The snow has melted, the sun is up, and students are out and about, which means only one thing: IT’S DARTY SEASON! For anyone new to the college lingo, a Darty translates as ‘day-party’, literally a party you have during the day, usually outdoors. It could be a simple cookout or a full-fledged Beer-Olympics, either way, I am here to make sure you have everything you need to throw an awesome one.
Photo via Skydan Productions
Step 1: Choosing the day
The safest pick for a darty is a Saturday because there is no way anyone has classes that day or anything to get to the next morning. Check ISU’s website calendars to see if there are any events going on at the same time. This might seem silly, but say you live on a busy street and it is a parents weekend, more people around means more opportunity to annoy someone and get your darty busted. On the other hand, if there is a game that all your friends want to go to, you could plan your darty with the game in mind and make it part of your plan to all go together.
The most important thing when scheduling a darty is to check. the. WEATHER. Nothing can rain on your parade…except rain.
Step 2: The invites
I suggest using a Facebook event to let people know about your darty. Facebook is convenient because it will not only give everyone the info they need, but it’ll also remind your guests when the date is approaching and show you who plans to come or not. Pro tip: don’t forget to hit up all of your group chats with an “in case I missed anyone” message. This ensures that nobody’s feelings get hurt, because it is easy to forget a few names when you’re inviting people and, believe it or not, many people don’t have Facebook profiles.
Step 3: Food
Providing food at your darty is not required, but highly, highly encouraged. You see, if you go to a normal party, you’ve probably already eaten your meals for the day, but if a darty starts early enough, people may not have eaten at all by the time they get there–danger zone! You want your friends happy and healthy (a.k.a. not throwing up in your yard).
You don’t even need to make all the food yourself, potluck-style is the way to go. Add into your Facebook event that everyone should bring some food to share, even something as simple as a bag of chips. My friends and I did that last year and it was a hit!
Photo via Tessa Konzal
Step 4: Music
I have seen too many parties and darties fall to the sword of a bad DJ, and when I say DJ, I obviously mean AUX-controller. The most important thing to remember when choosing music is that it is for the guests, not the host. I myself like to listen to heavy metal music, but if I blasted screamo at my darty, I would scare all my guests away. I also advise creating your own playlist instead of using a pandora or spotify station, because skipping through songs totally kills the vibe. Add songs that are upbeat, fun, and popular, that way everyone can sing along!
Step 5: Entertainment
If this were any ol’ party, we would’ve stopped at step 4, because a party at night really only needs music. People are way more comfortable getting down when they’re in the dark, so if your party is outside in the daylight, don’t count on people dancing.
Games are a great way to get people talking and laughing, which is why they’re my favorite thing about darties. You can do a classic drinking game like beer pong or set up a space for sports. The key is to have options, because you don’t want everyone at your party to have to fight for a turn or be forced to watch only one thing going on. Yard games like bags or lawn darts are easy go-to’s as well. Check out the ACE Hardware behind Pub II, they have a huge selection of outdoor activities for cheap!
You could also make your entertainment the theme of your darty, I went to a mud-wrestling darty last year and it was as amazing as it was hilarious.
Now that you’re armed with everything you need, get to planning! The final step is to sit back and enjoy your hard work paying off. Oh, and don’t forget to invite me!