About Sara Feulner
View all posts by Sara Feulner
Behind The Scenes – Explore Austin’s 2018 Quest for the Summit
Anna and Jason Herd are passionate about helping kids and about the outdoors. So, it’s no wonder that in 2009 when they learned about Explore Austin from one of Jason’s business school professors who was also one of the organization’s founders, they had to get involved. Originally a host family, Anna and Jason have been involved in Explore Austin for the last 9 years. Jason joined their Board of Directors in 2016, and this year, the couple is chairing the organization’s big spring fundraiser, Quest for the Summit.
I sat down with the Herds to learn more about Explore Austin, their involvement, and the upcoming Quest for the Summit.
Mentorship and the Great Outdoors
Coming from outdoorsy families, both Anna and Jason felt that spending time outside and having strong mentorship in their lives was really important to them as children and played a critical role in who they are today. Growing up, Anna remembers: spending weekends and summers driving 4 wheelers; joining her dad on timber cruises on a lush family property in Mississippi full of wildlife; living in the mountains of Costa Rica (where she had to walk down the road to buy groceries from a local farmer); and doing Sail Caribbean a couple of summers in a row.
Jason grew up in a ranching family and spent his weekends hunting, fishing, working cattle, and fixing fences. He also was the first of his peer group to achieve Eagle Scout. Both of them say that they had excellent mentorship and a support system of family and friends that helped shape them and allowed them to excel. Jason said “You don’t get to Eagle Scout without strong mentorship. My dad was very influential and he wouldn’t let me get my driver’s license until I did it.”
These days, the couple and their two young sons love the outdoors and take advantage of any opportunity to be hiking, camping, skiing, doing sports, or anything out in nature. They try to include an outside component to any family vacation. During our conversation, Jason commented that his father was a successful entrepreneur but was always there for the important events and both he and Anna want to do the same for their boys. They would also like to provide this mentorship and these outdoor opportunities to as many kids as possible.
Explore Austin
Explore Austin is providing both these outdoor experiences and long term mentorship to children who might otherwise not have these things.
Founded in 2006, the organization was put together to test a model of mentoring and outdoor adventure for underserved youth. They approached one of the local Kipp charter schools and essentially took a group of boys (Explorers) on a camping trip. Since then, the program has grown to around 270 Explorers and 90 Mentors with a mission to change the lives of underserved youth through leadership, mentoring, and adventure.
Each spring, Explore Austin recruits 2 new teams (one 6th grade boys team and one 6th grade girls team) primarily from schools where most kids qualify for free or reduced lunch and pairs each team of 15 youth with 5 adult mentors. They then provide these youth with leadership training, long term mentors and outdoor experiences. Both the explorers and their mentors spend one Saturday per month outside in Austin hiking, mountain biking, bouldering, canoeing, etc. In addition, they spend a week in the summer somewhere in the backcountry in Texas or states like Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, or New Mexico on a much more challenging outdoor wilderness adventure. This is the first time many of these kids have been on an airplane, lived out of backpacks, and faced physically and mentally challenging activities.
The program is 6 years in duration and the Explorers and Mentors are asked to make a long term commitment. Currently, they have over a 90% Mentor retention rate and close to that for the Explorers. An unintended outcome has been that most, if not all, of these kids end up applying for and being accepted to college, something many of their parents have not accomplished.
2018 Quest for the Summit
The organization would love to expand it’s reach and add more teams in the next few years as the outcome for these students are tremendous. In order to do this and to support the existing program, they are holding the 9th Annual Quest for the Summit on April 5th at Fair Market. The fundraising goal for this event is $230k and close to 300 guests are expected for a night filled with music, food, drinks and outdoor games like corn hole and washers. The night will be more relaxed than a typical fundraising event and attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with other guests, Explorers, Mentors, and Explore Staff to learn more about the organization and how they can get involved. Explorers will share their stories and there will be opportunities to support the program and even participate in a mystery raffle for a Yeti filled with all sorts of fun supplies. Prior to the Quest, there will be a graduation ceremony honoring all graduating senior Explorers and their Mentors for six years of dedication.
