Grad Nite is Santa Monica High School’s all-night graduation celebration, held on campus immediately after commencement. Organized as a safe, alcohol- and drug-free event for graduating seniors, it has become one of Samohi’s best-known annual traditions. In its current form, the event runs overnight and transforms part of campus into a themed party space with dancing, games, food, prizes and entertainment; recent versions have turned the tennis courts into a cruise ship–themed setting. More than 90 percent of the senior class typically attends, making Grad Nite one of the school’s most widely shared end-of-year experiences.

Samohi’s first Grad Nite was held in 1991, when about 300 graduates boarded the “SS Viking”—actually the girls’ gym—for an imaginative all-night celebration created by parent and community volunteers. The original event included themed spaces such as the “Starlight Lounge,” “Galaxy Theatre,” “Mystic Room” and “Poop Deck,” along with food, entertainment and prizes intended to keep students on campus until dawn. Organizers promoted the event as a way to give graduates a memorable night with friends while also reducing the risk of alcohol- and drug-related accidents after graduation. Supported by the city, local businesses, volunteers and the Samohi community, Grad Nite quickly established itself as a lasting school tradition.

Grad Nite

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