Depending on the type of party you are tossing, venues can be the most important decision you make. If you are unable to use your home, or need a bigger space, its vital to find a venue. Unfortunately it can also cost a small fortune if you are not careful. Whether you are tossing a small event or hosting a large wedding, here are some great ways to find a venue to fit your budget.
1. Visit your local city or county parks website
Most parks departments list halls and community buildings that they rent out. In our area there are several community centers and senior centers that rent out their rooms for very reasonable rates. Most have kitchen access as well. This is an added bonus because unlike hotels and restaurants, you can bring and prepare your own food. Cha-Ching!
2. Smaller towns are best
Larger cities may have lots of choices, but they are also more expensive. If you can, try to venture out to the nearest small town. Many have community halls and Granges that they rent out inexpensively. I’ve personally rented out Granges for large parties for as little as $100 for the day.
3. Lodges and organizations
Fraternity groups such as the Odd Fellows, Moose, Elks, and other groups have large rooms and banquet halls that they use for their group meetings. Some of these buildings will rent out their banquet halls for next to nothing for their members. Ask around to your friends and family and see if they belong to one of these organizations.
(For our upcoming Tea Party baby shower I was able to rent a facility for only $35!)
4. Utility companies
As a service to their customers, many utility companies will allow their customers to use their cafeterias and meeting rooms for little to no money. Not many people are aware of this, so call your local utility company and ask if they rent out their rooms. We’ve rented rooms from several utility companies. Some charged a small fee and others were free for use by their customers. Be sure to call and book well in advance in order to take advantage of this.
5. Malls
Surprising enough, many malls also have meeting rooms that are available for rent. Contact the malls customer service office to find out if they have a facility available. Our local mall rents out their meeting room for $50 as long as it is a non-profit event. Another plus to this is that everybody will know where the mall is and there is plenty of parking.
6. Check out the local schools
Believe it or not, public schools rent out their gyms and cafeterias for events. Some of these will even allow you to use their kitchen. Several years ago I co-hosted a wedding for a family member. It was quite a large wedding with over 250 guests, so finding a facility that could accommodate us was not easy. A family member located an elementary school that had a brand new gym with a cafeteria underneath. Score! This really helped us to save a lot of money and the space was perfect! If you have children that are attending school, ask the secretaries if they rent out any part of the school for parties. (Of course, it helps if your kids stay out of trouble…. Hahaha)
7. Check out your work place
Does your company have a cafeteria, lunch room or banquet hall? If not, ask around. Your family or friends may work for a company or business that has these facilities and often will allow employees to use them for free during non-working hours.
8. Club Houses
Do you know someone who lives in an apartment building or complex? Many apartment complexes and mobile home parks have club houses. There are even some gated communities that have club houses for use by their residents. These are almost always free to their residents for use and are perfect for smaller parties such as baby and bridal showers. Be sure to book well in advance! These are popular places to hold parties and fill up fast.
9. Don’t be afraid to barter!
Do you have a skill or know someone who does? Use it! One year we were able to use a facility for free by offering to strip and wax their kitchen area. We had a friend who had a janitorial business and offered to do the work. It only took an hour of work and we used the facility for the whole day for free!
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
There are a lot of hidden gems out there if you know where to look.
Toss Me a Party 
