The Pandemic Series: Socially Distanced Garage Parties

This is really hard.

OK, maybe a pandemic is more than hard. It’s straining, defeating, and terrifying. As one human family, we’ve been backed into a corner by an enemy we cannot see. It’s scary and overwhelming and…

It’s really hard.

Whether it’s contactless Halloween candy bowls, pool noodle hats that ensure social distancing, or drive-in concert shows, we’ve found ways to live our lives amidst an invisible threat. While I don’t agree with every COVID-19 innovation, there was one I just couldn’t resist:

A socially distanced, open-air garage party for my son’s 12th birthday. Spoiler: it was a blast!

For my son’s 12th birthday, we wanted (with much deliberation over safety measures) the party to live on.

As is recommended by the CDC, keeping small social gatherings outdoors is important in keeping all participants as safe as possible. But where do you go when the approaching winter and uncertain weather trends make it nearly impossible to enjoy a nice, distanced outdoor gathering? 

That’s right: your garage.

While we didn’t actually venture into the garage for this party, we did use it to mount our projector. The driveway served as the seating area, but using the inside of your garage works, too!

1. We required that all party goers wear masks when possible. Consuming box after box of pizza, while normally a breeze for anybody, is made difficult by masks. For this reason, masks were not required for the entire duration of their visit!

2. Our goal was to keep everyone as distanced from the guests they don’t normally interact with as possible, keeping with the six-feet apart rule.

3. Each guest brought their own controller for video games and was given separate bowls for food to avoid unnecessary contact.

1. We used a 15 x 20 ft tarp for our projector screen, which was attached to our handmade conduit frame. Ask my husband, Josh, for the details on this part — he was the hero here!

2. The projector screen hung from the side rafters of our garage. Once again, Superman Josh set up the Bluetooth connection for movies and video games.

3. We ordered pizza and cupcakes to fuel the guests’ second-winds after movie watching so the party lived on for video game tournaments!

All in all, we had a wonderful time with my son’s birthday in such an innovative way. While garage projector parties aren’t necessarily a new idea, they can be just what you were looking for amidst a pandemic.

Remember: always keep your gatherings safe and responsible.

If you want to use your garage for your next socially distanced gathering, we’d love to see how it turns out! 

Tag us on Instagram or Facebook, and we’ll share your garage venue on our pages!