5 Reasons to Have Your Graduation Party at The Bonus Room

It’s that time of year… the time when we start to realize that winter really might be over and we’re unprepared for all that warmer weather brings. Though the kids have been counting down for weeks, all of a sudden it hits us—school will be out soon! And that means tons of families will be hosting graduation parties for their seniors.

If you’re one of those lucky parents who has a graduating senior, we hope you’ll consider The Bonus Room as an event venue. We’ve even got a list of the top 5 reasons why…

Number 5 - Minimal Prep

When you have your event at The Bonus Room, you walk into a space that’s ready to go. No need to spend hours scrubbing the oven, dusting the baseboards or decluttering closets that someone might look at. Though you’re welcome to bring in decorations of your own, the space doesn’t even need them. Just bring your food and beverages and you’re all set.

Number 4 - Plenty of Parking

Your guests won’t have to hike across the neighbors’ lawns or park five blocks away. At The Bonus Room we have plenty of on-street parking and a large public lot just across the street. There’s ample parking for everyone and your neighbors won’t spork your lawn for blocking off the street all day.

Number 3 - It’s Cost Effective

Have you priced alternate options? You can almost rent an entire day at The Bonus Room for the price of having a tent delivered and set up at your home. And that doesn’t include tables or chairs. And if you’re worried about time, you can even rent the whole day so you make sure you have enough time to set up and tear down.

Number 2 - You’ll Be More Likely to Enjoy Yourself

Having an event at home can be super stressful. Even if you try to keep the party outdoors, you’ll still have people going in and out of the house. That means you’ll be trying to stay on top of things… Did Joey put his drink on the coffee table without a coaster? Who spilled soda on the couch? Did someone let the cat out when they came in to use the restroom? When you have your event in our space you’re able to relax more.

Number 1 - You Won’t Have to Bribe Mother Nature

Bribing Mother Nature rarely works. Who wants to go to all of the trouble of setting up a party and then having to adjust on the fly when Mother Nature fails to cooperate? Don’t let your graduation cake get washed away or your memory books get waterlogged. Our space is always dry and climate controlled.

If you have a graduating senior… Congratulations! We hope you’ll consider our space for hosting your special day. To check availability and rates, just visit our Book Now page.

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the Twin Cities

Whether you’re Irish or not, St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays that everyone can celebrate! And if you’re in the Twin Cities, there are plenty of options. Here are some of our favorites…

Host Your Own Party at The Bonus Room!

We’ve got the space, you bring the party. With a flexible floor plan and plenty of options for seating, we can accommodate any type of event. Whether you’re hosting a corned beef and cabbage dinner, a best Irish bread contest, or an Irish whiskey tasting, we’d love to host your event. Check our calendar here for availability.

Take In a Parade

If you’d rather get out and celebrate with thousands of your closest friends, both Minneapolis and St. Paul have St. Patrick’s Day parades. The Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Association will be holding their 51st annual parade right down Nicollet Mall. The parade kicks off at 6:30pm on Saturday, March 16th. Click here to visit their website for more information.

In St. Paul, the Saint Patrick’s Association has been hosting their annual parade for 53 years. The parade starts at noon on Saturday, March 16th and will stretch from Mears Park to Rice Park along 5th Street. Click here to find the details.

Enjoy Some Irish Music

You don’t have to go far to celebrate… some of our downtown Lakeville neighbors are joining together to host CloverFest. Angry Inch Brewing, Alibi Drinkery and Lakeville Brewing Company will have live music, drink specials (including green beer, we’re sure!) and some fantastic food. The fun will be happening all afternoon. Just keep in in mind this event is 21+.

So how will you be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? Will you be marching in a parade, indulging in some corned beef and cabbage or taking it easy by just donning something green to avoid getting pinched? We’d love to hear from you!

5 Ways to Chase Winter Away

Winter won’t seem to loosen its grip on us here in Minnesota so we’ve come up with a few ways you can chase it away at The Bonus Room…

Host a Hawaiian Luau

We might not have the space for a pig roast but that doesn’t mean you can’t pretend to be in the tropics. Have all of your friends bring their favorite island potluck dish. You can mix up some frosty, fruity beverages and have a Hawaiian shirt contest. If you slide some of the tables to the side, you’ll even have room to do the limbo.

