have done 3 graduations parties for our 3 kids. The last one was last June. We have 60 or so people at each one, a mix of kids and adults. We have served alcohol at all three and never had a problem. We always kept the soda and other non alcoholic beverages out where everyone could serve themselves. We always kept the alcohol in the garage and my husband was the monitor of who went in and out of the garage. We have never had a problem. We had plenty of activities in the backyard to keep everyone busy so no one moved to the front yard out of sight. The adults circulated among the younger people. Most of the time you could find the young people one of three places, the food table, the pool or the games. I really don’t think you need to hire anyone. Just be smart about how you handle the alcohol. Have some things to keep everyone entertained.</p>
<p>marylandmom3 - what kind of things did you have to entertain everyone???</p>
<p>Only time I’ve ever seen security at a sixty-person backyard <em>anything</em> was at a friend’s wedding, and my friend’s mom is a federal judge…!</p>
<p>I surely don’t want to hijack this thread but could someone lend me some much needed advice to the question I posed in the thread called “Describe your kid’s graduation party, please”?</p>
<p>Hi Worrywort: I had to scan your posts to find your question, but here is the answer…We sent out invites and asked for regrets only…In addition, we are having not only hotdogs and hamburgers but a variety of salads as well…I have been to these open houses before; some people stroll in for ten minutes and just grab something…If we are out of food by the end of the party, ice cream sundaes will have to suffice…Hope that helps!..I also think that putting lots of finger foods around on the tables helps as well…chips, guacamole, salsa etc…</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to research my posts, rodney! Very kind of you. My most pressing question pertains to the serving and consumption of alcohol at S’s upcoming college graduation party. Whereas I had planned to have a simple afternoon get-together at the house, S. would like his out-of-state college friends to stay the night if they’ve been drinking that afternoon. Which leads to the question: must I continue to supply enough alcohol to last for the evening? DH and I are not inclined to do so but figured that’ll make the kids do a beer run (thereby combining drinking and driving). How do I contain this thing? (Okay, now I’ve hijacked this thread. My sincerest apologies to OP. Kindly post any responses in the thread I mentioned above.)</p>
<p>In what type of store have you found the best price on bags of ice? How about ideas for an economical way to chill beverages during the party? DH doesn’t care to buy lots of new garbage cans or coolers because we’d have no place to store them afterward. He’s talking about filling his wheelbarrow with ice and cans. Don’t think it’ll hold nearly enough. Suggestions?</p>