Party Talk

St. Patrick's Day Tips for Restaurant and Bar Owners

Every year Party411.com helps thousands of restaurant and bar owners get their establishments ready for St Patrick's Day.  St Patrick's Day will bring a host of people new to your establishment so show them what great food, cold beer, and fantastic service you have. This is an opportunity to bring them back some of the other 364 days of the year.

Over the years we have come up with a few tried and true ideas that will give you the best bang for your buck. Here are our 4 tips for Restaurant and Bar Owners on St. Patrick's Day -

Advertise, advertise, advertise. The sooner the better. Let everyone know why YOUR place is THE place to be on March 17th (no cover, live music, beer pong tournament, half price drafts until 3pm etc). Flyers are OK, but get creative and you can really get the word out. We love these ticket invitations (get them in green obviously). Or even better are these new photo ticket invitations; you can include your logo! Hand them out anywhere you can! You should also consider getting a few banners to hang around inside and out with details on what you are offering for St. Pat's.

They have come to celebrate at your place, now give them something.  Give them a coupon then can redeem on their next visit, a ticket to your patio opening in May, or a fun St. Patrick's day wearable. It doesn't have to cost a fortune. Here are a few of our favorite St. Pat's handouts -

• Shamrock Beads
• Green Plastic Leis
• Green Glow Necklaces

Entertain everyone while they drink. Beer pong and flip cup tournaments, Irish costumes contests, karaoke and Irish trivia is always fun. Make sure to hand our fun prizes. T-shirts, gift cards, free drinks and St Patrick's Day wearables will all be appreciated. Irish entertainment is also a great choice too- Irish dancers, bagpipers or live bands are always great.

Don't forget to decorate. You do not have to be elaborate, but creating a festive atmosphere will get everyone in the mood to party!

• Use Green Carnations and St Patrick's Confetti on your tables.
• Leprechaun Scene Setters and Irish Clover Swirls make a big impact on any room.
• Blarney Zone Party Tape and St Patrick's Day Cutouts are easy and fun.
• Buy Shamrock Vests, Leprechaun Hat Boppers and Beer Sunglasses for your servers and bartenders.

See, wasn't that easy? You can even check out our Restaurant and Bar Owners'St. Patrick's Day Party Decorations for more ideas. Now go and have a great St. Patrick's Day!

Super Bowl Party Tips

The Super Bowl is the biggest at-home party day of the year. You are either hosting or going to party where the game is the “guest of honor”.  Here are 5 quick tips to make your party Super (groan!).

1. Plan a simple menu loaded with finger foods. A buffet makes sense. Nobody wants to be sitting down at a table with the game on.
2. Make sure people can see the game. Set up extra TVs where you can. (Even though we live in Ohio we have a TV on the deck for those that want to watch from the hot tub.)
3. Have a place for those folks not really into the game. They’ll be chatting so keep them happy and away from the serious football fanatics.
4. Start early. The game starts around 6:30 EST. Everyone will show up but they do have to work on Monday. So if the game is a blow out they’ll leave early and few will stay after. If you want time to chit chat with your guests start early. (We start at 4 which gives us plenty of time to visit.)
5. Have betting games. Everyone does the squares game but try this. Give everybody some chips to start the day. Let them place “bets” on a variety of things. Don’t over think this. Los Vegas will provide a list of betting opportunities with the odds. We make everyone make at least 4 different bets. As each bet is decided “pay” the winners with house chips. Whoever has the most chips at the end of the game wins. Give them a fun prize for their efforts. Fun, lots of action and you’ll be surprised at how often the amateur prognosticator wins.

Have a Super Sunday!

10 Tips for your New Year's Eve Party

Here are a few quick tips to make your New Year's Eve party planning easier this year. Feel free to share your own tip with everyone in the comments!

1. Set your budget. This will help you when determining how many people to invite and what your party options are. Figure about 60 percent for drinks, 30 percent for food and 10 percent for decor.

2. Save money on your invites. Email or phone invites are your cheapest options, but can be lackluster. Save a stamp by including your New Year's Party invite in with your holiday cards.

3. Keep everything cohesive by choosing a theme. We have 15 different New Year's Party themes, from Western to Aliens! You can also go with a more subtle theme such as a color. Metallic colors are always fun, but we also love a white New Year's Eve theme party.

