Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day In Your HOA Community This 2022

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, and homeowners associations are gearing up for another festive occasion. If your association wants to commemorate the day with some fun events, here are the best ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in HOA communities.

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St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and homeowners associations are gearing up for another festive occasion. If your association wants to commemorate the day with some fun events, here are the best ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in HOA communities.

 

Ideas for Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in HOA Communities

Social events help build a strong sense of community. And, homeowners associations are known to throw such events to give residents a chance to get to know each other and just generally enjoy each other’s company.

Most HOAs focus on the more popular holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but other days also deserve some attention. St. Patrick’s Day, for instance, is an underrated occasion that people primarily associated with parades and wild parties. And while those are definitely good ways to celebrate the Feast of Saint Patrick, there are plenty of other social event ideas your association can use.

If you need some inspiration, here are the best and most fun ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in HOA communities.

 

1. Get Into the Spirit With a Parade

If your HOA has enough room in the budget, and if residents are willing, why not hold your own St. Patrick’s Day parade? Residents can design and decorate their own floats, while kids can march in the parade while wearing their best leprechaun costumes. Keep in mind that you might need to secure permits from your local government for this, so it will take some legwork.

But, if you want to save yourself the budget and the headache, you can always live stream a St. Paddy’s Day parade at the clubhouse for everyone to watch. This is a more affordable way to watch a parade, and it keeps residents away from traffic and rowdy parade-goers, too. It’s also great for communities that are not located in big cities where parades usually take place.

 

2. Plan a St. Patricks Day Party

Plan a St. Patricks Day PartyNothing says “St. Patrick’s Day” better than a classic party. This is perfect for HOA communities that are only just beginning to dip their toes in social events outside of Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties.

Send out invites to residents so they can RSVP early. The party should include a traditional Irish dinner (corned beef, cabbages, soda bread, and potatoes easily come to mind) and some nice Irish drinks (green beer, anyone?).

Of course, the party wouldn’t be complete without some Irish music. Come up with a playlist of lively Celtic songs, which are sure to get residents on their feet. You can make the event more fun by renting a themed photo booth. To take it even a step further, ask guests to come in their best St. Patrick’s Day costumes.

If you want to include kids in the celebration, consider serving kid-friendly meals such as meaty stews and shamrock shakes. You may also want to set up a dessert-making station. Here, kids and adults alike can decorate their own cupcakes and cookies with green frosting. They can also put their own toppings on mint chocolate ice cream or matcha ice cream.

 

3. Organize a Community-Wide Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is ideal for kids in your neighborhood, but that doesn’t mean adults can’t join in on the fun. To prepare, come up with a list of objects that participants have to look for. Then, hide those objects all over the neighborhood. Give every participant a copy of the list, as well as a basket to put their collected objects into, and let the scavenger hunt begin!

To give the game a St. Patrick’s Day spin, choose appropriate objects to hide. Examples include small potatoes, gold chocolate coins, toy shamrocks, and even just green-colored things. The person who finds the most objects from the list is crowned the winner and receives a prize.

 

4. Hold a Raffle

St. Patrick’s Day is often associated with luck, so why not let residents test out theirs by holding a community raffle? You can offer tickets for free or for a small fee, which can fund the prizes for the event. Residents should only have a set duration of time to get their tickets. Then, pick out a date for the grand raffle draw. You can have one big prize and a handful of smaller ones, too. To ensure the success of your raffle, don’t forget to advertise it thoroughly.

 

5. Organize a Community Gardening Day

Organize a Community Gardening Day | st. patricks day in HOA

A community gardening day is a great way to bring families and neighbors closer together while encouraging them to exercise their green thumb. With spring coming in soon, this is the perfect time to plant flowers and prune shrubs.

If you have a communal garden, you can even plant vegetables or shamrocks. Once the shamrocks have grown, each household can repot them and take them home. Shamrocks are easy to take care of, last a long time, and can revitalize the look of any space you put them in.

 

6. Watch an Irish Movie Marathon

Another budget-friendly way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in HOA communities is to hold a movie marathon at your clubhouse. There are many Irish-made movies or movies that are set in Ireland. Some great choices include “Brooklyn,” “The Secret of Kells,” “Song of the Sea,” “Wolfwalkers,” “Leap Year,” “Sing Street,” “Calvary,” “Once,” “The Wind That Shakes the Barley,” and “Ondine.”

 

Some Reminders for Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in HOA Communities

Even while celebrations are in full swing, homeowners associations should remember the following:

 

1. Safety Is a Priority

Homeowners associations must do what they can to keep residents safe while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. If you’re organizing your own parade or scavenger hunt, make sure everyone follows safety protocols. Children should always be accompanied by their parents, and running should be highly discouraged. For parties, only serve alcohol up to a certain amount to prevent misbehavior. If you’re holding a gardening day, make sure kids never handle tools alone.

 

2. Consider Waivers for COVID-19

The United States recently grappled with a surge in Omicron cases. But, cases have started to dwindle once more, and many states have dropped mask mandates even while indoors. The country is slowly adjusting back to normal, though many people still fear the virus.

Because of the highly contagious nature of COVID-19, there is a larger risk of infection among large gatherings. If your HOA intends to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a large gathering, it’s best to keep your association covered. Consider having residents sign waivers before participating in the event. These waivers should basically state that residents can’t hold the association responsible should they contract the virus.

 

3. Follow Your Own Rules

Follow Your Own Rules | st. patricks day in HOAHomeowners associations typically have rules governing noise, parking, and trash. Holding a social event is not an excuse to ignore these rules, both for residents and the association itself.

Parties, for instance, will inevitably make a lot of noise. If your association imposes quiet hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., consider ending the party at 10 p.m. or earlier. If the association itself doesn’t follow its own rules, then you can expect the residents to do the same.

 

Have Some Fun This St. Patrick’s Day in HOA Communities

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with social events is a great way to bring people in your community together. As you can see, there are many ways you can do this beyond the usual party or parade (though, those are great options, too). Just make sure to keep safety in mind at all times to ensure everyone’s enjoyment.

 

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