A peek at the decorations for West Hartford’s Hall High School Class of 2016 boardwalk-themed Safe Grad party.

By Ronni Newton

On Thursday night, several hundred newly-graduated Hall High school students filled the cafeteria of what is now their new alma mater to celebrate their big day at another rite of passage – the annual Safe Grad party.

Every year, Hall and Conard seniors are kept in the dark about their class’s Safe Grad theme until they walk through the doors the night of their graduation. This year, Hall was transformed into a “Hall-Antic City” with boardwalk-themed food, games, and decorations.

The cafeteria floor was even covered in vinyl “boardwalk” paper.

Shannon Graulich and Katie Kearney, co-chairs of Hall Safe Grad, and decorating co-chair Stacey Dresner, gave We-Ha.com a tour of the decorated space.

“Tara was the creative genius. She’s an art teacher,” Dresner said of her decorating co-chair, Tara Kremidas.

The entrance to Hall-Antic City is lined with seagull-topped ropes, as grads enter what no longer resembles their familiar cafeteria.

A fortune teller – aka former West Hartford Teacher of the Year Joyce St. Germaine – will give the new grads a clue as to what their futures may hold.

Arcade games like air hockey and skee ball have been rented, and should keep the grads entertained for hours.

Anyone who gets hungry can visit the “Roller Coast Café” where benches have been transformed into bright blue and yellow roller coaster seats and a track hangs above. Before gaining entrance to the roller coaster, riders must check in with “Zondra” – an image of Hall’s security guard who ensures they are tall enough for the ride.

Inside the café, boardwalk-style food includes wings, pizza, salads, eggrolls, ice cream sundaes, and candy. There’s also a popcorn machine and a hot pretzel wagon. In the morning, bagels and doughnuts will be available.

For those who really want to jump around and expend some energy, three large inflatables and a beach volleyball game can be found in the courtyard.

The hallway is the massage zone, where professional masseuses help relax the grads after their celebration.

Baby pictures line another hallway, leading to the “beach cabana” – a soothing blue-toned quiet room with comfortable couches and chairs where movies will be shown throughout the 10 p.m. – 4 a.m. Safe Grad party.

A huge benefit to attending the Safe Grad party is the chance to win a fantastic raffle prize. Approximately $11,000 has been spent on the prizes, and every grad will leave with something, Graulich said. The prizes include some major “live raffle” items like a GoPro camera, laptop, two TVs, iPads and Apple Watches, a $300 gift card, and teeth-whitening worth $500. Other prizes are not as extravagant, and 30 to 40 of those will be handed out every hour.

Kearney said that every grad attending the party will also receive a goodie bag, containing coupons and a custom-made Hall 2016 beach towel.

About 50 “hardcore” people have been working to plan the party since September, the co-chairs said, and about 150 will be helping Thursday night.

Safe Grad has been a graduation night event at West Hartford’s high schools for decades, and is attended by the majority of the graduating class who thoroughly enjoy the elaborate-themed, safe, and entertaining experience.

“Historically we get more than 90 percent of graduates attending,” Graulich said.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford!