Outdoor holiday party for 120: do we need a handwash station in November?

Yes, add the handwash station for a catered outdoor party of 120 with alcohol, even in late November.

Sanitizer mounted on a standard unit helps between uses, but it is not the same as soap and running water when guests are eating and drinking. Food grease and sticky drinks stick to hands, and people notice when gel is the only option.

Your two standards plus the ADA unit already cover seating. The handwash station is a separate freestanding piece with a fresh water tank, soap, and a small gray water catch. Put it where the food line and the toilets both make sense so guests wash before they grab another plate.

Cold weather is the real catch. Overnight lows near freezing can ice a fresh water tank if the station sits out empty overnight. Ask them to fill it the morning of the event, keep the spigot protected, and pull it the same night they pick up the toilets. That keeps water flowing during the five hour window without leaving a tank to freeze.

I ran a similar backyard holiday last year with food trucks. Guests used the handwash constantly. The year we only had sanitizer on the doors, sticky hands were the main complaint. Worth the add-on for a catered night.