It will definitely be a night not to miss and a wonderful opportunity to learn even more about an organization that is clearly making such a big difference in the lives of underserved youth in the Austin community.
If you would like to sponsor the event or purchase tickets for this year’s Quest for the Summit, you can do so Here.
Live Auction, Silent Auction or Raffle?
When is it best to do a live auction? What about a silent auction? Or a raffle? How do I decide which one, two, or three of these options will work best for me?
These are just a few of the most commonly asked questions from people planning fundraising events. While all of these options have their advantages, it is important to carefully evaluate your event to determine which is going to be the best fit for your audience, your auction items, and your fundraising venue.
Below are some things to consider when trying to decide the best fundraising option for your charity or organization’s next event.
Things to Consider for Silent Auctions
1 – Silent auctions are a good option if the auction is being held as part of another event – an annual dinner or the like. In these situations, a silent auction can be conducted in a side room or in a corner of the event space.
2 – Silent auctions are ideal for charity/benefit events that have a lot of items to sell.
3 – Silent auctions are ideal for low-mid-priced items.
4 – Silent auctions work better for items that need to be observed or examined up close.
4 – Silent auction items typically sell for about 50% of their value. This is important to consider in your fundraising goals
.
Things to Consider for Live Auctions
Live auctions are often seen as more fun than silent auctions because they get everyone involved and, if done right, captivate the audience for a short period of time. When trying to decide whether to do a live auction, you should consider the following:
1 – What kinds of items will you be auctioning off? Live auctions are typically reserved for high ticket items – a ski cabin for a week in Colorado, expensive artwork, a car etc. but sometimes include items that just pull on the audience’s heartstrings – for example, a puppy or kitten.
2 – How much time will be dedicated to a live auction? Benefit auctions should encompass no more than 40 minutes in the live auction as guests begin to grow impatient which causes bidding to slow down or stop.
3 – Given that it takes approximately 3 minutes for a professional auctioneer to sell an item, you should have no more than 10 – 12 live auction items to stick to the 40 minute timeline consider a minute to move between items.
4 – Do you have resources to get a professional auctioneer? This is essential to capturing the audience’s attention and getting the most money for the items on auction.
5 – Live auction items will usually sell for close to or above their value, another important thing to consider in your fundraising goals.
Things to Consider for Raffles
There is always a question about whether or not to add raffle items or conduct a raffle rather than a silent auction. Some things to consider are:
1 – How many people will be attending the event? If the numbers are large, it may be better to put most of your items in the silent auction, but if attendance will be low or most people are not expected to participate in a silent auction, a raffle may be more appropriate.
2 – How many volunteers do you have? It takes far fewer volunteers to coordinate a raffle than an auction.
3 – How many tickets can you sell? If you plan to conduct the raffle before as well as during the event, you need to consider how you will sell the tickets and how many you think you can sell. A raffle is only lucrative if you can sell lots of tickets!
4 – There are IRS regulations concerning raffles. When you do a raffle, you must get any winner of a prize worth $600 or more to compete a W-2G (gambling winnings form). For larger prizes you are required to withhold a percentage for federal income taxes.
5 – Higher value prizes and larger numbers of prizes (and winners) may make your raffle more appealing, and therefore, make people more likely to buy tickets! This is important to consider when determining what you will place in your raffle vs. an auction.
Deciding Between Live Auction, Silent Auction and Raffle
Below is a very simple graphic showing how you might decide on the best option for your event. Keep in mind that this does not take into account venue size. This should really be your first decision point as you can be limited by your venue. Also, if you have a lot of items you may choose to do a combination of silent and live auctions keeping in mind that you don’t want a live auction to last too long but you make significantly more money selling the same item in a live auction than you would selling it in a silent auction.
The Best Bet is a Combination
In reality, many events tend to be a blend of a silent and live auction with the option to buy a few raffle tickets for one or two key items.
Attendees are often invited to purchase raffle tickets prior to the event and then again at the door. They also may receive a ticket or two as part of their admission ticket. The events then start with a silent auction allowing guests to enjoy a cocktail and bid on smaller items thus warming them up for the live auction.
