Theme Parties

 

 

MONTY PYTHON

For all of you Monty Python Fans, plan a party in which each of you dress as your favorite Python character, such as "John the Shrubber", "The Attack Rabbit" and "Tim". Rent or pull out your videos of The Holy Grail, The Life of Brian etc. and have them continually playing during the party. Each person can act out their character as well. Serve foods fit for a Medieval Feast - "Leg ' O Lamb", "Cheeses" and pitchers of beer for starters.

GOURMET THEME DINNERS

The host selects an ethnic theme, such as: Greek, Italian, Chinese etc. They contact each guest and assign them one of the following items on the menu: appetizer, main course, side dish, dessert, or beverage. A variation on this theme dinner is that the host chooses and offers a recipe to each guest for them to make and bring to the dinner.

WINE TASTING - INFORMAL

For an informal get together, simply request everyone to bring a bottle of their favorite wine to share with guests. You can assign a category such as Chardonnary, Cabernet, Pinot or perhaps suggest color categories: such as Red, White, and Blush for guests to follow. Be sure you have enough wines for each category. Serve a simple spread of cheeses, crackers and breads to accompany the wine. Play some fine jazz CDs to add the perfect ambiance to this casual evening. A few good choices include: Benny Goodman "Live at Carnegie Hall", Jazz Masters "Series, Vol. 1", Keiko Matsui "Doll". For something a little more funky try, Harry Connick, Jr. 's CD "She". Ask guests to tell a little about the wine they brought and why it is their favorite. Note: include non-alcoholic wines, ciders and beverages for those who don't drink. Variations: Asks guests to wear the color of the wine they brought.

WINE TASTING - FORMAL

This gathering would be similar to the above, except for the food served and attire. You could throw a black tie affair and request that men wear tuxes or suits. Women would wear gowns, cocktail dresses or formal suits. A catering service could provide the foods which may include: a variety of meats, seafood, salads, breads and desserts. This could be served buffet style or in a formal sit down fashion. The twist on this party could be that each person is to bring a "Best Year" bottle of wine. At this party, guests would have to do a little homework to find out, (if they didn't know already) which year was the best (or at least a good year) for their favorite wine. Champagnes may be included, as well. Hiring a string quartet or harpist would be perfect for this type of affair. If music isn't live, a couple of good suggestions are: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Eine Kleine Nachtmusick" and Handel's "Water Music".

HODGE PODGE DINNER

Ask family and friends over for a potluck dinner. Request that each person or family make their favorite food to bring along. This is a lot of fun for kids, as well as adults. But put no restrictions on the menu, so that if a child wants to make brownies then they are allowed to do so. If thrown every year, you can gage what changes people have made in their tastes and diets!

FORTUNE TELLING PARTY

Because most people are interested in the future, hire a fortune teller to your party. Have her read each guest's fortune and have fun sharing these predictions. Note: Explain of course, that this is for "entertainment purposes" only.