Here's How to Plan a Galentine's Day Party That Would Make Leslie Knope Proud (2024)

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This February 13th, make your girls feel special by throwing a Galentine's Day party that celebrates your cherished friendship.

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What’s Galentine’s Day? “Oh, it’s only the BEST day of the year,” according to Leslie Knope, overachieving deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, on TV’s Parks and Recreation. Here’s how to throw an epic Galentine’s Day celebration of your own.

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Start with a healthy appreciation for the holiday

“Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it breakfast-style,” says Leslie Knope, explaining Galentine’s Day in the Parks and Recreation episode appropriately titled “Galentine’s Day.” It’s “ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst…plus frittatas.”

With that in mind, plus these egg-cellent egg recipes, you’re ready to plan your own Galentine’s Day gala.

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Assemble the squad

Make a list of female friends, and then make like Santa and check it twice to make sure no one’s left out. Galentine’s Day is a day to celebrate the girlfriends who make life wonderful, so be as inclusive as your budget allows. You could even invite each of your friends to invite a friend.

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Pick a proper venue

Leslie Knope hosts her Galentine’s Day gatherings at a restaurant where the frittatas are fluffy, the waffles are legendary and the whipped cream is plentiful. You can plan your own party for a restaurant or you can plan it for home (or, if it’s a group of work friends, there’s always the conference room).

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Email the invites

Since Galentine’s Day celebrates female friendship, how about honoring our best friend of all, Mother Nature? Paperless invitations are a smart way to do that.

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Master the menu

If you’re hosting Galentine’s Day at a restaurant, avoid the awkwardness of menus by preselecting a choice of two or three well-loved dishes. If you’re hosting at home, consider asking each friend to bring something for the group. Who doesn’t love a potluck? You can even include links to your favorite potluck salad recipes in the invitation.

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Serve pink drinks

Although not every woman appreciates a pink and frothy drink, you can bet that this pink party punch will be a hit. You can spike the punch with champagne for an extra kick, but let your friends know in advance so they can plan their day accordingly.

See all the drinks perfect for a Galentine’s Day party.

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Turn on great music

Make a playlist that includes classic, upbeat friendship-themed tunes like Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend.” Caution: Listen responsibly. “The Wind Beneath My Wings” may cause intense feels.

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Break out the chocolate

Girlfriends and chocolate go together like chocolate and, well, everything. Since it’s wintertime, consider serving hot chocolate, or have this five-ingredient chocolate fudge out for nibbling. Or there’s always the option of laying out bowls brimming with Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses.

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Give out valentines for Galentine’s

Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, consider giving each of your gals a handwritten Galentine’s Day note saying why her friendship is meaningful to you. You can also decorate with Valentine’s Day hearts and flowers and liberal use of the color red. Or serve any of these Valentine’s Day cookies.

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Play gal games

Leslie Knope includes storytelling as part of her Galentine’s Day tradition. You can do that. Or you can play slumber party-esque games such as “Never Have I Ever.” Or organize a game of Pictionary or charades.

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Instagram it

Come up with an Instagram hashtag and notify your guests about it. Ask them to hashtag fun photos of themselves with friends, especially mutual friends. During the party, gather everyone around for a group selfie, and upload it to your Insta with the hashtag.

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Send your squad home with friendship favors

What says “friendship” better than a mason jar layered with the ingredients for mint cocoa mix? You can buy mason jars in bulk at big-box stores like Target, or you can order them from Amazon.

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Lauren Cahn is a New York-based writer whose work has appeared regularly in The Huffington Post as well as a variety of other publications since 2008 on such topics as life and style, popular culture, law, religion, health, fitness, yoga, entertaining and entertainment. She is also a writer of crime fiction; her first full-length manuscript, The Trust Game, was short-listed for the 2017 CLUE Award for emerging talent in the genre of suspense fiction.