Generally, there are two kinds of Parties: student parties and non-student parties. Student parties, usually thrown/attended by UC Davis students and sometimes Davis High School students, often revolve around alcohol and may be loud. Non-student parties may also have alcohol and be loud but also probably have more of a purpose to them, such as a birthday party, a graduation party, or other celebrations.
Of course, there are also political parties.
See also: Weddings
Party Supplies
- Alcohol
- Decorations: Adry's Fiesta Boutique (in Winters), All Star Rents, Cost Plus World Market, Carousel Stationery, Dollar Tree, Grocery Stores, Party and Vac,
- Food: Costco, Grocery Stores
- Photographers in case you want to document the event.
Student Parties
Free beer can be found at most bro parties, frat parties and maybe some house shows, although house shows are more likely to be BYOB. Dorm parties once were prevalent.
- Birthday Parties
- Bro Parties
- Democratic Party
- Frat Parties
- Green Party
- House Shows
- Libertarian Party
- Party King Of Davis
- Republican Party
- Safe Party Initiative
- SOS Parties aka Ragers
- Study Parties
The AIM name "Davispartyscene" used to deliver residents a list of parties in pseudo-real-time — some believe such a service might cause party-problems or an excess of unwanted guests at parties. Perhaps a better solution would be the daviswiki.org's Events Board. Another funky site, Facebook, also has a similar party-advertising feature. If, in the future, an AIM bot for parties becomes available it will likely get its own page on the wiki. Cheers! —StevenDaubert wonders about UCDparties (wasn't it around before partyscene? and of course the related VIP parties bot...)
How to Throw a Party
Here's where we school you in how to throw a party of the drinking, dancing and hooking up variety.
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Get a noise permit, especially if a band is playing. Be sure to describe the kind of music on the noise permit— folk, blues and reggae is a far easier sell than death metal — if you are having death metal, call it "rock." Permits may be difficult for undergraduate students to get. [see Noise Violation]
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Talk to neighbors about your party well in advance, making sure they understand how long it will last and how big it will be. Be honest and give your neighbors a paper with the party date, your name and phone number. Ask them to call you if the noise gets too loud or if your guests get out of hand — they're more likely to give you a call before calling the cops! If neighbors do call, be responsible and ask your guests to keep it in control.
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Make a Costco food run. Provide some sort of munchies, or people become too drunk too fast. As the host, you may be held responsible for any injuries/accidents that occur as a result of somebody getting too drunk at your party.
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Plan your alcohol needs. Two to four kegs should be sufficient for a large undergraduate party unless you are providing hard liquor. Make it a BYOB party if you expect minors or drunks — police will hold you responsible for supplying liquor to minors. Graduate student parties require fewer kegs and guests are more likely to contribute to your party in the form of alcohol or snacks.
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Party-proof your house. Spend a little money on some cheap wood stakes and a roll of black plastic, easily found at Hibbert Lumber, to create a wall around your yard and extend your party zone. Have your sober person monitor the entrance to be aware of who is attending your party and shield any acts of debauchery. Keep in mind that encouraging guests to party outside increases your chances of a noise violation!
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Close all doors and windows because police can enter through any open doors and see through open windows — this leaves you subject to the "Plain View" law which justifies subsequent searches.
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Make sure there's plenty of toilet paper and guests have sufficient bathroom access... neighbors get bummed out to find your guests pissing in their yard.
Be proactive in dealing with problem guests. You have just as much right as your neighbors to call the police if things start getting out of hand! To file a police report or for general information, press 0. ... To speak to the dispatch center press 5.
If the police arrive keep in mind that you can always use the line, "Officer I do not consent to any searches." This, however, doesn't protect you if officers either enter through an open door or they have reason to search because of acts visible through open windows/doors [see Party-proof your House, above]. If you experience a legitimate violation of your rights, we encourage you to post your experiences on our Police Misconduct Stories page in addition to reporting the incident and taking legal action.
Find more safe and fun party ideas for throwing a successful bash at http://safeparty.ucdavis.edu/ a website hosted by Health Education and Promotion at UCD.