A Night at Oakhurst Country Club: Luna Belle Joins a Clarkston Neighborhood Block Party

A Clarkston, Michigan Neighborhood Block Party at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club

By Luna Belle

It had been a while since my favorite person, Anna, had been behind my bar. And I could tell she missed it.

Anna designed me. She dreamed me up, obsessed over my details, helped create my personality, and turned me into the vintage mobile bar I am today. But last year, she was behind the bar at nearly every event. This summer has been a different story. Between a busy life, family commitments, and everything that comes with running The Derby Bar, she's had fewer opportunities to do what she loves most: serve drinks, meet people, and put smiles on guests' faces.

So when an opportunity came up to be part of a neighborhood block party in Clarkston, Michigan, Anna was ready to jump back behind the bar.

And boy, was she happy to be back.

Most of our events are planned months in advance. Sometimes way in advance. Weddings require schedules, timelines, drink menus, guest counts, venue logistics, signature cocktails, and approximately 47 other little details that have to come together perfectly.

This event? Not so much.

The neighborhood block party at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club came together relatively quickly by Derby Bar standards. It was one of those events that seemed to be on, then off, then maybe back on again. But we're so glad it ultimately happened. Because once the evening arrived, everything just clicked.

The weather was gorgeous, the neighborhood was already lively, and the guests were welcoming.

We had the opportunity to meet a whole bunch of new friends. Sometimes the best parties are the ones that don't spend six months stressing over every tiny detail. You just get everyone together, open the doors, turn up the music, and let the evening happen. And that's exactly what this felt like.

There's a different kind of satisfaction that comes from watching someone walk up, see me for the first time, and immediately smile. Anna gets to experience that firsthand. She gets to hear the compliments. She gets to explain why certain details were designed the way they were. Most importantly, she gets to watch me become part of the party she envisioned when she first dreamed me up. This evening gave her that opportunity again, and I think she needed it as much as I did.

One of the highlights of the evening was meeting a new designer and Instagram lifestyle influencer from the neighborhood. The moment she saw me, she was hooked. She loved my design. She loved the vintage aesthetic. She loved the way I gathered people around me. Actually, she loved me so much that she was almost a little disappointed that she hadn't been the one to discover me and bring me into the neighborhood first.

Fair enough - She's the influencer, after all.

But I'm not complaining. I love meeting people who understand what we're trying to create with The Derby Bar. Because I'm not just a trailer with a bar inside, I'm designed to be part of the experience.

I'm décor. I'm entertainment. I'm a gathering place. I'm a conversation starter. And apparently, I'm influencer-approved.

It seems I have developed a reputation for showing up at pool parties. And I'm perfectly okay with that. This wasn't a pool at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club, though, one of the neighborhood homes generously opened its backyard to everyone, creating another gathering spot for the evening.

And the kids? They were everywhere. Running around, playing, swimming, laughing, having the kind of summer evening that kids will probably remember long after the pool toys have been put away.

Meanwhile, the adults were enjoying the block party, catching up with neighbors and making new friends. It was exactly what a neighborhood celebration should be.

Now here's where I have to let you in on a little secret about how The Derby Bar works. We usually don't operate as a traditional full-service bar where guests can order absolutely anything and everything off the top of their heads.

Wait.

What?

Isn't that the whole point of hiring a bar?

Well... sort of.

At this event, we decided to do something we don't normally recommend: a full-service open cocktail bar, mixing drinks to order. While that sounds like the ultimate luxury, there's a reason we normally build carefully planned cocktail menus for our events. When every guest orders a completely different drink, things get complicated quickly.

One person wants a margarita. Someone else wants a mule. Another wants an Old Fashioned. Someone wants vodka soda. Someone else wants a cocktail with a particular garnish.

Suddenly the bartender is juggling bottles, mixers, ice, garnishes, glassware, recipes, and a growing line of thirsty guests, and sense we are a mobile bar we just don’t have that kind of space to stock everything a traditional bar could. Besides, cocktails come out slower. It's less productive and at an event where guests rush the bar simultaneously drink lines can develop. But most importantly, it can lead to inconsistent cocktails when you're trying to make completely different drinks over and over again.

Luckily, this neighborhood block party had a manageable number of drinkers, so Anna and Ray were able to handle the volume without getting buried. But consider this your friendly Derby Bar public service announcement:

There is a reason we plan our cocktail menus the way we do.

A thoughtfully designed signature cocktail menu isn't about limiting your guests. It's about making sure everyone gets a consistently delicious drink while keeping the bar service fast, efficient, and enjoyable.

It's one of those behind-the-scenes things guests don't necessarily think about. But we do. Because we've learned the hard way.

As the evening continued, I watched something happen that I see at so many of my events. People gathered around me. Neighbors who may not have known each other very well started talking. Guests stopped by to ask questions. Kids ran between the pool and the party. Anna was back where she loves to be, and new connections were being made.

That's the part of this business that never gets old. Sure, I love looking pretty, I love serving cocktails, I love being photographed.

But what I really love is bringing people together. That's why a neighborhood block party can be just as meaningful to me as a big wedding or elaborate corporate event. It's about creating a place where people want to gather. Where conversations happen naturally. Where phones get forgotten for a while. Where a summer evening turns into a memory.

So thank you to the Oakhurst neighborhood for letting me crash your party. Thank you for welcoming Anna back behind the bar. And thank you to all the new friends who stopped by to say hello, grab a drink, and tell us how much you loved me.

Especially you, future influencer friend. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can get into together.

Until the next neighborhood celebration,

Luna Belle 🐴🍹☀️

The Derby Bar provides luxury mobile bar service, full-service bartending, signature cocktails, mocktails, and unforgettable event experiences for neighborhood block parties, graduation parties, weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations throughout Clarkston, Oakland County, Metro Detroit, and Southeast Michigan.