City Dads Groups around the country will raise a glass June 16 to toast fathers everywhere as members from many of our groups gather for a pre-Father’s Day celebration of all things parenting in the paternal style.

Sixteen City Dads Groups chapters have scheduled Fathers Eve 2018 events, from simple food-and-drink meetups at local hangouts to paintball matches to a fatherhood-theme “gladiator games” competition. Each event culminates with a toast to fatherhood at 8 p.m. local time.

Fathers Eve, now in its seventh year, is the brainchild of Twin Cities Dads Group co-organizer John Francis, who looks to have around 50 such events this year, including one over the northern border in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In years past, events have been held as far away as Costa Rica and London.

Francis started the event in 2012, bringing together several of his dad friends in a residential garage to drink beers, shoot some pool and swap stories about fatherhood while offering each other support in their efforts to become better parents. The celebrations have grown each year since.

Fathers Eve 2018: City Dads style

The event is also a chance to raise money for non-profits that support dad-related causes. In the past three years, the events have raised more than $27,000 for local and national groups, including The National At-Home Dad Network , which provides support, education and advocacy for dads who are primary caregivers to their children.

City Dads Group, which is a major sponsor for Fathers Eve 2018, will have chapters host gatherings this year in these locations:

Albuquerque

Boston

Charlotte, N.C.

Chicago

Cincinnati

Cleveland

Dallas

Denver

Dillon, Colo. (also by the Denver Dads Group)

Fresno, Calif.

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

Madison, Wisc.

New York City – Manhattan

Portland, Ore.

Port Washington, N.Y. (for NYC Dads Group members on Long Island)

Richmond, Va.

Saint Paul, Minn. (Twin Cities Dads Group)

While some of these events are akin to the groups’ regular “Dads Night Out” meetups, a few are going for something a little more special.

Our Charlotte, N.C. chapter will host their Fathers Eve 2018 party at Carowinds, a local amusement park. Participants will raise their glass for the 8 p.m. toast atop one of the park’s many roller coasters. It will be stopped at the time, we hope. No one wants to spill their beer.

Up the coast, our Boston dads will again host a charity poker night. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Fatherhood Project, a nonprofit program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston that aims to improve the health and well-being of children and families by empowering fathers to be knowledgeable, active and emotionally engaged with their children.

On the opposite side of the country, the Portland Dads Group in Oregon will meet to for drinks, food and cornhole at Seahorses PDX, a dad-centric parenting and resource center run by one of our members, and then host its third-annual “Dadiator” competition.

To join a Fathers Eve 2018 celebration near you — with or without City dads Group or to start your own, visit the Fathers Eve website.