I am the queen of themed parties. Everything from the colors to the cups have to match perfectly. Birthday parties, holiday parties and especially Oscar parties all have to be meticulously planned to a T — I already have my
I am the queen of themed parties. Everything from the colors to the cups have to match perfectly. Birthday parties, holiday parties and especially Oscar parties all have to be meticulously planned to a T — I already have my Oscar ballots printed out and the party swag in mind.
But this Sunday, I’m most excited about throwing a Super Bowl party.
Super Bowl parties have to better than the weekly football get together. This one has to be huge.
The Super Bowl is one of the country’s most widely watched television event, with an estimated 80 to 90 million Americans tuning in every year. But Super Bowl Sunday has become more than just a game. It has become a great opportunity to throw one of the biggest and best parties of the year — until the Oscars next month.
I make it a point to get my guests involved by making sure they show up dressed for the party (see “Flag on the play”). For this one, they have to sport either New York Giants or New England Patriots gear or at least sport their colors. It shouldn’t be too hard since both teams show off red, white and blue. I’m a stickler for this rule. It’s a themed party, so everyone should be into it. I wanted to deny a couple entry to my last Oscar party because they should up as movie characters instead of wearing red carpet attire.
But you don’t have to be as strict as me. Here are a few tips from “I Got Your Tailgate Party Right Here!” by Jay “The Tailgate Guy” DeEugenio to help make sure your party is the best of the block.
• Home field advantage: Get people in the spirit before the party even starts. Send out themed invitations, making them look like stadium admission tickets or in the shape of footballs. The best host or hostess asks friends and family to invite other guests because when it comes to a Super Bowl party, the more the merrier.
• Offense vs. Defense: Create two different party spaces — one for the die-hard fans (like me) and another for the social butterflies. Make sure the major football fans have premium seating in front of the big screen. For less serious fans, set up a TV in another area so they can mingle without catching any dirty looks. If kids will be at the party, consider having a bedroom filled with videos and toys to keep the kids entertained.
• No standing zone: No one likes to be seated on the armchair or worse — banished to the floor to watch the big game! Stock up on folding chairs from Lifetime Products, which feature a contoured back so guests can sit comfortably during the whole game. Let’s face it, if you don’t want any illegal blocking during the game-winning touchdown, you need enough chairs
• Flag on the play: To really jump start the spirit of the party, provide your guests with team memorabilia like banners, pennants, goal posts, pom-poms or even T-shirt iron-ons. You can take it a step further by asking people to dress up in their team garb and even paint their faces. Then, set up fan zones where team allies can trash talk to their opponents.
• Out of bounds: Prep food in advance so that you can simply unwrap and set out when the guests arrive. Use a slow cooker to keep hearty dishes like chili and cocktail franks warm, and fill up a cooler with ice to keep drinks cold. Most importantly, be sure not to place food “out of bounds” from the TV. You can still set up your serving line near the kitchen, but have finger foods and snacks set out on personal tables. The personal tables are large enough to hold finger food and small enough that they won’t block anyone’s view.
This way, no one has to go deep for the chip dip.
• Halftime show: Create your own halftime show with fun games like a football toss or trivia, so guests can have something to do other than picking at the buffet table. Offer prize incentives to get guests enthused.
You can also set up a voting pool so partygoers can pick the game-winning play, most valuable player (MVP) and of course, best Super Bowl commercial.
Good luck guys and be on the look out for Wednesday’s Food section of TGI. Writer J.M. Hirsch has some suggestions on recipe books for the best Super Bowl dishes.
Remember, Super Bowl XLII between the Giants and the Patriots will start at 1 p.m. HST on KHON.
• Lanaly Cabalo, sports editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or lcabalo@kauaipubco.com.
