Party Planning and More…

As the hot days of summer draw to a close, football fans across the country begin to anticipate the sizzling action of football season. While watching the big game with friends at a local sports bar can be a blast, it’s often quite expensive and isn’t conducive to including the whole family in the fun. As an easy and affordable alternative, why not host a football party? With fall just around the corner, it’s a great time to begin planning your big event. Let’s explore a few ideas and suggestions that will help your party score big.

It’s likely that you and your friends will attend some (if not all!) of the home events, so it’s best to plan your party to coincide with an away game. Pore through your team’s schedule and select a date. To create maximum excitement and anticipation, try to choose an away game against one of your team’s biggest rivals.

Once the date of your party is set, you can begin spreading the word to guests. Invitations can be as simple as printed fliers using your team’s colors or sending envelopes affixed with football-themed stickers. Sending simple, ticket-sized invitations printed on cardstock is also a fun way to announce your event.

Decorating for your football-themed party can be as easy as hanging balloons, pom-poms, or streamers in your team’s colors. Banners painted on fabric or poster board can be hung inside or stapled to stakes and used as yard decorations. Face painting and the wild, colorful wigs traditionally worn at the stadium can be included as spirited in your party line-up. When selecting paint for your guests’ faces, be sure to look for the variety that’s designed for use on skin. Paint labeled “non-toxic” is not poisonous if ingested, but may cause allergic reactions. Using “washable” markers on the skin is also not advisable, as the washable properties of the ink apply to fabric rather than skin. Stains left behind by washable markers can linger on the skin for days.

Since your guests will likely be noshing in front of the TV, plan your menu around foods that can be eaten with the fingers or using a single utensil. A buffet style set-up works well, enabling guests to serve themselves and hop up for seconds (or thirds!) quickly. In addition to snacks and dip, pizza, chicken wings, chili, and deli-style sandwich platters are popular fare for football parties. Melon, cheese, and pineapple cut into finger-food-sized wedges and baby carrots and celery with dip are a few healthy additions for your food line-up. Be sure to have plenty of beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) on hand for your guests. Halftime is a great opportunity to serve dessert. A sheet cake with goal posts at each end and sprinkled with green coconut or iced with yard lines is a snap to make.

When it comes to watching the game, the bigger the screen the better. Although a gigantic screen size isn’t a hard and fast requirement, it’s crucial that all of your guests can see the TV. If you have multiple televisions on hand, one smart option is to set up a second viewing area. A bleacher-style seating arrangement also helps to ensure that everyone enjoys a good viewing angle.

It’s a great idea to set aside a separate space for kids. Soft footballs and pom-poms can be used for indoor games, and kids can have loads of fun with clackers and other noisemakers. Having child-appropriate movies and games on hand will ensure that the kids are entertained and will allow the diehard sports fans to focus on the game.

After the last play, plan on spending some time with your guests re-capping game highlights and socializing. Replenish the buffet if needed, and invite guests to enjoy seconds of cake. Serving a hot beverage, such as coffee or hot chocolate, is a nice way to wind down the party.

Whether or not your team is victorious, your guests are sure to be “bowled over” by your well-planned football party. Friends may follow your lead and kick-off the next party at their place. Whether in the stadium or at home, sharing the season with fellow fans adds to the excitement. Enjoy the season!