Bark River Senior Center
Bark River, MI

Event Planning
We aren't just committed to making the day of your event stress free, here we offer some assistance leading up to your day.
Click the picture or heading above to find an updated list of local vendors, including: caterers, bartenders, decorators, DJ's, photo booth, and desserts.
This picture is a layout of the Senior Center. It is not to an exact scale and more of an estimate to help you visualize your event. Click on it to see the entire layout.

Accommodations
Our hall has a full kitchen, with industrial size fridge, chest freezer, and keg refrigerator. The kitchen also has a serving window and food is typically set up in the front hall. We have a bar area, with a serving window. Restrooms are accessible from both the big hall and front hall. Our venue can accommodate up to 500 people, and we provide the tables and chairs (chairs are metal folding chairs). On one end of the hall is a stage/riser, most people use for a head table. There is also a walk in closet area for guests to hang up coats. We have air conditioning and/or heat in both halls.
The contracts in the PDF's listed will have all the information you need. A $250 security deposit is due upon signing of the contract to reserve your date.
Full Facility Contract
Front Hall Contract
Event Questionnaire
We'd like some information from you before your big day, so we can best accommodate. We ask that this questionnaire be completed a month prior to the event and Michelle our building manager will send you one. Also in this questionnaire are links to pictures of different possible set-ups for your event (but not limited to).
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(Important: Note: An event insurance policy is required if alcohol is being served and the policy number is requested in this form. You can get this insurance through most home owner's insurance.)

Weekend Schedule
The Senior Center will be open as follows during the weekend of your Saturday event:​
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Friday: 8:00 am until 5:00 pm
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Saturday: 8:00 am until 1:00 am (event must conclude by midnight)
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Sunday: 8:00 until noon for cleanup
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*For those who signed contracts after 5.19.2025, you will be allowed in the hall two days prior to your event to allow for more time to set up tables and chairs. There will be no end time on the day following your event, and you can take however long you need.*
Clean Up
We really try to make clean up easy for you. We just ask that you take everything out that you brought in. Garbages should be emptied and taken to the dumpsters provided outside. For those with contracts signed after 5.19.2025, you will be required to fold up chairs after your event and set tables to one side of the room. You do not need to sweep or mop the floors.
The kitchen door is different than the front and fire doors. They all use a similar style key, but need to be turned slightly different. CLICK ON THE PICTURE above for a video tutorial. It is your responsibility to have these doors unlocked for your event and you will access the building with a keycode.​

Frequent Areas of Concern
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Insurance policy is required for an event serving alcohol. Security is required too if alcohol is served. We provide the security and it's included in the rental price already.
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People are often asked to move their set ups that are blocking fire exits, so here's a heads up again...do not block fire exits.
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Propping the door open throws off our thermostat and you will find that the heat or air will be competing with it. Please keep doors shut.