This format invites participation as some may be attending the event as a spectator but happy to contribute by way of buying a few raffle tickets, others may be more comfortable with a silent auction and less likely to get into the competitive live auction bidding, and a few may be there for the excitement of the live auction.
Whatever you decide to do, your will be much more successful if you spend some time in the early stages of your event planning process considering your fundraising goal, the size and shape of your venue, the event format, and the types of items you will be giving away/selling.
Spotlight on Austin Events: CASAblanca
Looking for a fabulous night out while giving back to the Austin Community? Consider attending the CASAblanca Gala benefitting CASA of Travis County on February 3, 2018 at the JW Marriott in downtown Austin.
If you know anything about CASA, you know just how much they do for kids in our community. If you don’t know anything about CASA, you should definitely take a minute to familiarize yourself with this incredible organization.
CASA’s mission is to promote and protect the best interest of children who have been abused or neglected by training volunteers to advocate for them in the courts, in schools, and in our community to help them find safe, permanent, and loving homes. Currently, CASA serves all children ages 5 and over with court appointed special advocates. Through this year’s CASAblanca Gala, their hope is to be able to add enough volunteers and funding to expand that offering to children ages 2-5 who also need this service.
Victoria Young, Events Manager for CASA, has been working with this year’s magnificent gala chair, Donna Bell, and honorary chair, Catherine Sansbury as well as the gala committee to organize this year’s event entitled “creating brighter futures”. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the gala and will include uniquely told stories of the children whose lives have been impacted by the wonderful work at CASA. It will be moving and inspiring to all who attend.
In addition to the narratives, there will be live music by The Eggmen, performances by Violet Crown Collective, and a Verbena bloom bar with corsages, boutonnieres and other flower adornments for attendees. In addition, there will be mystery boxes featuring Kendra Scott jewelry, a live and silent auction (get a sneak peak of what you can win on the event home page here), bling from Diamonds Direct (who will get to take home the real deal?), and a casino after party. It is definitely an event not to be missed.
So, what are you waiting for? Round up your friends and get your tickets to this fabulous event today. And if you are thinking about volunteering as a CASA advocate yourself, consider this from long time volunteer, K. Brown. “I would say if you have a love for children and basic human rights, then CASA is for you. It will be tough at first and you’ll give your entire heart to each child, but when you form that bond and become their advocate, you have officially changed that child’s life. There is no greater reward than protecting and defending a child from the abuse they have endured.”
Top 10 Event Spaces for Rent in Austin
Planning your next office party, school function, or charity event and looking for somewhere to host it? We have put together a list of 10 utterly cool and unique Austin Event Spaces. So, if you are looking for something different to help create your event of the year…
Check out these event spaces for rent in Austin:
#10 – Springdale Station
This historic train station moved to East Austin in the 1980’s. Recently, the station was renovated and in the summer of 2016, it was opened to the public as an event venue, a one of a kind space to host parties of all sorts. In addition, they in the process of adding the Pine Street Station building to Springdale Station. Moved from 5th and Waller downtown, this historic building will soon be part of the event venue complex – look for it to be ready when you plan your event!
#9 – Four Seasons Hotel
The ground floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin hosts a beautiful convertible event space for groups of all sizes. Located in the heart of downtown and backing to the beautiful Ladybird Lake and Hike and Bike Trail, this beautiful venue would be perfect for weddings and fundraisers alike.
#8 – Modern Rocks Gallery
This space is about 800 square feet and is bright and open with a rolling front shutter open to a front terrace which can be used during events. The walls are covered in fine art rock-n-roll photography and art including some great shots of the early Austin music scene. It would be a really cool private party venue!
#7 – South Congress Hotel
While most people who have been in Austin for a while know of the South Congress Hotel, many of us don’t think of it as an event venue but seriously, what’s cooler and more Austin-y than a party on South Congress? This indoor/outdoor event venue can provide an amazing event space for up to 450 guests. Designed with a flexible room configuration, this space can work for almost any event!
#6 – Hotel Ella
Located in the historic Goodall Wooten House just minutes from downtown and the State Capitol building, this venue is in the heart of Austin. This Greek revival style mansion offers indoor and outdoor spaces which provide the perfect backdrop for any social event.