Throw a Tailgate Party

Thanks to indoor tabletop grills, there’s no reason why you can’t get some friends together to enjoy a pre-game party. Whether you’re into hockey or basketball or even want to put on one of your favorite “vintage” games, we have the perfect space to gather. With two TVs, you can even have two games playing at once.

Have a Cornhole Tournament

Nothing says summer like an old-fashioned game of tossing the bean bags. Grab the boards, bring the bags and show up in shorts. You can make as many brackets as you want. Pretend you’re lakeside and pipe in some music through our audio bar. You can even have guests bring all of their favorite summer dishes to share: baked beans, brats, fruit salad. You’ll be transported to days gone bay, at least for the afternoon.

Create a Summer Craft

Get a head start on your warm weather decor by hosting a summer craft workshop for your friends. If you’d like a pro to come in, we’ve got a few suggestions of companies we’ve hosted in the past, just send us an email. Otherwise, pick a project (a new front door wreath, a pallet sign, etc) and invite your friends to come to The Bonus Room and craft with you. We have plenty of table space and a whole kitchen to prep and serve your snacks.

Have a Clothes or Accessories Swap

Out with the old to make room for the new. If you’ve got spring/summer clothes and accessories you no longer wear, why not get your friends together to have a clothing/accessories swap? Rent out The Bonus Room and have your friends bring items that no longer spark joy for them. For every item they bring, they can take home something from someone else. Being surrounded by spring/summer items will surely summon warmer weather! Anything left over at the end of the night can be donated to a charity.

So which one of these gatherings are you ready to host? Click here to check availability at The Bonus Room and book your event today!

Alternative Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day!

Valentine’s Day got you down? Feeling like Cupid is stupid? Don’t want to spend another Valentine’s Day alone?

Then don’t!

There are plenty of ways to get through February 14th without getting caught up in red roses, boxes of chocolates and hundreds of hearts. We’ve got a few suggestions to get you started…

Throw a Galentine’s Get Together

Why not invite a bunch of your single girlfriends to BYO snacks and beverages and get together to do something fun. Host a spa or craft night or have everyone bring a different bottle of wine and do a self-led wine tasting.

Plan a Grateful to Be Single Party

Not everyone wants to be part of a duo. Some of us prefer single status. Invite your unattached friends for a night of celebrating single style. Play record hands of Uno and have everyone write down the top three things they appreciate most about being single. Do a white elephant gift exchange so everyone gets to go home with a gift. Better yet, plan your party for February 15th so guests can splurge on all the sugary snacks they want to bring at 50% off.

Have a Come-As-You-Are Binge Watch Fest

A lot of people don’t want to head out on Valentine’s Day because it’s cold and dark. It is the middle of February, after all! But what if you had friends come as they are in jammies or their custom winter snuggies? Serve something warm like spiced cider or hot chocolate with a kick. Then tune in to binge watch a season of your favorite sit-com or most anticipated recent release.

Whatever you decide to do, whether you embrace the commercialized side of the holiday and celebrate with your sweetie, or come up with a unique get together of your own, we hope you have a great time! And if you need some extra space to throw that awesome gathering, don’t forget to check our calendar!

Ideas for the Big Game!

Whether you’re hunkering down in front of the TV with the family, or filling your house with friends to watch the big game, we’ve got some ideas that will make it a memorable event!

These loaded tater tots on a stick are easy to make and super delicious!

Food

There are so many recipes out there for tried and true game watch snacks. Some of our favorite places to get ideas are:

The Bonus Room’s Favorite Eats Pinterest Board

Food Network always has a wide variety of ideas, from sweet to spicy, and everything in between!

Still don’t have your menu set? Visit Good Housekeeping’s list of snack suggestions.

Decor

There are plenty of football-themed decorations available at your favorite local retailer. You can snag team-colored plates and napkins, spread out a tablecloth of artificial grass and even create a football-themed banner out of brown paper bag pennants. But if you want to take it a step further, check out some of these ideas:

Woman’s Day has instructions on banners, napkin rings and more.

Check out these crafts from Good Housekeeping for something to keep the kids busy while you’re prepping the food. We like the cupcake toppers best!

Games

Depending on the crowd, you can create your own betting squares, Bingo cards, and more!

These ideas from The Spruce have something for everyone—from the kid crowd to an adults-only crowd.