4. Make special plans for the kids. If your party will include children, make sure you have food appropriate for them as well as activities planned to keep them entertained. A quiet area where they can go to rest is always a smart idea for those who cannot make it until midnight. You can even arrange to let them have their own separate sleepover party and hire a babysitter to mind them for the night.

5. Save money by not serving dinner. Since a New Year's party will start later, guests will not expect a full meal. A variety of hors d'oeuvres is the best way to go.

6. Don't forget to have extra .... ice and food. Be prepared for the unexpected guests or extra-hungry, super-thirsty crowd. Add a couple of bags of quality chips, extra crackers and cheese, and even an extra roll of cookie dough. Make sure these items are something you will eat if you don't have to break them out for the party. Ice you may have to take a loss on, but it is better than having to little.

7. ... but don't overspend on the booze. Do the math and save on your drink budget. Guests will usually have 2 drinks in the first hour, and one drink each hour after that. Many places will allow you to return unopened alcohol, so you can overbuy and return the excess if you worry over running out.

8. Rent. Local rental companies are a great source for glassware, linens, flatware and more. I find this to be a great alternative to purchasing (and then storing) all of the extra items for entertaining.

9. Create a great soundtrack. Depending on your theme or personal tastes, you may have different ideas for music. Time is always a great theme for a New Year's playlist. Here are a few fun songs to get you started -

• The Times They Are A-Changing - Bob Dylan
• Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There is a Season) - The Byrds
• I Wanna Go Back - Eddie Money
• Reelin' In the Years - Steely Dan
• Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets
• Yesterday - The Beatles

10. Don't forget to have fun! Try to prepare food ahead of time and set up a self serve drink bar to cut down on the work you need to do throughout the party. That way you can have to time see your guests and be a good host or hostess! If you are planning on having more that 50 people, enlist a few close friends to lend a hand throughout the night. My parties always go more smoothly when I know I have a someone to back me up (and put our more dip).

Check out our New Year's Eve Party Planning Guide for party theme ideas, party supplies, decorating ideas and more!

Black Friday Shopping Party Tips

Every Black Friday I get a bunch of friends together for a progressive shopping party. It's pretty easy to put together, and we have a blast  getting up early and hitting the sales. Here are the basics so that  you can plan a holiday shopping party that no one will forget!

Convince your friends that this may actually be fun by sending out a great invitation.

Black Friday is almost here,
And deals make me want to cheer!
Let's have a shopping soiree
and at the end of the day
we'll thank heavens we're not a cashier!

Follow with the pertinent details such as when and where.

Leave the spouse and kids behind.

Shopping and family rarely mix, why add more stress to the madhouse that is Black Friday? Invite some fun and like minded friends along on this consumption binge. You don't need anyone there to temper your spending activities.

If you are going to bring along your better half, make sure they bring back up credit cards to replace the ones you melted from all that swiping.

But really, don't bring the kids.

Carpool in style.

Depending on how many people you're inviting, use a van or even rent a mini-bus with a driver who will handle all those packages. Imagine not having to walk to a parking space carrying all that stuff (it's worth  it right there!); the driver can wait at the door. Split the cost  among you, it won't be much. And it will be SO much fun. Don't forget  to tell everyone how much it will cost for the bus rental (if you're  splitting the cost).

Make a plan. Hope is not a plan.

No plan and you risk running around like a group of deal seeking zombies, hands  clenched around your wallets while foaming at the mouth. Not pretty.

Which stores are only having the good deals until 9pm? Hit those first. There may be a craft festival or two in your area you also want  to attend. Check it out when making your plans. You should consult with your guests as to their favorite stores. 

Remember snacks and water! If you pass out from dehydration you will be left behind.

Bottled water and a large thermos of hot coco or coffee will come in handy. You can pack any variety of snacks, but make it special by going with holiday themed treats. Don't forget to stop for breakfast, lunch (and dinner if you have limitless energy) so you can recharge your batteries and ooh and ahh over the good finds of your friends!

So there you have it, the important stuff. You can check out our Progressive Shopping Party for more ideas. Have fun!

Holiday Birthday Parties

Birthdays should be celebrated by your friends and family. But sometimes it’s hard to get everyone together during the holidays for a birthday celebration. Our family has figured out a solution. Holiday Birthday Parties!

These work best for milestone birthdays but I guess you could use them any time. My wife’s birthday is close to Halloween. For her 40th we had a Halloween Birthday Party. People are busy and sometimes have multiple commitments so we had an Open House affair. Easy to plan and decorate. Start with a Halloween House Party and just add a birthday cake as the centerpiece for your food table. We went to a grocer that had a Halloween cake and just added “Mar’s Turning 40. Scary.” They did a great job with the cake (a spider web on a cake is freaky but memorable). Fun party and simple to host.

