Football season is upon us, and so is baseball’s stretch run, which is sure to be full of exciting pennant-race action. Everyone with the slightest interest in sports can’t help but get excited about the start of football season, and the same goes for September and October baseball. Whether your favorite team is pushing for the pennant or you just want to gather friends and family together to tune in to the big game, it’s the perfect time to plan a party.
This sort of party is fun to plan for a number of reasons. First, your guests will bring along their enthusiasm, meaning everyone will be in a good mood when they arrive. Second, you have an instant theme, and you don’t need to be the world’s most creative person to come up with appropriate decorations and food choices.
America’s Favorite Pastime
Let’s start with a baseball party plan. For decorations you can string up pennants or red, white, and blue bunting, or even spray paint an old sheet to make a banner like the ones people display at the ballpark. And as anyone who’s ever attended a game knows, the basic food choices are fairly automatic.
Start with hotdogs and hamburgers, pizza and subs or steak sandwiches to chips and dip, chips and salsa, popcorn and peanuts. Any party store will have invitations, paper plates, decorations, tablecloths, and other necessities in baseball motif, but you should also tap your imagination here. How about filling a couple of souvenir batting helmets with ice and setting sodas and beers in them—or even a bottle of champagne for celebrating victory after the game? (It’s up to you whether you drink it or douse your guests with it!)
Celebrating Gridiron Action
A football-themed party is just as much fun to plan. The basics are the same: take advantage of your favorite party store’s selections, and serve the same foods that they sell at the stadium. A tailgate approach can also be a real blast. You can back up a car or two and pretend you’re out in the parking lot, doing what tailgaters do before the game! Just let your imagination decide.
Other ideas for football-themed food run from that crowd-pleasing staple, chili, to nachos, chips and dip, and barbecued wings or ribs. Since the weather will be cooler, a menu with heartier choices works very well. It should be easy again to find a cake that fits the occasion, whether it’s a standard rectangular cake decorated like a football field or perhaps a football-shaped ice cream cake.
Screens for All to See
While the grub certainly deserves high billing at a sports-themed party, the star of the show is really your TV. That’s where everyone will be gathered, with their eyes on the action. Your priority as a host is to make sure each guest has a comfortable spot for watching the action, and the best way to accomplish this is with multiple TVs or a big screen TV on a large entertainment armoire. Add some cushioned, folding chairs around your largest television, and make sure there’s a TV in the kitchen so that nobody misses a play. During the party, encourage guests to move around and mingle throughout the different rooms, assuring them that they’ll be able to keep an eye on the game wherever they go.
The great thing about football season and the baseball playoffs is that there are multiple games on each day, so the televised entertainment won’t run out. The action will go from early afternoon through the evening, so be prepared with plenty of food, drink, and other supplies. Go, team!!