#5 – Waller Ballroom
Built in the early 1900’s, this multi-purpose event space sits directly on Waller Creek and 6th Street. The main ballroom showcases the original brick, hand-scraped hardwood floors and a balcony overlooking the water and can accommodate up to 270 guests for a standing reception.
#4 – Coyote Garden Hall
OK, so it’s not technically in Austin but just 15 miles south in Kyle, TX lives this amazing event center. An ex-motion picture studio, this property has been reborn as the peaceful and versatile event center it is today.
#3 – Mercury Hall
Nestled on a secluded hilltop just minutes from downtown Austin, the historic structure and beautiful gardens can accommodate up to 200 guests. The hall was originally built in 1904 in Mercury, Texas and moved to its current location in 1997 where it has laid home to a wide variety of events. One of our favorite things about Mercury Hall? They try to keep things in the South Austin mindset; laid-back!
#2 – Waller Creek Boathouse
Another gem on Waller Creek. Built in 2012 overlooking Lady Bird Lake, downtown Austin, and Congress Avenue Bridge, this boathouse is a partnership between the City of Austin Parks and Rec Department and Austin Rowing Club. It is a short walk from the Convention Center, local hotels, and many restaurants and can accommodate up to 600 guests for a wide range of events.
#1 – Gather Venues
Gather boasts both indoor and outdoor customizable spaces that they use to help make your event come to life. They have 2 unique venues:
- South Austin – Monroe Street just minutes from downtown between South First and South Congress. This hospitality-driven event venue can accommodate up to 200 people and hosts both big and small events including fundraisers, weddings, conferences, workshops, etc.
- North Austin – North Lamar just South of Koenig is Gather’s new north-central event location with a modern/industrial open feel with two floors. This space was once the Texas State Troopers Recreation Center and can accommodate up to 380 guests.
I guess that’s really 11 if you are being pedantic, and there are so many others as well. If you don’t see what you are looking for on this list, check out Peerspace or Unique Venues to find a unique, creative space that meets your needs!
So, what are you waiting for? Book your venue today and get planning! And, remember, check out loanables for all your event rental needs!
Party Drink Calculator: How Much Alcohol Do I Need?
If you are throwing a wedding, housewarming party, 40th birthday party, or any other big bash, you may be wondering how much alcohol you need to buy. If you read our How Many Glasses Do You Need? blog, you may be searching for some additional information on how much alcohol to actually buy to go in those glasses.
As you may know, you should plan on one drink per guest for each hour of your function. This should ensure you have enough alcohol for your party (unless you are having a college fraternity party – then you may have to rethink your calculations). So, you can use the following formula:
# of guests x hours of party time
Let’s assume you are throwing a 4 hour party for 250 guests. In other words, you will need 250 guests x 4 hours = 1000 drinks.
Now, let’s assume you will serve beer, wine, and mixed drinks.
BEER: How Much Do You Need?
40% of all party drinks are beer. So you will need to use:
# of total drinks x 40%
or
1000 x 40% = 400 beers
We recommend bottled beer but if you are having a keg, you need to make sure you can serve 400 beers. (NOTE: Most kegs contain 15.5 gallons of beer or 165 12-oz servings.)
WINE: How Much Do You Need?
Wine accounts for 60% of all remaining drinks. So you can use the formula:
(Total # of Drinks – Beers) x 60%
or
(1000 – 400) x 60% = 360 glasses of wine
A standard bottle of wine (750ml) serves approximately 6 glasses, but unless you are really careful about how much you are pouring, you may not get the full 6. I like to use 5 glasses per bottle for my calculations, then you are sure to have enough. To figure out how many bottles you will need, you can simply divide the total number of glasses you need by 5. In this case: 360 glasses of wine / 5 glasses per bottle = 72 bottles of wine needed.
