Birthday parties aren’t just for kids.
“You're never too old for a birthday party,” says Eden Dawn, author of “The Portland Book of Dates." “I feel like the older you get, the more you should be allowed to celebrate because really, you've done more work. Turning two, not hard. Turning 99? You deserve accolades.”
But kids’ parties may be the right idea. And Dawn gave City Cast Portland the run-down for partying like you’re young again:
This isn’t exactly kid stuff, but go to Edgefield for a spa service and you also get access to the soaking pool. “You can go pamper yourself a little bit, get a massage, get a margarita, go in the soaking tub with your friends,” says Dawn. “It's just a nice day. It's a nice way to celebrate without having to have a full cake and, you know, the hullabaloo.”
If you’re up for planning ahead, and have a good size budget, you can reserve the back room at a restaurant or bar. At Cafe Olli, the party room has a glass garage door that can open in the warmer weather, and the restaurant serves some of the best food in town. “It's basically the super adult bougie version of having a pizza party when you're a kid,” says Dawn.
If you haven’t planned ahead or don’t want to, find your corner at a dive bar. Spare Room even offers Bingo, so there’s an activity. “Dive bars work; you can stand; you don't have to go in and worry about getting a table,” says Dawn. “You're like, we can kind of crowd in here and just sort of be in a corner.”
For better weather, get a parks permit for a picnic table:
“You can have a killer outdoor party,” says Dawn. “I used to do this for years up at Mount Tabor. We just potlucked it and everybody brought stuff. We would have these four-hour parties, and people would bring their dogs and frisbees and kids.”
More: Dawn, who co-hosts the "We Can't Print This” podcast, has more ideas for back rooms, bars, and other birthday fun.
