Looking to elevate your holiday season or regular happy hour gatherings beyond the typical bar scene? Happy Hour alternatives such as escape rooms are great times not only for team-building at work but also for spending quality time with friends and family.
Activity bars offer a perfect mix of entertainment, food, and drinks to ensure your event stands out. If you’re like me, concerned about maintaining your health amidst the festive feasting, consider hosting an event that incorporates activities alongside cocktails and appetizers. It’s a fun way to stay active and strike a balance during this indulgent time of year.
Here’s a list of our favorite picks for memorable celebrations throughout the year.
1. Escape Rooms
A couple of years ago, several escape rooms popped up in my neighborhood. My husband and I got a group together to check them out and were immediately hooked. Now we regularly try new ones with our fellow escape room junkie friends. We also enjoy doing them as a trio on the weekends that we have my husband’s daughter (my step-daughter.) It’s good clean fun and a great way to bond.
What is an escape room? Well, for anyone who may have missed out thus far, here’s the basics. You and a team of usually 3-5 others are locked in a room that has some kind of theme such as East London’s Haunted Toy Store or Patient Zero or Los Angeles’s Dracula: The Final Hour.You are given 60 minutes to escape and there is only one way out – work together to find clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes before your time runs out.
Whether you escape in time or have to be rescued I can promise you the rush of adrenaline is every bit as good as blue cheese stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto (although that does sound pretty damn good too) or a glass of bubbly.
2. Immersive Theater
An immersive experience transports participants into a fully engaging and interactive environment, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
A prime example is “The Great Gatsby Immersive Experience” in London, where attendees step into the glitz and glamour of Jay Gatsby’s world, interacting with characters and exploring lavish sets reminiscent of the Jazz Age. Here you can become a character in The Great Gatsby. Dressing like the roaring 20’s (the 1920’s that is…) you can dance the Charleston and the Fox Trot with Daisy and Mr Gatsby or sneak into the back room to help plot a bootlegging empire. The two-hour experience will take you cover to cover of arguably one of the most famous books of all time.
A notable example in Los Angeles is “The Edison” downtown. This venue transforms a historic power plant into a 1920s-inspired speakeasy and entertainment venue, complete with period decor, live music, and interactive performances. Guests are transported to the Prohibition era, where they can interact with actors portraying characters from the time, enjoy live jazz music, and savor craft cocktails in an authentic setting.
These immersive experiences allow participants to step into different worlds, engage with the environment, and become part of the narrative, creating memorable and immersive adventures.
3. Axe Throwing
Axe throwing has emerged as a popular happy hour trend, offering a unique blend of adrenaline-pumping fun and social interaction. This activity combines the thrill of competitive sports with the laid-back atmosphere of a casual hangout, making it an ideal choice for group outings and team-building events. Participants can hone their skills under the guidance of trained instructors, enjoying friendly competitions while savoring drinks and snacks.
Axe throwing venues often feature a vibrant, energetic ambiance, fostering camaraderie and laughter among friends or colleagues. As a growing trend, axe throwing during happy hour provides a refreshing and memorable alternative to traditional after-work gatherings.
4. Social Darts
Like good old fashioned darts but with a high tech edge. Flight Club social darts gaming bar has reinvented darts for the 21st century. Make yourself at home in one of their cosy booths with a pint of beer and choose from a range of fast and exciting multi-player games. In the words of the creators, “Flight Club gave them the chance to combine the warmth and community of the traditional British pubs with the high energy of [what they call] ‘Social Darts’.” With locations in Chicago, Boston and London, Flight Club is bound to roll out all over the US and the UK.
I’d be lying if I said some of these activities didn’t also pair well with a pint, I’m just saying they can provide an alternative activity. So whether an office Christmas party or an evening out with friends or family, with these consumption-distraction activities you could find yourself with a lot less work to do at the gym during the week that you try to keep those New Years resolutions.
5. Ping Pong
Yes like the table in your friend’s mom’s basement in high school. Ping pong tables are having a moment again making appearances all over business spaces and bars. There are even places such as Bounce in London with about 50 ping pong tables of all different varieties. Again, it’s good clean fun and it gets your heart rate going. As far as I am concerned, that counts as a workout.
