Did you know that Drayton Mills-- in addition to 289 luxury loft apartments and a bustling, historically renovated marketplace-- is home to its own events venue and catering operation?Eighteen Hundred Drayton Catering & Events is more than just an events space. The customizable venue (1800 Drayton Rd) features multiple rooms, suites, and patios, to fit your party size. The facility can host private dinners and catered events from 20 to 300 guests, weddings and receptions up to 500 guests, and outdoor festivals.The popular venue also features historic details from the 1902 textile mill, such as original exposed brick walls, soaring rustic ceilings, and an open-air plaza in the center of the mill. At Eighteen Hundred Drayton Catering & Events, enjoy nearly 120 years of history and an events staff with 50 years of combined experience. Amenities include Draper Hall, Opening Room, Bobbin Room, The North Events Plaza, and the Lawn at Drayton.
Eighteen Hundred Drayton believes the menu is the guest's inspiration; customize your event's eats to your heart's content!But if you need some inspiration, they have several inspired menus to choose from, including omelette and french toast brunch bars, 24 unique cocktail Hors D'oeuvres, and dinner buffets such as "Smoke & Mirrors BBQ," "Italian FarmHouse," and "Low Country Boil."(View a full list of catering menus here.)The in-house catering team, led by Executive Chef Bob Munnich, also includes a resident baker, Cindy Munnich.Drayton Mills is host to many creative events, aside from wedding and party bookings. (View the upcoming events calendar here.)In an open-air pivot to accommodate COVID-19 social-distancing guidelines in 2020, Eighteen Hundred Drayton featured regular drive-in movie events with Dray: Bar + Grill, incorporating the entire Drayton Mills campus, including the lawn and parking lot. Continuing with the popular screening events, Drayton now hosts multi-course themed dinner and a movie nights.Additional upcoming events to look forward to at Drayton Mills include the weekly Beets by Dray brunch market on Sunday afternoons. Peruse and shop the Hub City Mobile Farmer's Market and local artisans, enjoy live cooking demos from Dray's Executive Chef Bob Munnich, and listen to tunes from local musicians.
But, don't just take it from us!
Wendy McCarty is both a Drayton Mills resident, and a local photographer and artist who participates as a regular vendor at Beets by Dray. Her creative business,
The Sprouted Root, offers eclectic, handcrafted items, such as custom face masks-- with fabric prints you design, fitted to your measurements, and sewn on-site at the market.
How do you feel about the exciting events calendar at Drayton and the site's mission of creating once again, an active, safe and vibrant community?Wendy McCarty: The Drayton Mills Marketplace provides a comfortable way to socialize and remain healthy, both mentally and physically. Each Tuesday evening, Dray Bar and Grill provides new and established artists a way to share their wares with the public during "Beets by Dray." This weekly event has been especially helpful to me. My success as a vendor at "Beets by Dray" has given me the confidence to pursue my dream of creating a crafting business.Eighteen Hundred Drayton Catering & Events continues to come up with creative ways to bring people together (but not too close together) during their family friendly events. I love that the local community is welcome to attend all of the events and visit all of the businesses. I am especially fond of Eighteen Hundred Drayton's idea to show "Hocus Pocus" as a movie on the lawn almost every year close to Halloween.I have participated in a few of the art and vendor festivals that have taken place next door within the Eighteen Hundred Event Hall. I love that I don't have to load my car up with the items I need to attend a festival as a vendor. I just wheel them next door! I have made friends and met other Drayton residents during these events. I have decorated our loft with art from local artists I may not have been introduced to otherwise. With minimal socialization choices due to the pandemic, Drayton Mills has provided my sons and I a place to look forward to speaking with and meeting new friends. As a resident of Drayton Mills, your backyard has walking trails, a pond full of vibrantly colored fish, a place for your children to ride their scooter, a saltwater pool, a bar, a coffee shop, a gym, a restaurant, a barber shop, a physician, a chiropractor, a salon, a bakery, a pizza shop and thriving other businesses. There's quite a long list of businesses and people who have made Drayton Mills their home, and I believe they have chosen well. I am happy that our family chose to live at Drayton Mills. Drayton Mills is an ingenious model of community living without being in the center of a city. I feel that this model will become more and more popular as time progresses. Having access to amenities and necessities that are within walking distance to your home is valuable. 
