It’s birthday season in the Gonyer household! I used to be excited about hosting parties at my home or a local park, planning every piece of the event, and inviting all my kids’ classmates, but I have found that I am losing the energy for this with my own passing birthdays. Luckily, many local businesses and event spaces know that we are collectively tired and have stepped up to make planning a celebration easy and fun!

BACK ALLEY LANES VRCADE

My eldest daughter has now had two Minecraft-themed birthday celebrations at local spots. Last year, we rented two bowling lanes and purchased arcade cards for her and her friends to enjoy at Back Alley Lanes VRCade in South Daytona (2400 S. Ridgewood Ave). We had a helpful employee assigned to our lanes for the duration of our stay that checked everyone in and sized for bowling shoes before we “got the ball rolling.” She stayed nearby for drink and pizza orders along the way, too. We enjoyed an hour of bowling and then hit the arcade. My daughters love the Minecraft Dungeons game there that gives you collectible cards each time you play.

CMX CINEMAS AT ONE DAYTONA

This year, the much anticipated Minecraft movie came out, so we took friends to go see it at CMX Cinemas in ONE DAYTONA (1850 Legends Lane). The theater has a party package deal that includes movie tickets, popcorn and drink combos for each guest, and use of the party room before and after the film. We brought our own cupcakes and a few decorations into the party room before friends arrived and then were able to have it safely locked up while we enjoyed the movie.

After watching, we returned to the party room to enjoy our treats and play a few games. The staff made sure we had a great time throughout the party!

THE CONNECT

If you’re looking for a creative space rather than an activity for your next event, then I would lastly and highly recommend The Connect in Daytona Beach’s historic Midtown neighborhood (565 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethine Blvd).

The Connect has been used for everything from a podcast recording studio, a church meeting space, a Super Bowl viewing party, and most recently, my own birthday party! There is flexible seating with comfy couches on one end and easy-to-move chairs and tables on the other. The space was central to the recent Crab & Seafood Festival, which is why I booked it as a place to join me for cupcakes after everyone filled up on their favorite seafood dishes!

CELEBRATE LOCAL

Volusia County is full of amazing small businesses and restaurants to visit on any given day. I love that many of these spots have gotten creative with making party planning easy and fun. If you’re not up for turning your home into the next celebration hot spot, I hope you’ll consider one of these ideas and be sure to invite me!