It's the 4th of July!

The 4th of July Parties of Paul & Allen
2001 - 2012

(click on pictures for a larger version)

The 4th of July used to be a very busy day for us. It was the "big party of the year." I don't know how many years we threw a big 4th of July party, but I have pictures going back to 2001. Our last big 4th of July shindig was in 2012, so, it looks like it was at least an 11 year run. 

In that time, I estimate we spend about $7,500 on food, $6,000 in prizes and $4,000 in tent rentals, decorations and misc. So, you can see, it was a big undertaking. It also took a lot of time and energy to pull off each year!

Allen cooked everything for these events as well as did a lot of the hands-on grilling and barbequing during the parties. Other people were encouraged to help with the grill. I was in charge of games, prizes and entertainment. 

The parties started out in the back yard amidst the farm animals. When the parties became larger, we started renting a tent each year and the parties moved to the front yard. This took up all the space and parking became an issue. Originally, parking was in our driveway, then on the street and our neighbors driveway, once across the street at Al's house (it was a muddy year, lots of spinning tires!) and ultimately, due to the number of cars, Allen and Emily were in charge of the shuttle service we started that brought people back and forth from the parking area a half mile away at Hartman's Herb Farm. 

Our parties were known for elaborate prizes and games. We had traditions such as guessing the number of pennies in a jar and, of course, the famous spinning wheel of fortune! The annual raffle was the biggest prize activity and every party-goer was sure to go home with at least one prize, often times many more. 

Among the prizes given out over the years:

Boston Harbor Cruise for two

HP Laserjet 1012

Epson printer

Tivo

An original Shirley Lewis bedspread

African crafts 

Limited edition lithographs and serigraphs

Kitchenware

Toys

Lamps

Tools
Metal sculpture

Lots of food items

Gift baskets

Portable DVD player

Blueray players

Stuffed animals

Furniture

Various gift cards (Wal-Mart, iTunes, Macy's, etc)

Clothing

Books

Jewelry

Linens

Stationery

Pool toys

Personal care items

Cameras

…and so many other prizes that I simply can't remember them all!

Of course, each party was decorated with 4th of July tablecloths, napkins, cutlery, plates/bowls and decorations. Each year would have a different look. One year, the theme for the prizes was: orange. All the prizes were orange colored!

One highlight of the parties was the dessert bar. All guests were asked to bring a dessert. This ensured a really great variety of desserts to be enjoyed. People started bringing 4th of July and Americana-themed dessert cakes, cupcakes and fanciful puddings. 

One year, the party was rained out (2006) and moved indoors. It was a tight fit, but we managed just fine. I think this rain event marked the beginning of the tent rentals. 

 

Many different kinds of activities were organized and were designed to get people up and moving and mingling. There were scavenger hunts, card-matching games, collecting of different symbol cards and seeking out matching candy tins. In order to win these games, it was necessary to trade items with others. There were lots of laughs and strategies born out of necessity. 

Another tradition was the huge photo posters with cut-outs for people's faces. Pictures could be taken with a party-goer's face replacing the face of the Statue of Liberty, Betsy Ross and Uncle Sam. 

Our last year included the big tie-dye party. It was an event I had wanted to do for many years. I'm glad we got that activity in before the end of our annual 4th of July parties. 

We enjoyed the 4th of July parties we had very much. As you can imagine, it was a lot of work. Each year, after everyone left, we'd find ourselves quite tired. But the pictures and memories are great to have. I've enjoyed presenting this quick overview of the Paul & Allen 4th of July Parties and I hope you had the chance to attend one and have fond memories of your own!