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A Burlington tradition is back this year for the 35th year, and organizers are seeking more of the not-so-secret ingredient that will make it another success: community support.

The Burlington High School All-Night Graduation Party has been held the night of graduation every year since 1991 (with a single interruption during 2020). The party, attended by more than 90% of the graduating class nearly every year, is a way for graduates to gather with their class one last time, celebrating in an entertaining, substance-free environment.

Outgoing committee chair Karen Waisnor was on the student committee for the very first All-Night Grad Party and has since worked to make the event something graduates want to attend while also being relatively constant from year to year for the committee members who plan and host it.

Waisnor remembered how it started. "It was initiated with a partnership with the Burlington Police Department. They came down to the school to gauge interest: Is there something we could do on the night of graduation to let them celebrate in a positive manner with their whole class in an environment that would be safe for everyone and allow them to spend one entire night in the building with all of their classmates for the last time?"

Images from the first All-Night Graduation Party. Newspaper clippings courtesy of Karen Waisnor.

Waisnor and the other student representatives brainstormed with the police department ways to create an engaging evening that would motivate graduates to attend. Since its inception the event has featured a DJ, games, and show-stopping hypnotist that does a 90-minute show. Frank Santos Jr. — whose father performed at that very first party in 1991 — drives up from Cumberland, Rhode Island every year. "It's the one event over the entire night that the entire class sits and you can hear a pin drop, because everyone is so fascinated by the show," said Waisnor.

Other activities have changed over time. Video games, for example, are not as novel today as they were in 1991, and the setup that used to be provided by local electronics companies has made way for other activities. But there is plenty to keep kids' attention, including skee ball, pool tables, airbrush tattoos, tarot reading, and perhaps the most out-of-the-box idea: a full casino, where kids can use fake BHS money to play blackjack, poker, and roulette.

Just when the party feels like it might turn sleepy, karaoke begins. Students can also sign each other's yearbooks and take in a roving magic show as they enjoy a full coffee bar and food from local restaurants, freshened throughout the night.

While no longer the lead entity, the police department still comes to support the event, as does school administration, student advisors, and others who have been a part of the student experience throughout high school.

The All-Night Grad Party is an official Massachusetts nonprofit, and they welcome donations from individuals and businesses, as well as grants from larger organizations, to help support the $20,000 in costs to host this event. The Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce donates t-shirts each year, featuring a logo designed by one of the graduates. The committee also welcomes chaperones – parents of younger high schoolers who donate two or three hours of their time to cover a shift so senior parents can sleep easy and graduates can enjoy the evening without feeling watched by their parents.

The BHS Class of '24 enjoys games, shows, and even airbrush tattoos at their all-night grad party. Photos courtesy Karen Waisnor.

Twenty parents make up each of three shifts – 10:00-12:00, 12:00-3:00, and 3:00-5:00 – and the later two shifts have been hard to fill this year. "We all work Monday," said Waisnor, "We ask that while your kid is in the high school in 9th, 10th and 11th grade, that you volunteer one year for us and give us a two hour shift at some point before your kid graduates."

Before kids arrive, the committee transforms the familiar cafeteria — windows covered in shiny floor-to-ceiling tinsel, balloon arches overhead — so it looks nothing like the room students have eaten lunch in for four years. At the end of the evening, senior parents come in to help restore the room for the school day as the new class of grads heads home for the first day of whatever comes next.

As for Waisnor, her youngest graduates this year, and after being on the committee as her six children have gone through school, she's ready to pass the torch. "I'm not going anywhere," she said. "I'm still in Burlington, and people can ask me questions."

The 2026 All-Night Grad Party takes place Sunday, June 7 at Burlington High School, beginning at 10 PM. Students must arrive by 11:00 and stay for the whole night. Students must register by Friday, June 5.

You can use the links below to make the Class of 2026 All-Night Graduation Party a night to remember. The committee also accepts donations via their mailbox at the high school; checks can be made out to "All-Night Grad Party."

Chaperone | Food Pick Up | Cleanup

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