If you haven’t found enough to occupy your guests, check out these activities from Play.Party.Plan.

Hopefully we’ve given you enough resources to plan the perfect game watch get together! And don’t forget, if you’re ever looking for the perfect place to watch the big game, or need extra space for any other event, keep The Bonus Room in mind! We’re just the extra space you need.

Engagement Party Checklist

The engagement party is the first of many milestones you’ll be celebrating before you walk down the aisle. Traditionally, the bride’s parents have been in charge of the engagement party, but in today’s world, it’s not uncommon for the parents of the bride or groom, or even the couple, to plan the festivities. Once you’ve determined who’s hosting, you’ll still need to…

• Pick a Date

It’s an engagement party so usually the date should fall within two to three months of actually getting engaged. Be sure to compare calendars with family members you want to be able to attend.

• Decide on the Guest List

An engagement party is a chance for those close to the bride and groom to get to know each other before all of the festivities begin. Often times it’s the first time some members of the bride’s and groom’s families will have a chance to meet. Don’t include anyone who won’t be invited to the ceremony or reception.

• Book the Venue

  The size and type of space you’ll need will depend on several factors.

  • How many guests do you expect?

  • What type of event are you having?

  • What time of year is it happening?

• Send Out the Invites

  Once you’ve decided on a host, a date and a venue, let people know! Depending on how formal or casual your party will be, invites can be as fancy as the wedding invitations or as simple as an email. Make sure you give guests plenty of notice. Sending invitations out at least three to four weeks before the date is key. Most people will bring a small gift to an engagement party. If you’d prefer no gifts, make sure it’s noted on the invitations.

• Make a Plan for the Menu

Are you going to have food catered in or do it yourself? If your party is at a restaurant or event center, they might have rules regarding approved vendors. If you’re doing it yourselves, make a list of everything you’ll need and start a timeline for what can be done ahead of time and who you can count on to help.

• Decide on Decorations

  Check with the venue to see if there are any restrictions on decor. Some places have rules regarding decorations such as candles, confetti, balloons, glitter, and more. You can make the decorations as intricate or simple as you’d like. This is a chance to personalize the event to the couple as well. Consider using pictures or items that have been important to them in the decor.

• Prep Ahead of Time

  Plan ahead and try to get as much as you can done ahead of time. If you’re making decorations or food, put together a list of everything you can do in the weeks or days ahead. Things will come up at the last minute and you’ll be grateful you’ve got a head start. If you need to bring in linens or extra seating, make arrangements well in advance.

• Consider Entertainment

  Will you have a band? A DJ? A playlist of the couple’s favorite songs? Depending on the type of event you’ve put together, it might be fun to have some games planned to celebrate the couple or a photo booth set up to capture snapshots of the event.

• Have Fun

  Once all the details are taken care of it’s time to relax and have fun! Hopefully this is the first of many events that will take place to celebrate the happy couple!

Welcome to The Bonus Room

Several people have asked how we decided to start The Bonus Room, so we thought we’d share our story. The idea for The Bonus Room came from our desire to provide an affordable event rental space to the Lakeville community. Many of our friends and neighbors commented on the lack of options for party rooms. They always seemed to be searching for a space to host a party, get people together for a team meeting or hold a get-together. Through talking with them, we became aware of how few meeting and event rental spaces are available in the Lakeville area. So when an opportunity to create such a space became available in downtown Lakeville, we pounced on it.

We live in Lakeville. Our kids go to Lakeville schools. We both work in real estate in this community and Joe is a volunteer firefighter with the Lakeville Fire Department. He’s also a Lakeville native and graduated from Lakeville High School back in 1997.

We’re invested in this city, especially the historic downtown. We believe it’s the heart and soul of the community . Our mission and passion is to give something back, to support our friends and family and provide a place for people to gather. We wanted to keep it affordable so The Bonus Room might be an option for smaller groups as well as larger celebrations.

Since we opened our doors last March we’ve hosted just about any kind of event you can think of: baby showers, groom’s dinners, family reunions, birthday parties, book clubs, networking meetings, game watch parties, pop-up boutiques, classes, bridal showers, and so many more. We feel blessed to be a part of so many celebrations!

We hope The Bonus Room is just the extra space you need, and we can’t wait to share our labor of love with you!

The Pannkuk Family