Punchbowl Blog

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

July 4th weekend is approaching, which means cookouts, parades, and awe-inspiring fireworks displays!

Punchbowl is based just outside of Boston so we’re fortunate to have one of the largest fireworks shows in the country. It immediately follows a live show by the Boston Pops that features the National Anthem, the “1812 Overture,” celebrity guests, and a military flyover.

If you want to see live fireworks for yourself this Fourth of July, here are some places where you can catch the fireworks:

• Boston: Hundreds of thousands of spectators descend upon Boston for the July 4th festivities and millions more tune in to watch on tv. If you want to watch this famous show, the concert will begin on July 4th at 8:30pm and the live national broadcast will start at 10:00pm EST on CBS.

• Washington, D.C.: Is there a more patriotic place than our nation’s capitol? If you plan to be in D.C. for the Fourth, take in the Independence Day parade during the day, then attend the free concert at the Capitol and watch the fireworks on the National Mall. The concert begins at 8:00pm and the Fireworks start at 9:15pm EST. Both will be televised on PBS starting at 8pm. Check out other events happening in D.C. throughout the weekend!

• New York: If you’re in and around New York City, head down to the Hudson River to catch the more then 40,000 fireworks that will be set off to celebrate the holiday. If you can’t make it to New York, this 25-minute fireworks show will be televised. Tune in to NBC at 9:00pm to see this fireworks spectacular set to music.

• Las Vegas: Heading to Sin City this weekend? You’ll have more than one opportunity to catch some fireworks! Several of the casinos have fireworks shows planned including Caesars Palace on Sunday and Mandalay Bay on Monday.

• Miami: Who wouldn’t want to sit on the beach to watch the fireworks? That’s what you can do if you live in the Miami area. The city of Miami will celebrate with fireworks and jazz music at 9:00pm on Monday at Ocean and 8th streets.

• San Francisco: Talk about a picturesque fireworks display…If you’re going to be in San Francisco, you’ll get to see the fireworks over the bay! The San Francisco fireworks will be launched from Pier 39 at 9:30pm. Great spots to watch include Aquatic Park, Coit Tower, the Cannery, and Ghirardelli Square.

• Dallas: Kaboom Town in Addison, TX makes the list because it was rated “one of the top places to watch fireworks in the country” by the American Pyrotechnics Association, USA Today, and Travel + Leisure. This nationally-recognized fireworks show features 30 minutes of amazing fireworks that can be seen from anywhere in Addison. The fireworks show is on Sunday, July 3 at 9:35pm.

• Los Angeles: There are many fireworks shows planned throughout Los Angeles, including festivities in Burbank, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Pasadena and more. If you live in or around Los Angeles, find out where you can catch the fireworks.

Of course, there are fireworks displays planned for towns big and small across the country. Check your local newspaper or listen to the news to find out when you can catch the fireworks in your area. Once you know the schedule, invite friends to join you! Bring chairs, blankets, sparklers and snacks and make it a night to remember!

Wishing you a safe and happy Fourth!

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

I’m very excited to announce that Punchbowl was awarded the highest honor for consumer technology at the 2011 MITX Innovation Awards last week. Punchbowl was selected winner in the category of “Best Consumer Tech that Makes Life Easier.” This category could not be more perfect for Punchbowl since we hear from our customers all the time about how the site helped make planning their events much easier! Thanks to MITX and everyone who voted!

Here’s the full announcement:

Punchbowl awarded “Best Consumer Tech that Makes Life Easier” at the 2011 MITX Innovation Awards 

Framingham, MA (PRWEB), June 22, 2011 — Punchbowl, the one-stop site for start to finish party planning, has been selected winner in the category of “Best Consumer Tech that Makes Life Easier” at the 2011 MITX Innovation Awards.

The annual MITX Innovation Awards program is the largest awards competition of its kind and celebrates innovations powering the future of marketing and revolutionizing the way we work and play. The MITX Award winners were announced in 11 general categories, several “Best of” categories, the PricewaterhouseCoopers Promise Award, People’s Choice Awards for VC and Angel Investor of the Year. The sold-out ceremony was held on June 16th at the Westin Boston Waterfront.

“We created the Innovation Awards to give exciting digital and Internet companies a chance to showcase their ideas and creativity,” said MITX President Debi Kleiman. “This year’s winners represent the very best of New England’s talent, and MITX is thrilled to honor their achievements.”

