Veranda - Looking Back on a Year of Fun

2022 was a fun year for Veranda residents filled with classes, tournaments, pool parties and games. We even held our first Comic Con! Who is responsible? Damien Pennington, our Director of Fun. Damien creates and oversees our fantastic calendar of events. Join us for a walk down memory lane, then visit Veranda to see how you can join in the fun for 2023.

Fabulous Festivities

When it comes to event planning, Damien believes in going big, and last year was no exception. In March, Residents dressed to impress in their best James Bond outfits for Casino Night. April saw the return of our annual crawfish boil. In addition to spicy crustaceans, attendees enjoyed Zydeco bands, lawn games and more. Residents suited up for Veranda-Con in June. The event featured cosplayers, special guests, Pokemon tutorials, lightsaber training, a Halo selfie station and more. July was all about food trucks and fireworks. Our annual 4^th of July celebration invited residents to enjoy live music, inflatables, face painters and spectacular fireworks choreographed to music. Everyone had a howling good time at the opening of Canine Cove dog park in October. Residents dressed up their pooches for Howl-O-Ween Fest to check out the park and indulge in “yappy” hour. We finished out the year with a kid-friendly holiday “Who-bilation” brunch. Families donned pajamas and dined on a delicious feast catered by Chef Robbie Rensel of Savory Celebrations and then took advantage of a craft station and photo booth.

For the Kids

Kids are never bored at Veranda. Toddlers exercise minds and bodies at Toddler Storytimes and Toddler Zumbini classes. Our favorite was the May the Fourth Be With You Star Wars-themed Storytime and a Holiday Toddler Pajama Jam. Fathers and daughters danced the night away at a father/daughter dance. Mothers and sons engaged in some friendly competition during a game night held in June. Kids revealed their secret identities during a Superhero Spring Break camp featuring a training school, Hero Storytime, Caped Crusader craft, game night and more. In April, the kids made kites and let them fly at our Kids Craft-Kite Flying event.

Pool Parties

Our family-friendly pool is the perfect place to beat the Texas heat, but it’s even more fun when residents gather for events that keep them cool. We kicked off summer with a pool party in May followed by a June adult pool party. Families took to floaties for movie nights in the pool. Even our fur babies got in on the act with a special Doggie Splash Bash in October.

Head to Class

Our residents love learning new things. Classes held at The Cottage House satisfied their thirst for knowledge. In January, they learned to make sushi, participated in a sand art plant workshop in February, crafted cheese boards in April and fashioned fall wreaths in October. Several seminars were held to teach residents about financial planning. Our senior residents attended a lecture on Medicare.

Activities for Athletes 

We like to keep our residents active. They loved our Grand Slam tennis tournament in February. It was so much fun, we held another tournament in March. Everyone took a break from their Thanksgiving feast at our Turkey Trot 5K run.

So Much More

We didn’t stop at the obvious. We hosted events such as an Axes and Ales Night, a Ladies Paint Night and a health and wellness expo. We celebrated National Pizza Day, National Doughnut Day and National Night Out. There were luaus, fall festivals and Food Truck Fridays. In fact, it’s safe to say, the fun never stopped. We can’t wait to see what Damien has in store for 2023!

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