Now you need to decide how many bottles of red, white, and sparkling wine you need. In order to do this, you should consider whether the event is an indoor/fall, winter, spring event or an outdoor/summer event. In case of an indoor/fall, winter, spring event people will drink more red wine so you should plan for 50% of the bottles being red, 25% white, and 25% sparkling. In our example, this would mean you need 36 bottles of red, 18 bottles of white, and 18 bottles of sparkling. If you are planning an outdoor/summer event, you can split the bottles evenly between red, white and sparkling. Using our numbers, this would mean you needed 24 bottles of each red, white, and sparkling.
When buying multiple bottles of wine, you will definitely want to buy it by the case. I always round up to the next case. Having a few extra bottles ensures that you will not run out and maybe you will have a few bottles left over for hostess gifts or to drink while you wind down!
SPIRITS: How Much Do You Need for Mixed Drinks?
Any drinks that are not wine or beer will fall into the mixed drink category. You can calculate this as:
Total # of Drinks – Beer – Wine = # of Mixed Drinks
Calculating what you need to buy for this category is WAY trickier and depends entirely on the types of mixed drinks you will be serving. Limiting the choices to one or two “signature cocktails” can help you decipher how much alcohol and mixers you will need to purchase.
The average cocktail uses:
- 1 1/2 ounces (the average shot) of a base liquor (ie. Vodka, gin, rum, etc.)
- Accent juices (ie. lemon and lime) usually use 1/4 to 1/2 ounce
- Filling a highball or tall drink with juice or soda often requires 4-6 ounces of the mixer.
For example, if you are making mojito which contains rum, lime juice, and club soda, you can assume you need 1.5 oz rum, 1/4 oz lime juice, and 4-6 oz club soda. You just need to figure out how many ounces your bottle of rum contains, and divide that by 1.5 to know how many cocktails you can make with that bottle and then do the same with your accent juices and mixers.
CHAMPAGNE?
If you are serving champagne for a champagne toast, you will need one bottle of champagne for every 8 guests. This should give you enough champagne to have 1/2 glass for each guest for the toast. In our example, this would be 250 guests/8 = 31.25 bottles of champagne (rounding up, you need 32 bottles).
Don’t Forget the Water
In all the discussion about how much alcohol to buy, don’t forget that all guests will need water at some point in the event. Make sure you have plenty! You can estimate that guests will drink about 12 ounces every 1/2 hour – hour during the party. We recommend tap water where possible to help preserve the environment. Did you know that only 8% of plastic water bottles are actually recycled? That leaves a lot of water bottles filling up our landfills! If serving tap water you need to account for 4 12-oz glasses per person or 1000 glasses of water.
If you keep these tips in mind, you can rest assured that you will have everything you need (drink-wise) for your big event. If you need glasses, tables, chairs, etc. check out loanables.com to find, compare, and rent.
Throwing a Great Office Party
When it comes to office parties, one size definitely does not fit all. Depending on Company age, lifecycle stage, culture, age of employees, etc., a great office party can mean very different things. In addition, a great office party may mean different things as a Company evolves. For example, a small, relatively young company may love beer pong and Karaoke while a more mature family business may like an outdoor barbecue with food and games for the whole family. Whether its outdoor games and cotton candy or pizza, beer, and singing office parties can play an important part in a Company’s culture, creating social networks, and ultimately retaining their employees – after all, employees who have a personal connection to their co-workers are less likely to go somewhere else!
Throughout my career, I have been responsible for and involved in office party planning and I have seen great parties where people come, stay, and talk about them the next day, and I have seen horrible parties with low attendance and zero posts to Social Media. The key to this is know the Company, the employees and the best time to throw the party – the middle of a big deadline is never a good time!
Here are a few ideas for Office Parties which may help get your party brainstorming juices flowing:
The Start Up – usually filled with young, energetic people who don’t mind spending their evenings hanging out in the office with work colleagues (after all, they are there working until early morning hours anyway). Loanables.com has a great Ultimate Office Party bundle for start up companies in Austin. It includes everything you need for:
- Giant Connect Four
- Giant Jenga
- 8 Foot Table and Supplies for Beer Pong
- Speaker System with Microphone and Karaoke Machine
- Margarita/Granita Machine
You can even add a bounce house, dunk tank, other giant games, tug of war, or whatever else you can dream up…and, for $100 they will deliver it straight to your office. Add some pizza and drinks and the party is basically done!
