3 Albany Holiday Event Spaces and Meal Ideas to Call Your Own
Planning a holiday party this season but can’t decide where to host it? We know the struggle.
To help you find the perfect holiday party venue, we’ve compiled a list of our top three holiday event spaces at both Birch Hill Estate and Stablegate Farm and Vineyard. Explore the seasonal beauty of these spaces along with ideas for catering menus, décor and activities.
The Columbia Ballroom
It’s hard to find a finer winter event space in Albany that feels more like “home.”
This 5600-sq.-ft. dance floor with 30-ft. ceilings is flexible enough for any type of holiday party. It offers customizable lighting options (including company color schemes) that allow designers to create a very warm and vibrant atmosphere. It also features a grand fireplace and a unique 14-ft. firewall that lets guests remain comfortable on the patio during winter, all while enjoying imagery of the snow.
The space can host large company holiday parties of up to 400 people with room to spare. You can have an elegant plated dinner, buffet or ritzy holiday cocktail party and still have plenty of room left over for fun activities like holiday cookie decorating. The Columbia Ballroom is also large enough to allow your employees to bring a plus one or invite their whole family to the company holiday party.
For a fine meal at the Columbia Ballroom, we suggest a garlic butter pan roasted salmon with brown sugar whipped sweet potatoes. That can be accompanied by a gingerbread bread pudding with crème anglaise and a tangy spiked apple cider cocktail.
The Stablegate Lodge
It’s a smaller, more intimate space that perfectly captures that winter mood.
The Stablegate Lodge can comfortably fit up to 110 guests. Its most striking features are its marvelous wooden fireplace and stone mantle, which capture that “classic” holiday feel that you only see in the movies. With arched redwood beams and windows overlooking the outdoor landscape, it’s a beautifully secluded spot that’s only 10 minutes from Albany and 10 minutes from Birch Hill.
The Lodge has a real quietness to it. The Adirondack “ski lodge” feel lines up perfectly with the holiday season and can give your holiday party a “friendly retreat” type of feeling that is sure to bring your team closer together for the holidays. It’s great for holiday sing-alongs and party games. We can even arrange with vendors for a drawn sleigh ride through the property!
For a couple tasty and memorable menu selections at the Lodge, we suggest a brown sugar & mustard glazed acorn squash with pumpkin spice crème brulee! A cocoa raspberry heaven (a raspberry-infused hot chocolate cocktail) is sure to have you swooning!
Lauren McGarry Photography
The Conservatory Ballroom
Need an intimate-feeling space that can still accommodate a large number of guests? Look no further. The Conservatory Ballroom offers the best of both worlds—spaciousness (accommodating up to 200 guests) and an intimate feel.
For the holiday season, it doesn’t get more welcoming. Large windows and a glass atrium allow you to see the beauty of the outdoors (taking in a nighttime snowfall) while staying warm and cozy indoors. The glow of the chandeliers and wall sconces create a storybook holiday feel. We can even open up the patio space with optional heaters so your holiday party guests can take in the beauty of nature.
The Conservatory functions very well for cocktail-style holiday parties and themed events. We’ve even seen a holiday-themed casino night here. Holiday parties at the Conservatory Ballroom often feature music and live entertainment like string quartets.
For a delicious meal that complements this space, try beef wellington served with a wild mushroom duxelle. Serve it with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts, caramelized onions and bacon. Finally, a warm apple tart with vanilla bean whipped cream makes a great dessert, and you can enjoy it with a cranberry ginger mule cocktail.
We hope that we’ve made your task of finding a venue for your company holiday party in Albany a little less challenging. All it takes is a little imagination, and the most beautiful spots in and around our community become your own holiday wonderland.
Contact us online or call us at 518.732.4444 to start planning your company holiday party at any of these fine venues today.