My brother’s birthday is December 30th. For his 50th he took the some approach. A New Year’s Eve House Party with a cake and a birthday countdown at 10 PM. (Weird time but it let people that had to get home to kids or to other parties a chance to do it and it was good practice for the Midnight countdown.)

So don’t ignore a birthday just because of a holiday. Embrace both! It’s fun and surprisingly easy.

4 Steps to a Great Oktoberfest Party

Planning on celebrating Oktoberfest this fall? Here are a few key points to remember -

Dress the Part. Women should wear the "dirndl". The dirndl is worn by women and is composed of three different pieces: the dress ("Kleid"), the blouse ("Bluse") and an apron ("Schurze"). I am convinced that the growing popularity of Oktoberfest is due to how the St. Pauli Girls look in the dirndl. 

Men should wear lederhosen, which are leather pants. These can be either three-quarter length pants or shorts and are worn with a special cotton shirt, long socks and boots.  A warning: Very few men look good in this outfit.  Usually everyone is serious enough about their beer drinking that this is no problem.  A hat, also known as a "hut" Is also part of the costume.  This is handy to cover your face when people take pictures of you in your lederhosen.

Drink beer.  Even wine drinkers should honor the spirit of the holiday and drink a malted beverage.  There are enough options available that everyone can find something they like. Be aware that some steins hold up to a quart of beer.  Be smart about how many of those you have.

Eat up. After the beer, Oktoberfest is all about the food. Here are a few great party recipes to try -

Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Beer - Great for a crowd

Soft Pretzels - A Party411.com favorite

German Rouladen - Yummy meat rolls will have your guests begging for more!

Beer Cheese Dip - Simple and tasty

Do the Polka.  I have seen people dance the polka really well. I have seen people dance really badly.  However I have never seen anyone dance the polka and not have fun.  

For more great ideas check out our Oktoberfest Theme Party.

Woodstock Party Playlist

 

This August marks the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music & Art Festival. Over 400,000 people gathered on a 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, NY, to celebrate peace, love and music. Live performances from Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Grateful Dead and many more catapulted Woodstock into the history books as one of the greatest music festivals of all time.

Many people are marking the occasion by throwing a 60’s theme party. Since it wouldn’t be a Woodstock theme party without music, I have complied this party playlist of my favorite songs that were performed at the original 1969 Woodstock -

Bad Moon Rising
Creedence Clearwater Revival

Proud Mary
Creedence Clearwater Revival

Born on the Bayou
Creedence Clearwater Revival

Sea of Madness
Crosby, Stills & Nash

Blackbird
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Mama Tried
Grateful Dead

Dark Star
The Grateful Dead

Piece of My Heart
Janis Joplin

Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)
Janis Joplin

Somebody to Love
Jefferson Airplane

Foxy Lady
Jimi Hendrix

The Star-Spangled Banner
Jimi Hendrix

Purple Haze
Jimi Hendrix

We Shall Overcome
Joan Baez

With a Little Help from My Friends
Joe Cocker

Soul Sacrifice
Santana

Everyday People
Sly & The Family Stone

Dance to the Music
Sly & The Family Stone

Why Oh Why
Sweetwater

Motherless Child
Sweetwater

My Generation
The Who

Tommy Can You Hear Me?
The Who

See Me, Feel Me
The Who

If your are looking for more Woodstock party planning ideas check these links out -

• 60's Theme Party
• Tie Dye Cupcakes - Woodstock and 60's Theme Party Recipe
• Woodstock Party Activities and Favors: Tie-Dye T-Shirts

Favorite Summer Party Games

Hello all, I hope you are enjoying the summer season.  Sun, friends and family, how could you not be enjoying yourselves?  I love the warm weather and just relaxing and enjoying the weather with my buddies.  In honor of this beautiful weather I thought I’d share some of my favorite summer party games with you.

Corn Hole – this is a classic that reminds me of my childhood.  What can I say?  I enjoy throwing bean bags and not moving much.  This is a game that can be played under a variety of rules.  I’ve found that this is a perfect game to trash talk because it’s so simple. You just throw a bean bag onto a board a few feet away, and everyone can do that…right?  You would actually be surprised how difficult this game can be for some people.  I suggest you don’t play near the woods if you have doubts regarding the skill set of certain players.  Looking for a bean bag in the dark can be a challenge.

