As the school year quickly comes to an end, students eagerly get ready for summer. For the class of 2026 there are many final events to attend, the biggest being graduation. That leads to our next question, what next? For some, it is a 2-year community college or maybe a trade school, but before all of that there is one final event for the seniors: grad night.
What is grad night? It is essentially an all-night party which is filled with gifts for our graduating seniors from parents and the community. The goal is to create a huge milestone celebration in a safe drug and alcohol free environment where students can spend one last night together before everyone goes their separate ways after high school.
Tiffany Hurst and Angela Black are serving as Co-Chairs of the planning committee. Hurst reports, “After graduation, the grad night participants will take a bus to our Grad Night Location(s). We leave the Coliseum at 6:30 for a night of fun, then return to Wilsonville High School at 3am.”
Grad night each year happens at a different location, which is kept secret; only a select few adults are even aware of where it takes place, and most of the volunteers don’t even know. The secrecy is part of what makes the event exciting for students because nobody really knows what to expect until they get there. What we do know, according to Hurst is, “In the past grad night activities included music and games, swimming, food, beverages, and tons of really fun activities.”
Planning an event like this takes months of preparation from parents and volunteers. From organizing buses and activities to collecting prizes and making sure everyone stays safe, there is a lot that goes into making grad night happen.
The community also helps by donating gifts and supporting fundraisers throughout the year so seniors can have a memorable experience. There are lots of sales organized throughout the year by the parent volunteers, which is a very tedious process.
Many students have heard stories about grad nights from previous graduating classes. Some stories are funny, while others are reminders about why students should stay with the group. Layne Wettstein, a senior at Wilsonville, whose brother was in the graduating class of 2024 tells us what he heard about his brother’s year, “I remember when Kai went, a kid left early, which you definitely should not do because they had like all of the parents searching for him at 4 am.” This is definitely helpful for this class to let seniors know not to leave without alerting adults first, and probably just shouldn’t leave at all.
For many seniors, grad night is more than just a party. It is one final chance to spend time together as a class before everyone moves on to different schools, jobs, and futures. After years of classes, sports, homework, and school events, grad night gives the class of 2026 one last memory together to end their high school experience on a fun and positive note.