What is a Friendsgiving? Friendsgiving is the same concept as Thanksgiving, but celebrated with friends, instead of family. It is usually a potluck-style meal where all attendees can bring something to share. Whether it’s a party tray from a grocery store, a family recipe passed down from generations, or even takeout! Friendsgiving isn’t only about the food. It’s about enjoying each other’s company and creating memories with your friends.

An expansive Resident Lounge at Camden Cypress Creek in Houston, TX

Pick a Place!

For many of us, hosting a Friendsgiving, or any gathering can be hard when you live in an apartment. If you're going that route, we have great tips on accomplishing a 5-star meal using one oven! And we recently lent our expertise to creating a beautiful potluck event in your apartment.

But fortunately for residents who live at a Camden - many of our Camden communities have an Activity Room, Club Room or Resident Lounge that residents can book for their special event! Here at Camden North Quarter in Orlando, we have the ‘Sky Lounge."

Host a party in the beautiful Sky Lounge at Camden North Quarter

Most of these spaces have catering kitchens, equipped with a convection oven to keep your food warm or reheat, refrigerators and freezers, and outlets spread all throughout. This allows your guests to bring any dish, hot or cold, in a pan or crockpot, with ease.

The best part of hosting in a Resident Lounge is the amount of space you and your guests will have. You can spread the food out over a multitude of counter spaces. There will be plenty of seating provided, so you won’t have to dig out any folding chairs. And you won’t have to worry about cleaning your entire apartment ahead of time with the expected company coming over. You can just show up and get the party started!

The gorgeous Resident Lounge at Camden Tempe in Tempe, AZ

Set the Scene

The last few steps to kicking off your Friendsgiving are simple!

• Set the Table: You can go all out with placemats, themed glassware, and linen tablecloths. Or you can keep it easy and use disposable. You know your guests best.

• Plan an Activity: Will you have your friends go around the table and say what they are thankful for? Or will you have board games on-hand to play after everyone has finished eating?

As the host, these are the things that help make the day special.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun. If you are having fun your guests will too. By the end of the day, everyone will be planning the next gathering! How will you customize your Friendsgiving this year?