Halloween Party
The residents of Bren Rose have been gathering to celebrate Halloween since 1967. The celebration includes a children’s costume parade around the neighborhood, culminating at the site of the party, which is always outdoors. The Bren Rose Homeowner’s Association provides the protein portion of the meal (burgers, brats, hotdogs, etc.), as well as adult and kids beverages, and neighbors with last names beginning with M-Z provide a potluck of salads, veggies, chips and desserts. Ron’s Famous Chili is always a well-loved staple. Everyone eats, neighbors visit, kids play. As it begins to get dark, families will begin to peel off one by one to begin Trick or Treating around the neighborhood. As with most neighborhood events, the chairperson of this event changes from time to time. The event is always held on October 31st, usually about 5:00 in the afternoon, with the location published in our newsletter. In the event of rain, the party is usually cancelled, unless a substitute venue is found. As an aside, Bren Rose is a very popular neighborhood in which to Trick or Treat. Newcomers to the neighborhood should be prepared for 150-200 Trick or Treaters in any given year.
Carriage Rides
The Bren Rose Carriage Rides were established in 2015? by neighbors Jeff and Jan Scott, and were an instant hit in the neighborhood, heralding the beginning of the holiday season. Held in early December, two horse drawn carriages take families around Bren Rose to see and enjoy the lights and decorations of the season. Both before and after the carriage rides, neighbors enjoy conversation, and meeting new neighbors, along with “comfort food,” adult beverages, hot chocolate, coffee, and s’mores made around a fire pit.
Ladies Holiday Ornament Exchange
The Ladies Holiday Ornament Exchange has been a staple of the holiday season in Bren Rose for many years. It gives the ladies of the neighborhood a well-deserved night off from making all that holiday “magic” for their families. The location changes yearly and is usually held in early to mid-December. Ladies bring a wrapped holiday ornament and an hors d’ oeuvre to share. The homeowner’s association provides the wine. After lots of visiting, numbers are passed out to all present. Number one chooses and ornament, unwraps it and shows it to all. Number two can then choose another ornament or steal number one’s. This continues until everyone has received and ornament.
Bren Rose Annual Meeting
The bylaws of the Bren Rose Homeowner’s Association dictates that the Association will hold an Annual Meeting once a year, usually in April or May. The date and location are decided by the Bren Rose Board President. This is an adult only meeting. The Homeowner’s Association provides food and drink for all attendees. After eating and socializing, the President calls the meeting to order. Neighbors are introduced, given an overview of the neighborhood’s financial condition, and updated on various ongoing neighborhood projects, such as our website, directory, welcome baskets, security, and any other ongoing concern in the neighborhood. In addition, new Board members are voted upon, and any new business is taken up. The Board, in turn, meets soon after the Annual Meeting to elect its officers. In 2023, the Annual Meeting was combined with the Spring Party to form the Bren Rose Centennial Dinner (see below).
Spring Party
The Spring Party is a family event that is usually held in mid-May. The location varies. Much as with the Halloween Party, the Bren Rose Homeowner’s Association provides protein for the event, as well as kid and adult beverages. This time, however, it is neighbors whose last names begin with A-M who bring potluck extras like salads, chips, veggies, and desserts. Neighbors visit, there are lawn games to play, and usually a bounce house for the kids. Parents must remain with any children playing in the bounce house for safety reasons. This event may change in the future to focus more on the children (see below).
Bren Rose Centennial Dinner
In 2023, Bren Rose held its Centennial Dinner to commemorate the 100th anniversary of our neighborhood’s founding. It combined elements of the Spring Party with the Annual Meeting. The evening was an adults only event, consisting of much visiting and socializing of residents as well as alums of the neighborhood (who were also invited), a bar of beer and wine offerings, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and birthday cake. After a very short Annual Meeting, those present were treated to a presentation by realtor and former Bren Rose resident, Peter Walter, who regaled the group with tales of the history of Bren Rose as well as stories of various houses within the neighborhood. Prizes were given to various categories of people, including who in attendance had lived in the neighborhood the longest, shortest, had lived in the greatest number of houses within the neighborhood, had the oldest/newest homes in Bren Rose, etc. This event was very well received, and a pared down version of it may come to combine the Annual Meeting with the adult portion of the Spring Party in the future.
Centennial Kid’s Party
Not to be outdone, there was a special Centennial party for the kids in 2023. Hosted in early May, this alcohol-free party treated kids to an obstacle course-type bounce house, other lawn games, along with tasty treats provided by a snow cone truck. This event was also well received and may continue in the future as a replacement for the kid portion of the Spring Party.