Horseshoes – This is a game that actually doesn’t have a variety of rules.  You throw the horseshoe and you score points and everyone plays by the same rules. Regardless of the uniformity of this game, some people just are not very good.  I like to think of this game as a game of luck.  I think this because it gives me an excuse when I don’t play well.  Even if this game is a struggle it never is because you don’t move.  You stand or sit and wait for your turn.  It really is an ideal summer game.

Bocce – My favorite game of the summer and I save the best for last.  This is a great summer game because it can be played anywhere, literally anywhere.  Outside is clearly ideal though.  I like playing at my house because my lawn is bumpy so I have a strong home court advantage.  I feel this is the easiest game to get caught up in because the whole game can change on a single bad bounce and it’s a game of skill and not luck.  I simply enjoy when the game turns into a battle of wills and the game turns on a great throw.  I like to give a Tiger-esque fist pump when I make the throw because I get so excited.
 
These are just a few of my favorite summer games.  I like these games because they are all easy to play and require very few pieces of equipment.  They also involve little sustained movement.  You can eat and drink easily while playing any of these games.  These games can also spring up at any time and who doesn’t enjoy a competitive game amongst friends? 

If you are looking for more ideas you can check out our Summer Party Games and Outdoor Party Games. I hope you all enjoy your summer and win a game or two.

Last Minute Graduation Party Ideas

Are you running out of time to plan a graduation party and need some quick ideas? Having an open house graduation party is a great way to accommodate all of the well wishers your grad is sure to have, and it is easy and quick to plan. Here are a some tips and ideas to help you throw together a fantastic party.

Graduation Invitations

If you are really short on time call or email everyone on your guest list to extend an invitation. If you are planning for a date that is still a few weeks away you can send an invite through the mail. Print one out on your home computer or purchase some "fill-in" invitations and get them out asap!

Open House Graduation Decorations

A fool proof decorating scheme is to use school colors. Balloon bouquets and crepe paper that coordinate with high school or college colors can decorate the party area easily and inexpensively.

Up the driveway or leading to the walk to the party entrance, think about putting school pennants. Just attach them to sticks and put them in the ground to wave everyone to the front door.

Set up a table devoted to the grad. Maybe a scrapbook of stories/accomplishments (this is a great spot for a sign in book). You've probably been keeping one, why not bring it out for others to see? Pictures of the grad at various times is not only fun, but a great conversation starter. And, of course, any awards, trophies or other accomplishments should be out.

Graduation Open House Menu

You don't want to serve a big meal at this party since the idea of the open house is to let people come and go all day. Just set out a buffet of foods for guests to help themselves. Consider the grad's favorite foods when planning the menu.

You may want to consider going semi-potluck - you can provide the main course and a few close relatives can bring a side dish. There's bound to be a local establishment that will provide pans of food so no one has to cook. Make sure you ask about whether they provide paper goods and serving utensils. If not, pick up some to match your color scheme or ones with a graduation theme.

Graduation Party Favors

A picture of the graduate is a great party favor. Place them in inexpensive frames and arrange them on a table so guests can grab them on the way out of the party.

Or hand out a personalized mint or candy tin with a picture of the graduate on it. You can order as few as 15 and you can have them in under a week! Perfect for party planning procrastinators :)

Have a fantastic time, and give our congratulations to the graduate!

Quick Tips For Your Memorial Day Party

Sometimes a party is all about the little things. With this in mind we wanted to share a few small and often overlooked tips that will help you prepare for your Memorial Day cookouts and parties -

1. If you are having your outside, which most of us will be doing, forgo using helium balloons as centerpieces on tables because even the slightest breeze will cause them to play whack-a-mole with your guest's faces.

2. When you are at the party store buying your plastic table clothes, pick up those plastic clips that hold them onto the table. No one wants to chase the food when it goes flying!

3. Invest in food covers and a few citronella candles to keep the bugs at bay. Let the guests get their protein from the hamburgers and not the flies!

4. Don't underestimate you need for one of the most important party elements - ICE! Make sure you have enough. Everyone will be picking some up this weekend and you don't want to run to 4 different gas stations trying to find a few more bags.

5. Adding a little entertainment to the party is always a good thing. A bocce set or a game of volleyball will do the trick. You can check out Summer Party Games for more ideas.

Have a fun and safe Memorial Day!