C+RB’s inaugural Awards for Family Events recognize Mount Vernon Canyon Club for its “Woofstock” end-of-season pool closing, where members are invited to bring their dogs for one last swim; and St. Andrews Country Club for its two-day “Spooktacular Weekend” with a plethora of fun activities.
The December 2019 issue of Club + Resort Business features the 2019 Innovation Awards, recognizing club and resort properties that have conceived and implemented concepts that have paid real dividends in the form of enduring member and guest satisfaction and loyalty.
These properties were recognized for innovative achievement in the Family Events category:
End-of-season pool closings where members are invited to bring their dogs for one last swim have become a popular event at clubs throughout the country. But few clubs go as all-out as the Mount Vernon Canyon Club in Golden, Colo., which holds a festive “Woofstock” celebration when closing its pool on the last Sunday in September, and also opens the event to the public.
“We have a ‘Dog Days of Summer’ show [put on by a local production company] that includes music, games for kids, prizes and giveaways, and contests for dogs, such as jumping through a hula hoop or best costume,” reports Leatha Le Blanc, Mount Vernon’s Director of Recreation & Activities. “We also have a pet psychic, pet photographer and portrait artist, and a local animal adoption center is on site with dogs for adoption.”
Snacks and drink specials at the club’s Overlook Grill add to the fun, says Le Blanc, and the featured star of the show is a golden retriever that jumps from the diving board with “Olympic” precision.
Opening the event to the public has the same promotional and community-awareness benefits as the goat-yoga event that was also recently held at Mount Vernon Canyon Club (“Getting Their Goats,” C+RB, September 2019).
Clubs, especially in gated communities or more remote locations, can play a special role in helping member families have safe and memorable Halloween celebrations without the need to be out on the streets or to cover a lot of ground while trick-or-treating.
St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. has turned its Halloween celebration into a “Spooktacular Weekend” that is spread over two days and features events for family members of all ages that include:
• The Trick or Treat Caravan, for which 180 kids and adults arrived this year in costumes to decorate golf carts that were used in the parade. Before the caravan began, participants stopped for a quick snack, face painting and airbrush tattoos. One hundred golf carts then exited the St. Andrews clubhouse to visit 85 participating member homes, following a route shown on a customized map. Along the way, there were stops at a haunted house, Good Humor ice cream truck and sweet-and-savory food truck, all provided by members.
• Halloween Dinner Buffet. Four hundred members enjoyed the Gallery Buffet, decked out in “ultra-spooky” décor.
• Kids Party. Over 120 kids came for an evening party that featured face painting, airbrush glitter tattoos, wax hands, carnival-style games, a DJ and dancing, a costume contest, and Frankenstein and his Bride stilt walkers (see photo above).
• Adults Party. One hundred adults entered a spooky tunnel and headed through the fog to a “creepy cocktail” station. The St. Andrews ballroom was fully decorated with ceiling décor and custom centerpieces, and service was provided by face-painted staff with skeleton shirts. A Superman DJ played special-themed hits for dancers, and the night concluded with Jell-O shot syringes and caramel corn “Monster Munch” favors.
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