32 Best Graduation Party Venues Near Me

How much does a a graduation party venue cost to rent?

Graduation party venues average $141 per hour to rent, but it’s easy to spend less or more depending on what you’re looking for. For a space on the smaller side, expect to spend closer to $120, whereas larger venues run about $139 per hour.

How to host a graduation party

A graduation is definitely worth celebrating, and you can show your grad just how proud of them you are by throwing a graduation party that's out of this world. When hosting a graduation party, start with the venue. Some choose to host a grad party at home but renting a seriously cool graduation party venue really wows your guests. Graduation parties usually take place in May, June, and July, so send out invitations early—those summer weekends are usually in high demand, especially for families. Draw up a guest list of close family and friends, and decide on what refreshments you'll serve. Beyond that, it's up to your own creativity.

Where to find graduation party venues

The best way to find graduation party venues is to use Peerspace, which keeps active listings of the most memorable graduation party venues near you that are currently available to reserve. These may include under-the-radar rooftop venues, party rooms at hip eateries, neighborhood creative studio spaces, and so much more. It's easy to find a Peerspace graduation party venue that will set your graduation party apart from every other party in town. For more options, you can search the web for venues that advertise availability for private parties.

Where to find creative graduation party ideas

Finding creative graduation party ideas is easy if you know where to look. Start by tapping into Peerspace for some creative inspiration, for everything from easy last-minute party ideas to pool party strategies that will make a splash for any graduation party. For more creative graduation party ideas, search the web for articles. Additionally, scope out local social media accounts to see where popular hotspots are that you might be able to reserve.

When should you send out graduation party invitations?

We recommend sending out graduation party invitations 3-4 weeks in advance. If you send out your party invitations too early, they'll get lost in the shuffle over time. If you send them out too late, your guests are more likely to have scheduling conflicts. Graduation parties are usually held in May, June, and July, and many people will have vacations and other events lined up throughout the summer. Check out our complete guide to hosting a party for some tips on sending out invitations.

What graduation party traditions look like around the world

Yearbook signings, tearful hugs, a party of a lifetime—these are familiar markers of graduation traditions today. Graduation signals a grand farewell to the past and the start of an entirely new chapter: Who can forget the iconic post-graduation scene in "Grease" where Sandy and Danny literally drive off together?
Around the globe, graduation carries wide-ranging significance; it's a moment of profound historical and social meaning, though some traditions don't quite translate across cultural lines. Examining these customs can reveal the histories and relationships associated with traditional education, its role in society, and the expectations for young people.
In South Africa, many see a graduate's achievements as a collective joy and realization of years of communal struggle and support. Many countries draw from centuries-old tradition and mythology, like Italy, whose graduation ceremonies touch on symbols from Greek myths and Roman lineage.
Peerspace investigated some of the most interesting and meaningful graduation party traditions, using sources like The Guardian, Bustle, and Culture Trip. Read on to see how young people around the world commemorate, revere, and celebrate this affair.

Sweden

Swedes celebrate "studenten" in some ways reminiscent of a typical celebration in North America: champagne and ceremony. A more unique identifier of a Swedish graduate is the sea-captain-style hat inscribed with their name. Friends and family present giant signs for their graduates usually with large, embarrassing childhood photos.
To top it off, graduates crowd into the bed of a pickup truck and ride around town in a grand parade as townspeople flock to show their support to the graduates. This celebration reflects the vision that graduation is a student's "last chance" to revel in youth before taking on the responsibilities of adulthood.

Argentina

Argentinians take a similarly lighthearted approach to commencement from university. Graduates are not gifted with cards or flowers but with a barrage of eggs, bottles of oil, bags of flour, and anything else—the messier the better! This show of sticky pandemonium is a way to tease and draw playful attention to the graduates.
Oxford in the U.K. shares a similar tradition of showing affection through "trashing" their graduates. As the opulent nature of the trashing tradition has attracted controversy, many have adopted changes to retain the tradition: Today, Oxford requires all "trash" to be biodegradable.
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Italy

Italy may have given the world the reason for the phrase "resting on one's laurels." In Italy, graduation continues to be a nerve-wracking affair since it occurs on the same day students present their thesis—and not just to a small panel but to a public audience.
On their big day, students appear before a board of professors, while audience members may come to lend moral support or simply gooseneck. After all the presentations have been completed, the professors announce the students' performance and present them with a laurel wreath they could proudly wear on their crowns.
Italians adopted the practice from ancient Greece and Rome, where the wreath was Apollo's symbol and signified victory—a perfect way to celebrate a triumph of the human mind.

South Africa

South Africa is one of the most diverse countries in the world. With such cultural and ethnic diversity comes an emphasis on community celebration. When students overcome the persistent adversity created by the country's history of apartheid to graduate or "matriculate," families spare no expense in celebrating.
Schools host a "matric dance" similar to an American prom—complete with a limo and red carpet—but preferring more sculpted, design-heavy evening gowns over ball gowns. The community turns out to celebrate the graduates, many of whom are the first to graduate in their families. In Noordgesig, for example, it's the town's tradition for the graduates, donning their formal wear, to form a parade of cars around the town square as the entire neighborhood sends them off to celebrate their accomplishment in spite of all odds.

South Korea

South Korea's traditions have changed markedly over the decades. In the past, students would throw flour and eggs to mark their graduations, but some have taken it to the extreme, causing support for the practice to wane over time.
A more recent graduate can look forward to a meal of jjajangmyeon or black bean noodles. Now a commonplace dish, this fare was an expensive meal served only on special occasions.
Another new tradition is rooted in the practice of the symbolism of standing wreaths, which are typically sent as a grand gesture of celebration often seen in store openings or marriages. Lately, graduates have become a kind of human standing wreaths themselves, with loved ones pinning large, congratulatory messages on their gowns.
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Written by: Leah Burbach. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Paris Close.

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