Punchbowl is the leading destination site for start to finish party planning. The site offers a modern, effortless way to plan a party with innovative features that include customizable online invitations, potluck organization, gift registries, local vendor search and much more. Punchbowl guides a host through all of the steps of party planning and solves common problems along the way. The site is extremely popular with moms and is ideal for summer gatherings, birthday parties, baby showers, holiday parties, and more.

“To be honored as the ‘Best Consumer Tech that Makes Life Easier’ is wonderful validation of what our customers have been telling us all along,” said Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO, Punchbowl. “Innovation is at the heart of what we do at Punchbowl every day.”

Judges for the MITX Awards included over 100 industry professionals representing various disciplines including creative directors, designers, technologists, online media representatives, investors, and business professionals. The 2011 Innovation Awards were sponsored by Digitas, Isobar, DLA Piper, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Atom Group, BostInnovation, ISITE Design, Metropolis Creative, TCN, and VentureFizz.

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

Father’s Day — always celebrated on the third Sunday in June — is coming up this weekend on Sunday, June 19th. We thought it would be fun to share some interesting facts about Father’s Day in honor of the occasion:

• The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 70.1 million fathers across the nation.

• Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910 by Sonora Dodd who wanted a special day to honor her father, a Civil War veteran who raised his six kids by himself. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the law that made Father’s Day an official holiday.

• There are more phone calls made in the U.S. on Mother’s Day than on Father’s Day. However, the percentage of collect calls on Father’s Day is much higher. According to Snopes.com, Father’s Day is actually the busiest day of the year for collect calls!

• Father’s Day is the fourth most popular occasion for sending greeting cards, after Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Send your dad a free Father’s Day eCard today!

• The tie is traditionally the most popular Father’s Day gift. Want to break tradition? Check out ideas for homemade Father’s Day gifts, Father’s Day gift baskets, and Father’s Day crafts the kids can make for dad.

How do you plan to celebrate Father’s Day? If you’re still trying to figure out what to do, consider a family cookout, Father’s Day brunch, or trip to the beach. There’s still time to send Father’s Day invites to your family. Start planning!

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

Jennifer H. of Portland, OR, recently used Punchbowl to plan her son Hunter’s 7th birthday. This was Jennifer’s first experience using Punchbowl to plan a party and she was very impressed. She especially liked the ability to customize the envelope. Here’s the envelope that Jennifer created for Hunter’s pizza party birthday:

Additionally, she appreciated that Punchbowl allowed her to update and edit guests’ responses. For example, if a guest called to verbally RSVP, she was able to update her Manage Guests page to keep her guest list up-to-date. Likewise, she was impressed that Punchbowl allowed guests to add the names of guests that they planned to bring to the party. All of these features allowed Jennifer to have an accurate guest count for the party. After all, when you host a pizza party you need to know how many pies to get!

Here’s a picture of Jennifer and Hunter:

Want to share your Punchbowl experience? Email us or get in touch via our Facebook or Twitter pages.

This post written by Stephanie Fader, Sr. Marketing Manager

Memorial Day is behind us and summer is in our sights. That can only mean one thing — planning summer activities for your family has officially begun!

Between camp for the kids and family vacations, schedule some time to relax with friends and family. The warm summer weather provides a wonderful opportunity to host an event outdoors and a summer party will give you and your family something to look forward to later in the season.

Here are a few ideas for summer gatherings you can plan this summer:

• Family Reunion — When was the last time the entire family got together for something besides a holiday or wedding? If you can’t remember, it’s probably time for a family reunion. Family reunions are perfect for the summer because you can easily find an outdoor space to accommodate a large group that will please kids and adults alike. Get tips for how to plan a family reunion!

• Block Party — Remember the days when you knew everyone who lived in your neighborhood? A neighborhood block party is a great way to get to know your neighbors and welcome new families to the neighborhood. If you think a block party sounds good or if you want to learn more about it, check out these 5 tips for hosting a neighborhood cookout!

• Pirate Themed Pool P-arrr-ty — Who doesn’t love a pool party? Up the ante on a regular pool party by hosting a pirate themed pool party! This theme is perfect for kids of all ages. You might find that adults will get into the theme too! Find out how to host a pirate themed pool p-arrr-ty!

Whether you want to plan a family cookout or a July 4th celebration, Punchbowl has everything you need to plan your summer gathering! Send invitations, set up a potluck, find local vendors, and much more! Start planning your summer celebration today.