Punchbowl Blog

This post written by Stephanie Fader, Sr. Marketing Manager

Memorial Day is coming up this Monday. Officially, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country. Unofficially, the holiday marks the kickoff to summer.

Many people feel that traditional observances of the day have diminished over the years. However, we found a variety of traditional celebrations that you can enjoy that honor the great men and women who’ve served our country.

Here are a few of the larger Memorial Day events happening around the country this weekend:

• The National Memorial Day Parade, Washington, DC on Monday, May 30 at 2pm — This annual parade in our nation’s capital draws over 250,000 spectators and features marching bands, parade floats, youth groups, as well as hundreds of veterans from World War II through Operation Iraqi Freedom.

• Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, Little Neck-Douglaston, NY on Monday, May 30 at 2pm — This annual parade is billed as one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the country. With nearly 10,000 people marching in the parade, the sidewalks along the route are filled every year. Make sure to get there early to get a great spot to watch the festivities!

• Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade, Chicago, IL on Saturday, May 28 at 12pm — One of the largest parades of its kind, Chicago’s Memorial Day Parade begins with a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Eternal Flame on Daley Plaza at 11am. The parade itself features marching bands, veterans’ groups, and more.

• Fleet Week, New York, NY, May 25 to June 1 — Fleet Week is a celebration of the sea services — Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard — that has been held every year since 1984. Fleet Week includes a parade of ships, ship tours, air and water displays, and the opportunity for the public to meet the men and women who serve in those military branches. The highlight of the week is a ceremony on Memorial Day that includes a wreath laying, Three Volley Salute, unfurling of a 100-ft American flag, and military fly-over.

• Myrtle Beach MayFest, Myrtle Beach, SC, May 27 & 28 — Myrtle Beach has a bunch of activities planned to celebrate Memorial Day, including the Memorial Day Weekend Parade featuring Grand Marshall, John McCain. The parade begins at 9:30am. Additional highlights include free military concerts on Friday and parachute jump shows on Saturday.

If you plan to attend a Memorial Day parade in your area or want to get friends and family together for a cookout, rally your troops with a Memorial Day party invitation.

Enjoy the long weekend!

This post written by Stephanie Fader, Sr. Marketing Manager

This spring millions of students will don caps and gowns and walk in commencement ceremonies around the country. After the graduation parties are over, these high school and college graduates will have their whole lives ahead of them. What do they need to know as they embark on the next chapter in their journey? We posed the following question to our Facebook and Twitter fans to help point these new graduates in the right direction:

“What’s your best piece of advice for this year’s high school and college graduates? What was the best advice you got when you graduated?”

Our wise and caring community responded with some great advice for the class of 2011. Here are some of their suggestions:

“Don’t give up…n sweat the small stuff. 5 years from now all the things that seem so big won’t matter…”

“It’s a new beginning…enjoy”

“Monitor your social media usage if you want a good job. Employers are on the look-out!”

“You can be what you want to be, just takes a lot of hard work and effort, and always looking forward!”

“Go forth and conquer! U live in the greatest times for doing anything u want, don’t let the naysayers slay u and keep u stuck.” 

“Take a year off and travel…then get a job.” 

“Listen to your elders. I didn’t upon graduation, but did later in life.”

“Stay focused on UR goals! Don’t let anything or anyone stop U!”

And on the lighter side…

“Remember to smile on grad day. Everyone takes photos and you want to look good.”

“Stay in school as long as possible. School is wonderful. Work sucks.” 

“Keep the photos clean.”

Want to be part of the conversation? Join our engaged Facebook and Twitter communities as we discuss everything from the best party you’ve ever attended to your most embarrassing party moments! Become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

This post was written by Stephanie Fader, Sr. Marketing Manager

Milestone birthday parties are some of the most popular events planned on Punchbowl, especially for 30th, 40th, and 50th birthdays. And, they’re often a surprise.

Nancy S. from British Columbia recently used Punchbowl to plan her best friend’s 50th birthday party — a “Gal’s Getaway Weekend” — and found the site to be a tremendous help as she coordinated this milestone event.

Of the utmost importance to Nancy was the ability to send invites, track RSVPs, and organize her potluck all while keeping the party a surprise from the guest of honor. Additionally, with nearly 60 guests invited from all over British Columbia, Nancy was happy that Punchbowl gave her the ability to include trip details with her invitation so that guests could make informed decisions about travel arrangements.

Nancy isn’t the only one who likes Punchbowl — she says her guests found the site “very intuitive and easy to navigate.” In fact, they used the message board to discuss car pool options and Nancy’s potluck list filled up fast!

Overall, Nancy says, “I appreciate the flexibility of the site…and I intend to use Punchbowl for all of my upcoming party needs.” Nancy knows what it’s like to plan a larger party using Punchbowl but can see the value in using Punchbowl to plan smaller events too and says it will be perfect for planning her neighborhood BBQs!

Thanks for your feedback, Nancy!

Do you have stories about your experience planning a party on Punchbowl? Send us an email or post a comment on our Facebook page.

This post was written by Stephanie Fader, Sr. Marketing Manager

It’s graduation season and that means lots of graduation parties are being planned right now on Punchbowl for graduation events big and small. While students finish final exams, celebrate Grad Week, and plan for the next phase of their lives, families are making travel arrangements and planning for the all-important graduation celebration.

They’re probably also wondering who will be the commencement speaker at their child’s graduation. A former President, perhaps? Maybe an Academy Award winner? How about a CEO or entrepreneur?

Class of 2011 commencement speakers run the gamut from Saturday Night Live alum to consumer-internet co-founder. Here’s a list of a few of this year’s commencement speakers:

• President Obama, United States Coast Guard Academy & Miami-Dade College
• First Lady Michelle Obama, University of Northern Iowa
• Former President Bill Clinton, New York University
• Denzel Washington, University of Pennsylvania
• Amy Poehler, Harvard University
• Tom Hanks, Yale University
• Brooke Shields, Princeton University
• Tom Brokaw, University of Montana

The list of commencement speakers goes beyond politicians and celebrities. This year, it’s nice to see a number of tech folks giving commencement addresses, including:

• Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak, Michigan State University
• Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Barnard College
• Twitter Co-founder Biz Stone, Babson College

Who was your commencement speaker? If you could choose a commencement speaker for an upcoming graduation, who would you choose and why?

If you have a graduation event to plan Punchbowl can help you pull it all together—from the invites to the venue to the decorations. Start planning your graduation event!