Small Sized Family Owned Business – These business tend to have close
personal relationships among employees (often related to each other in some way). Why not treat this as a backyard family barbecue – large or small? You can order some Barbecue, sodas, and beer and organize a few games/activities like:
- Tug of War
- Foosball or ping pong tournament
- Sack races
- Karaoke
Loanables.com even has a Backyard BBQ Party Bundle which includes
- White 12×12 Pop Up Canopy/Tent
- 2 6-ft Folding Tables
- Giant Jenga
- Giant Checker Board
- Tug of War Rope
They can also supply all the tables, chairs, and linens you need…and, they have a delivery option!
Young – Mature Medium to Large Sized Family Oriented Companies – Employees often want to spend their time outside of work with their families and friends so why not throw a daytime family oriented party – think “Office Carnival”. You can rent:
- Dunk Tank
- Bounce House
- Euro Bungee
Or any other big carnival things you can dream up – remember if Loanables doesn’t have something, they will find it for you – just send an email to info@loanables.com.
For food and drink, you can hire some good food trucks Pizza, Sno-cones, Corn Dogs on a Stick, etc – they drive up and do all of the food service for you! Then, you can set up a bar and hire a bar tender, rent some tables and chairs from Loanables and you are done!
Other – what kind of Company do you work for? Let the team at loanables.com help plan your next office party and find everything you need to rent to make it a huge success.
Camping – On the Bright Side
I admit it. I am not a camper. I love bathrooms, showers, my own big comfy bed, and most of all, 8 kid free hours every night after they all fall fast asleep. To me, all I can think of when I think about camping is depriving myself of some of these simple pleasures. That being said, I know that with 4 outdoors-y kids, an occasional camping trip is inevitable.
Since this month’s loanables giveaway is a camping trip (click here for details), I have decided to put on my optimist hat and consider all the positive aspects to camping. So, here’s what I came up with:
- A technology free vacation. This has to be at the top of my list. No whining about wanting to watch a video, play on a game station, or tune in to YouTube…it sounds like paradise. Plus, it would be such a great impetus for my husband and I to turn off our phones and enjoy the great out-of-doors.
Cooking outside – everything tastes better when you cook it on a fire. Hot dogs and hamburgers are my personal favorite because they taste best cooked over a campfire but if you are feeling ambitious, you can cook almost anything – pizza, veggies, shrimp, cheese dip…the sky’s the limit! Check out this great collection of campfire recipes – some of them are making my mouth water as I type!- S-mores – this deserves a mention all its own. I know I can make s’mores anytime or even throw a s’mores party and rent this awesome s’mores maker but there’s just something special about sitting around a campfire singing songs and playing games and cooking marshmallow after marshmallow over an open fire.
- Outdoor activities. Our family loves to be outside doing just about anything – swimming, hiking, throwing a football, climbing trees, etc. I found this list of great outdoor camping games to keep everyone entertained outside. If you are thinking about things to bring with you on your trip, why not rent a corn hole set or giant Jenga? These would be great entertainment at a campsite and everyone can play!
- Time to read a book – Everyone can read their own or you can read out loud as a family. In our house there are only 2.5 readers out of 6 of us so a family book works great. For little kids I love A Camping Spree for Mr. Magee and Curious George Goes Camping. Teenagers and adults alike might find some good camping reads here. Wild or Into the Wild are two of my favorite books of all time and would be great for an outdoor trip! Whatever your pleasure, being outside can offer a chance to relax…and how better to relax than with a great book.
And just like that, I am kind of excited about the prospect of a camping trip – talk about the art of positive thinking. So, I guess I will have to overlook comfort and take some time to truly enjoy the things I have listed above, and, of course, my family. I’m off to enter the giveaway!
Everyone Screams for an Ice Cream Party
I love parties (and planning them) but there just aren’t enough days in the year to plan and throw all the parties I want to. This week, I decided to focus on a party that won’t take up too much precious party planning time – an ice cream party!
