Friendsgiving has quickly become an often celebrated holiday in conjunction with the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Not everyone has family in town to enjoy Thanksgiving festivities with, and a Friendsgiving celebration can help keep everyone in your community in on the fall fun.

If your HOA loves hosting events that bring the community together, now is the perfect time to gather around the table and enjoy an American tradition. Here are some helpful tips that will ensure your Friendsgiving goes off without a hitch.

Set a Date at a Meeting

The art of getting attendance at a Friendsgiving is to set a date that everyone can work with. Our suggestion is to get with your fellow board members and discuss what potential dates would work that lie outside of the actual holiday.

Although Friendsgiving can be celebrated on the 27th, since you’re hosting an Association event, it is best to steer clear of interfering with your community’s family plans. Once you’ve nailed a date shortly before or after actual Thanksgiving, bring it to a vote amongst your peers and announce the date at your next HOA meeting or by e-blast to all your residents.

Nail the Specifics Over Social Media

Now is the perfect time to make use of your community social media account. Create a group page that helps you keep track of the specifics surrounding your Friendsgiving. This is a great forum for finalizing:

• RSVPs
• The event menu (Is it pot luck? Are there neighbors with food allergies or intolerances?)
• The location of your event
• The length of your Friendsgiving celebration

With thorough planning, your association can ensure that all of the potential loose ends for the celebration are tied up and your Friendsgiving goes off without a hitch.

Touch Up Your Event Center

Since you’re most likely hosting a slew of guests, you’ll want to reserve a community center in your neighborhood for the event. Make sure your guests eat and celebrate in comfort.  Work with your HOA management team to organize maintenance on your community centers.

Fall leading into winter is the perfect time to handle HOA maintenance responsibilities. So why not take care of these while planning for your event.

Two of the biggest maintenance necessities you can arrange before Friendsgiving should be:

• Ensuring plumbing works through winterization efforts
• Clearing up your landscape of any fallen leaves

Keep the Event Obligation-Free

Thanksgiving is usually a holiday that comes with feelings of obligation to attend. No one wants to be guilted for not being able to attend your event. Make sure you emphasize the event is obligation-free and is simply a chance for neighbors to get together before the big holiday rush.

This will help quell any added stress on neighbors who can’t or choose not to participate in the Friendsgiving festivities.

Be Responsible! Set Your Limits

Thanksgiving is a holiday that is notorious for family drama when the alcohol starts flowing. Nip any potential neighborly disputes in the bud by setting strict limits on appropriate beverages for your event. We recommend keeping your Friendsgiving a family-friendly and dry event. It’s only a couple of hours, and the presence of alcohol isn’t worth risking the harmony of your neighborhood activities.

Get Your Association Through the Holidays with Goodwin & Company

If your association needs some guidance from a professional management team going into 2020, turn to Goodwin & Company to meet your community needs. We know how to handle the behind the scenes details of your HOA and let your board enjoy the benefits of making the decisions that impact that happiness of your community. Contact us today to find out how we can make your HOA a true home.