With this year’s return of in-person events, everything from weddings to birthday parties to happy hours with friends have taken on an even more joyous, celebratory tone. But as summer begins to fade to fall, the impending return of colder weather has many wondering how they can continue planning events that promote an atmosphere of both safety and festivity.
For three tips on how to plan a successful fall or winter event that your guests will love, we turned to the experts at City Winery Hudson Valley in Montgomery. Opened in 2020 in the renovated site of the historic Montgomery Mills textile factory, the picturesque 22-acre riverside winery, gourmet fine dining, and performing arts venue has become a fast favorite for private events ranging from 25-person private dinners to multi-hundred-person weddings.
Keep an Open Mind
Use Your Venue Creatively
Just as important as your own flexibility is the adaptability of the space at your venue. Over the last year, Piuggi has found that activating several of City Winery’s spaces throughout an event can make a small party feel grand or a larger one more comfortably intimate.
With over 15,000 square feet of flexible event space, the team have become pros at curating events to meet the needs of any size and style of event. Mix-and-match options include renting out its restaurant, gallery, boiler room bar (located in the factory’s original boiler room), and multi-level patios. When the temps start to dip, the team can also put its many outdoor spaces to good use creating smaller moments for guests to enjoy—from fire pits to s’mores stations to its outdoor, wood-fired pizza ovens.
Make Your Guests Feel Extra-Special
To make your event feel that much more special, Piuggi recommends topping it off with a thoughtful experience or gift, like making a wine tasting part of the program or sending your guests home with one of City Winery’s award-winning wines wrapped in a custom-designed, commemorative label. “There are so many opportunities to gather this year that we missed out on last season, from holiday office parties to private dinners for family and friends,” she says. “As people are re-gathering for the holidays, those extra-personal touches feel especially fun.”
City Winery Hudson Valley is now booking private events for the holiday season. To learn more about private events, visit Citywinery.com or email [email protected].
