Graduation Parties At Claudia Sanders Dinner House

A graduation party at Claudia Sanders Dinner House celebrates the milestone with scratch-made Southern food in a warm, character-filled setting. High school, college, and nursing or trade-school graduations all find a home here, with a room for the family or a buffet that scales to the whole class.

The venue's heritage — founded in 1968 beside the historic Blackwood Hall home — gives the celebration a sense of place, and the Kentucky horse-country décor and fireplaces make the setting feel distinctive. The private rooms keep the party separate from the dining room so the graduate and the family have space to celebrate.

Menus scale from a plated dinner for 20 to a buffet for hundreds, and every menu is customized to the party. Homemade pies and cobblers are available for dessert, and the full bar serves beer, wine, and cocktails for adult family members and friends.

Graduation parties here suit both a family dinner for the graduate and a larger gathering that includes friends, classmates, and extended family. It works for a high school graduation with a buffet for the family and for a college or trade-school graduation with a plated dinner or a reception. The private rooms keep the celebration contained, and the customizable menus scale to any size.

Families from Louisville, Southern Indiana, and across Kentucky often gather in Shelbyville for a central celebration point. The venue handles both intimate dinners and large parties up to 450, so a small family gathering and a big class party both fit comfortably.

Choose a room based on your guest count and whether you want a seated dinner or a buffet.

For a graduation party, the Thoroughbred or Saddlebred Room (up to 55 each) suits a family dinner, while the Kentucky Room (up to 150) works for a larger gathering of family and friends. The Colonel's Quarters can hold up to 450 for a class party, and the divisible layout lets us fit the group comfortably.

We offer several service formats so the party matches the graduate and the guest count.

A buffet is the most popular choice for a graduation party — it scales easily for a large guest list and lets guests serve themselves at their own pace. A plated dinner works for a more formal celebration, and an appetizer-and-drinks reception suits a lighter, more social gathering. Every menu is customized to the party.

Menus draw from the same scratch-made Southern food served in the dining room — fried chicken, sugar-cured Kentucky country ham, the Kentucky Hot Brown, chicken livers, steaks and chops, eight family-style vegetables, and homemade pies. See the full menu and the carry-out menu for the dishes that can anchor your event.

Homemade pies, cobblers, and Claudia's Kentucky Pie are available for dessert. The full bar serves beer, wine, and cocktails for adult family members and friends, with beverage service priced by the drink or by the bottle.

Graduation parties most often take place in the spring and summer, and those dates book early as the season approaches. Because the venue welcomes large groups and tour buses, a class party or a gathering that includes extended family traveling in is easy to arrange. Plan early to secure a room for the date you want.

The venue's Saturday and Sunday hours — from 8 AM to 8 PM — give flexibility for a graduation brunch, a lunch, or an evening celebration. A weekend brunch or lunch is a popular choice for a graduation party, with family-style platters or a buffet that suits a daytime gathering.

Because the venue is closed Monday and Tuesday, plan the party for a Wednesday through Sunday within our posted hours. Spring and summer dates fill quickly, so call early to check availability.

Planning starts with a call to (502) 633-5600 or a message through the contact form. Tell us the graduation, your date, guest count, and any food preferences, and we will help you choose a room and build a menu.

Because every event is customized, we do not publish per-person pricing online. Tell us your date, guest count, and the style of service you want, and we will send menu options and pricing. There is no obligation, and we are happy to walk through the rooms and the menu before you decide.

Because spring and summer dates book early, we recommend planning ahead. Tell us your preferred date and we will check availability and help you secure a room before the season fills up.

Before the party, confirm your guest count, menu selections, and any dietary needs. If you plan toasts, a presentation, or a dessert for the graduate, let us know so we can arrange the room and the timing.

• ✓Choose a buffet, a plated dinner, or an appetizer reception.
• ✓Pick a room that fits the guest count.
• ✓Build a custom menu for the party.
• ✓Homemade pies and cobblers are available for dessert.
• ✓Plan early — spring and summer dates book early.

On the day, our team handles service and cleanup so the hosts can focus on the graduate. The private room keeps the party separate from the dining room, giving the family and friends space to celebrate together.

Claudia Sanders Dinner House is at 3202 Shelbyville Rd (U.S. 60), Shelbyville, Kentucky 40065, east of Louisville. Guests from Louisville, Southern Indiana, and across Kentucky often gather here, and the Kentucky horse-country setting gives the occasion a sense of place. Parking is on site, and tour buses are welcome.

Claudia Sanders Dinner House is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 AM to 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 8 PM, with breakfast served on weekends. The venue is closed Monday and Tuesday. Holiday hours may differ — call (502) 633-5600 to confirm.

Graduation parties most often take place on a weekend in the spring or summer, and the venue's Saturday and Sunday hours — from 8 AM to 8 PM — give flexibility for a brunch, a lunch, or an evening celebration. Plan early, as those dates book quickly.

Receptions are based on a per-person price for food, beverage by the drink or bottle, and any other special services requested, with a minimum of 50 guests. A Basic Reception includes skirted service tables with serving equipment, china or glass plates, forks, napkins, and tables and chairs for your guests. All other services are at an additional charge.

For graduation parties below the 50-guest reception minimum, ask about a private-room dinner with a buffet or plated menu — we can often host smaller families with a reserved room and a customized menu.

A graduation is a milestone worth a setting that feels like an occasion, not a function room. The fireplaces, the Kentucky horse-country heritage, and the family-style hospitality the Dinner House was founded on in 1968 give the celebration a warm, memorable backdrop that a standard banquet hall cannot match.

Because the food is made from scratch in our own kitchen — breads baked each morning, eight family-style vegetables, and homemade pies and cobblers — the meal itself becomes part of the celebration rather than an afterthought. Call (502) 633-5600 to plan a graduation party your family will remember.