With an ice cream party, the food and entertainment collide making it an easy party to plan or even to throw together at the last minute. All you need is the tools and ingredients to make the ice cream, some bowls to serve it in, and the accompaniments to make sundaes and banana splits galore! Loanables.com has a great Ice Cream Party Bundle for rent which includes everything you need for your party. It includes an ice cream maker, Ben and Jerry’s book of recipes, an Ice cream scoop, and a waffle cone maker. There is even an option to purchase an Ultimate Toppings Kit which makes throwing a party super easy!
On top of the bundle, you may want to do Invitations, decorations, and a game (to play during any waiting time or when the guests are done eating their ice cream). Below are some easy ideas (if you are ambitious you can do even more – I have seen some pretty over the top ice cream parties!):
Invitations
In today’s world, most people use Evite, Paperless Post, etc. to invite guests and luckily these sites have loads of online Ice Cream party invite options – check these out! But, if you just love a paper invite, there are lots of options for that as well. Check out these really cute printables. Or, if you are feeling really crafty, you can make your own – how cute are these? or these? And there are plenty more great ideas on Pinterest so browse away … but don’t forget, the invites are not the fun part of the party.
Decorations
I think of colorful paper goods when I think of Ice Cream parties. There are a million ideas on Pinterest for decorating for the cutest party ever. Here are just a few. I say keep it simple and let the toppings act as part of the decor.
Some staples that will make your party cute without breaking the bank and creating extra waste are:
- Tablecloth – any bright color will do but I think of pink when I think of ice cream parties!
- Napkins – pair these with some plain napkins in bright coordinating colors.
- Bowls, spoons, etc. – this set comes with bowls and spoons and if you are ambitious you could even reuse them!
- Balloons – they are great for adding color and make a great favor at the end of the party.
- I also LOVE this Ice Cream truck – you could turn it into a party photo booth (think extra activity and memory maker) and kids would play with it all year – it could easily double as a birthday present for a birthday party. You could even repurpose an old appliance box and make your own, even better!
Party Games
The options are endless – you can stick with the ice cream theme or just pick games you love to play. 
Here are some ideas:
- Pin the cherry on the ice cream cone – this one on Etsy is super-cute but you can easily make your own just like it if you have some spare time.
- Create and name your own Ice Cream Flavor – have each person (or team) use toppings, extract, or whatever to create unique flavors and name them. Then have a taste test and vote on the best, worst, and most creative!
- Taste test – buy a bunch of flavors and have a blindfold test – see who can name each flavor correctly.
- Ice Cream Bingo – here‘s a great print and play version.
- Ice Cream Eating Contest – see who can eat the most in a minute.
Or, why not combine your ice cream party with some fantastic outdoor games by renting the Birthday Party Picnic Bundle or the Outdoor Movie Bundle from loanables.com? The Birthday Party Picnic bundle even comes with an egg and spoon race game – wouldn’t it be fun (and a lot less messy) to substitute cherries for the eggs?
This is really just a starting point. You could take this and create the diy party of the year or just rent the bundle once a month and have a standing ice cream party…you can’t lose because after all, EVERYONE screams for Ice Cream!!!
How to Throw an Old Fashioned/”Retro” Birthday Party
Recently, I have seen a lot of people throwing “Retro” Birthday parties. Being an arbitrary term, “Retro” can be something referring to a party in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s ,or 90’s…it just depends on the age of the person having the birthday (or in some cases, the age of their parents). The one thing that seems to be consistent is that “Retro” almost always means low-tech and homemade (which of course appeals to me).
My daughter is turning 4 in September and I have been busy planning her birthday party. September is the start of a new school year and since she only goes to school 2 days a week, we won’t have much of a chance to get to know her “friends” and their families prior to her birthday. So, I tried to come up with a party that facilitates talking, laughing, and playing with people you are just getting to know…sounds like the perfect opportunity for an old fashioned “retro” birthday party!
With this theme, the sky is the limit – my original idea was to have a sock hop with records, a soda fountain, poodle skirts, and dancing – there are a million cute ideas on Pinterest and I am kind of mourning not following through with it (stay tuned for future party posts – I may use this idea for another party in the future). In the end, I decided to focus on something I could easily set up at a park near my daughter’s school – something that didn’t take too much time to plan at the beginning of the busy school year and something laid back and fun – like a birthday party from my childhood.
