Kentucky Derby Party Supplies

A party with family and friends is a great way to celebrate the magic of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby gives you a perfect excuse, one day each year, to party hard with a mint julep in one hand and a red rose in the other, all while sporting a crazy hat! Plan to purchase Kentucky Derby party supplies to help to make the party splendid and memorable for your guests!

Kentucky Derby supplies can range from favors to decorations and everything in between. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Favors: Visit your local bakery and order large 9” chocolate chip and walnut cookies for each guest. Request a border of frosting in red roses with green garnish. In the middle of the cookie write, “Michael and Sara’s Kentucky Derby Party.” If the group of guests is a small number, consider baking the cookies yourself.

• Prizes: Purchase prizes for winners of your Kentucky Derby party games. The prizes will keep guests motivated, enthused and it will give them an incentive to continue playing throughout the remainder of the party. Consider Kentucky Derby sweatshirts, souvenir glasses, calendars, mint julep cocktail mixes and a bunch of red roses wrapped in ribbon. Keep the gifts on display, as they can be décor for the party as well. Let guests choose their gift after each game.

• Food and Drink: Every good party requires delicious food and thirst quenching drinks. The traditional food of the Kentucky Derby is burgoo. Burgoo is a thick stew made up of various meats and vegetables. Delectable side dishes include fruit salad and sweet potato casserole. For dessert, bake traditional Kentucky Style Pie,  which consists of brown sugar, walnuts chocolate chips, and more! After eating lots of scrumptious food, guests will need a drink to quench their thirst. The traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby is a mint julep. Serve the mint juleps in a silver plastic cups to add to the Kentucky Derby effect.

• Table Décor: Basic table settings include plates, cups, napkins and cutlery. Purchase silver plastic cups to serve mint juleps to guests. Select Kentucky Derby themed plates and napkins as your table settings. For centerpieces, either put red roses in a vase at each table, or create a fancy hat for the center of each table. Scatter red rose petals around each centerpiece. For a creative idea, select one guest from each table in advance of the party. Ask the selected guests to design hats in advance, and have them be the centerpieces for each table. Award prizes to guests for the most creative hat, most appealing hat and ugliest hat!

• The Fun Factor: Every host and hostess’s dream party is one that guests talk about for days, if not weeks! Get your Kentucky Derby party started by passing out rose leis that can be found either online or at your local party supply store. Hand out horseshoe-shaped sunglasses to your guests. In the background have Kentucky Derby music playing, with songs such as Neil Diamond’s Kentucky Woman, Louis Armstrong’s My Old Kentucky Home, The Osbourne Brothers' Kentucky, and Elvis Presley’s Kentucky Rain.