Fathers Eve 2019 Shaping Up to Be Biggest Paternal Party Yet

Be it backyard cookouts, touch football games or just beers at a local bar, several City Dads Group chapters plan to gather June 15 for a pre-Father’s Day celebration of the dad life.

The events are organized under the banner of Fathers Eve, an international movement sparked by one of our Minnesota members. It’s purpose is to give men a chance to get together and toast the greatest title any man can hold: dad.

Twin Cities Dads Group co-organizer John Francis created the event in 2012. He invited several dad friends to his house to drink beers, shoot some pool and swap stories about fatherhood while offering each other support in their efforts to become better parents. The celebrations have spread as far away as Costa Rica and London, and now include major national sponsors such as Smarty Pants vitamins beer and SportsClips haircuts. (Disclosure: City Dads Group has been a strategic partner with Fathers Eve for the past several years).

Forty-eight Fathers Eve celebrations were held in 2018 with more than 1,000 dads participating and more than $6,000 being raised for worthy causes, according to the Fathers Eve Facebook page. This year, the organization is aiming for 100 events.

Fathers Eve 2019: City Dads style

As of publication, 11 City Dads Group chapters have scheduled gatherings for June 15, aka Fathers Eve 2019. A list of those cities and events can be found on our website’s Meetups page.

These include:

• Fathers in our Fresno chapter will meet at a local entertainment center for three hours of laser tag, arcade time and virtual reality play. The event will also raise funds for NAMI Fresno, a grassroots support and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with severe mental illnesses.
• Two events being held by our NYC Dads Group. Members from Long Island plan a simple gathering at a Port Washington, N.Y., restaurant with giveaways for those who attend. Those living in the city will gather for a touch football game followed by a cookout in a Harlem park.
• Meanwhile, while several groups plan celebrations at local taphouses or brew pubs, our Cincinnati dads plan to raise a toast to fatherhood with a backyard barbecue at one its organizer’s homes.

To join a Fathers Eve 2019 celebration near you — with or without City dads Group or to start your own, visit the Fathers Eve website.