Here’s what I decided to do:
Theme: Rainbows! my daughter would really like another Minion party. She has been obsessed with Minions since she was 18 months old but I am desperate for a change. I think Rainbows are cute and simple and perfect for preschoolers.
Invitations: I know “retro” does not usually mean online invitations but to make sure everyone gets the invitations and for attendance tracking, I think online invites are the way to go. The key here is simple and maybe a little old fashioned. I personally like this one from Punchbowl. It looks like it could be a homemade paper invite and is cute and simple. There are tons of others that you can choose from or make to fit your theme on evite, paperless post, etc.
Retro Birthday Party Bundle: We are going to start with the Retro Birthday Party Bundle from loanables.com – for $60 you can rent the following for your party
- White 12×12 Pop-up Canopy Tent
- 6 foot Folding Table
- 12 Potato Sacks (you can request more for an additional fee)
- Tug of War Rope
- Giant Jenga
It’s such a great deal and renting the bundle means so much of the party is done for you!
To the bundle, I am adding:
Party Games: I love games, especially the old fashioned party games, so in addition to Tug-of-war, Jenga, Potato Sack Races, and Egg and Spoon Races, we are going to play:
- Hot Potato – who doesn’t love a game that only requires a potato to play?
- Duck Duck Goose – or a game that requires nothing but kids?
- Pin the tail on the donkey (or the cow, or cat, or … whatever) This was a favorite when I was a kid and my kids love it. For our party. we are going to Pin the Pot of Gold on the rainbow – like this. You can just as easily buy one if you don’t want to make it.
Piñata: In our house, “party” means “piñata” and we had pinatas at birthday party when I was a kid so they MUST be retro:) So, we will definitely have a piñata.
Snacks:
- Fruit Skewers organized in a rainbow
- Goldfish butterflies – you can fill these with anything but our kids love goldfish
- Fruit Loop Necklaces – this could even be a craft project if you needed extra activities
- Water bottles with rainbow labels – free printable labels included here
- CUPCAKES – this is a recipe for easy rainbow cupcakes. I am going to write each child’s name on them. This is a great way to create conversation and a great way for kids to learn their classmates names.
Decorations: I am going to go with really simple decorations because we are partying in the park. So, in addition to the piñata, I am sticking to:
- Tablecloth – you can get them on amazon here or at your local party store
- Balloons – I am going to pick up rainbow colored balloons at my local grocery store the day of the party.
Prizes: With all the games, you need some prizes for the winners. If you have ever been anywhere with a kids’ treasure chest, you know that they love cheap bracelets, plastic cameras, tops, slinkys, etc. – you can get any of that at oriental trading for very little money. I am going to go with a selection of rainbow candy – skittles, lifesavers, M&M’s, etc.
Party Favors: Personally, I like party favors you can eat so you aren’t collecting more little pieces of junk. My favorite favors are cookies from my friend Megan at Junebug & Moo. She can make anything, including cute rainbow cookies!
As you can see, throwing a Retro Birthday Party can be easy, inexpensive and a lot of fun. I would love to hear your ideas and see pictures of your parties as you put them together and create your own amazing party experiences. Happy Partying!
Ticket to a Fantastic Outdoor Movie Party
Invitations
Food
FOOD BARS! Try any one of these 20 Fun Food Bars To Recreate at Home! Grilled Cheese Bars, Burger Bars, and S’mores Bars all lend themselves to an Outdoor Movie Night as do several of the others listed. And, if you find that you are in need of a Crock Pot, S’mores Maker, Panini Maker, or Serving Pieces, check out loanables.com and rent some for the evening!
Drinks
Seating
Activities
Follow us on Social Media
Having a party? Put us to work FOR FREE.
Wondering how Loanables makes money? We send a lot of business to local rental companies, so, they give us a commission. You will pay the same price whether you use our service or not. Let us take care of the drudgery of finding what you need at the best price while you focus on the fun part.