Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is only two days away. You don’t have any time to waste. A great party can be done with a little work and motivation. A typical Cinco de Mayo celebration includes traditional Mexican dishes, free-flowing margaritas (non-alcoholic to keep the real fun going), and festive decorations. Sounds simple, so let’s start planning!
- Theme & Menu: Let’s go with a very simple theme: Taco Bar Potluck. Not only is this a fun idea, but it is also a way to satisfy everyone’s taste and it can be inexpensive. Start by letting your guest know the theme and request they bring different ingredients and toppings. Your Taco Bar could include these items: Beef, chicken, ground turkey, shrimp, fish, flour and corn tortilla (hard and soft), lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, olives, cilantro, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo. A few sides: refried and black beans, Spanish rice. Beverages: Marvelous Margarita Punch (Virgin).
- Decorations: Use lots of color (red, green and yellow) to decorate the party area. Use bright tablecloths and different colored plates, cups and napkins. These items can be found at local discount and dollar stores.
- Have Fun: Try to plan an assortment of activities to keep guests entertained with music, games and challenges. Just to make a few suggestions:
- Chili Pepper Guessing Game: Fill a jar with a variety of different chili peppers (keep track of what kind and the heat level!) and have each of the guests try to guess how many are in the jar. The guest with the closest estimate wins a prize (like a basket with fresh chips and homemade salsa).
- Mexican Hat Dance Relay: Split the guests up into two groups. Set up two sombreros a distance away, one for each of the groups. Have one person from each team run to the sombrero, do a silly Mexican hat dance around it, then run back. The first team to have all its players complete the relay wins a prize (like a box of "Hot Tamales")!
- Peso Toss: Inspired by the beanbag toss game, this activity has a Mexican twist. Set up five sombreros in a line. Label the sombreros with a point value, with the values increasing as you get further away from the starting point. Give each guest three Mexican pesos to use for the game. The guest can take turns tossing the pesos into the sombreros. The guest with the most accumulated points wins! If there is a tie among players, go into a final round where the two players can each toss one coin.
Go ahead and have a blast this weekend. However, in the future, if you happen to get stuck planning a last minute party, call on A Time N Place. We will be happy to help you out.
Remember, there’s always a time and a place to celebrate!
