02/13/2023
The bus can be the best part of the party
Party buses offer worry-free bachelor and bachelorette party options.
By Robert Levey
Special to the Union Leader
Why a party bus? Because getting there is half the fun.
If you are involved in planning a bachelor or bachelorette party, you may want to call New Hampshire Party Bus or Fun Times Party Bus, located in Goffstown and Merrimack, respectively.
According to Kelly Socia, owner of New Hampshire Party Bus, one of the best venues for such parties might be the bus itself. “I often will have a group decide after visiting a few venues that they just want to drive around and drink and eat what they have brought on the bus,” he said. “They can Bluetooth their music to the stereo and watch the same or separate videos on two TVs.”
When not entertaining guests on his bus, however, Socia said half his bookings take place within New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. “One-third of those bookings have Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion for a destination,” he said.
Other popular venues for bachelor/ bachelorette parties in the Lakes Region, according to Socia, include Weirs Beach and Town Dock, Naz Bar and Grill at NASWA Resort, Tower Hill Tavern, The Fun Spot in, and Twin Barns Brewery. “It is not unusual for participants on a New Hampshire Party Bus to truly be ‘the life of the party’ at any venue,” he added.
According to Ron Content, owner of Fun Times Party Bus, the most popular destinations for bachelor/ bachelorette parties are brewery/ wine tours. “When you want to combine these kinds of tours with adult entertainment, PiNZ in Portsmouth comes to mind,” he said. “This location provides food, beverages and entertainment for various entertainment preferences.”
While in Portsmouth, Content listed Market Square as a proverbial central hub. “Quite often, the Party Bus will pull up to The Goat on Congress Street and the patrons will have their ‘dance party’ in the bus while waiting for the long lines to subside,” he said with a laugh.
One location for such a party, however, caught Content by surprise, as he described his experience at Axe Play in Hudson. “Fun Times Party Bus pulled up to the entrance, and the patrons started removing their large cooler of beverages out of the bus” he recounted. “I was blown away to hear this location allows BYOB … Imagine an ax in one hand and an adult beverage in the other.”
New Hampshire Party Bus and Fun Times Party Bus are not restricted to just bachelor/bachelorette parties. “Within the course of a week, I have booked a bachelorette party, 12-yearold birthday party and wedding shuttle,” said Socia, who noted
he and Content often refer business to one another. “I custom decorate for each event, too.”
According to Content, any event on the bus provides him with a sense of joy. “The most fun I’ve had driving for Fun Times Party Bus for any event is just hearing the guests laughing, screaming, singing and clapping — anything that expresses their enchantment during their experience,” he said.
Something that never gets old for Content is what he referred to as “all the ‘Magic Mikes’ out there.” “When these gentlemen enter the bus and see the pole, their imagination takes them shirtless with a bow tie on a stage in Vegas,” he said.
Magic Mike has also figured into events for New Hampshire Party Bus. “The ladies were listening to their music, drinking and dancing with Magic Mike playing on the TVs,” said Socia.
To learn more about New Hampshire Party Bus, visit newhampshirepartybus.com.
A bachelorette party poses for a group photo during their night out with the New Hampshire Party Bus. PHOTO PROVIDED BY NEW HAMPSHIRE PARTY BUS
