It’s easy to throw a baseball theme party – it’s not so easy on the old budget though. Having friends over to watch the ballgame or hosting your child’s birthday party at home, might seem like a budget friendly activity, especially when compared to doing so in a bar, restaurant or banquet setting, but things can quickly get out of hand. Food costs, drinks, and the inevitable broken, damaged or dirtied _______ (fill in the blank), can quickly send costs soaring. Here are some tips on how to host a baseball theme party and have a great time while not breaking the bank.
Planning & Preparation
Stick to what you know – if that’s burgers and dogs then so much the better. Trying to get fancy and being overly extravagant with your party can create planning issues and cause costs to stack up. Remember, this is a baseball theme party – if you were at a ballgame you wouldn’t be eating tofu and teriyaki jerk chicken with mojitos and dirty martinis, you’d be munching on a hotdog or a slice of pizza and drinking a cold beer or soda. Stick to the basics. Cracker Jacks, popcorn, peanuts, and pretzels can make for tasty appetizers that are cheap and appeal to a broad audience (even vegetarians). Macaroni or potato salad, coleslaw and other picnic type foods can top off a budget friendly meal. Just make sure to plan ahead. Last minute runs to the corner store or quick-e-mart can be costly and time consuming.
Decorations
If you’re going all out and sending invitations, consider stores like Factory Card Outlet and similar party suppliers, or the Dollar Store, Dollar General, Dollar Tree and other discounters. These types of stores often have great deals on party invites and many have party packages specifically geared toward theme parties, including hats, centerpieces, stickers, snack mix containers, banners, plates, cups, etc. You might also consider sending invitations via email. This can save money, and while typically more informal, do it yourself invitations can be modified to contain pictures and designs, presenting a more personalized theme appearance.
Activities and planned events can be a plus, but remember, if you are centering your party around an actual televised baseball game, the game itself should be the centerpiece of your party. People are not going to want to stop watching, with the bases loaded, and three balls and two strikes on the batter, with two outs, to go and play pin the tail on the donkey. Placing more emphasis on the game itself can also save time and money on planning and buying party activities that won’t be used.
For baseball theme parties geared more toward adults, choose appropriate stopping points if you decide to plan activities. Before the game, consider having people choose a game winner and final score to win an inexpensive prize. Half the time just being correct in front of other guests is a prize in itself. Between innings, you can do trivia questions, and during the seventh inning stretch have everyone gather to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”.
The audience at children’s parties probably won’t have their attention focused on the game as much. Therefore, consider planning a waffle ball game or set up cornhole or other beanbag games. Cornhole can be a great activity for a baseball theme event and appeals to kids and adults alike. Units can be constructed or purchased at a relatively low cost.
A Grand Slam
No matter what type of baseball theme party you decide to throw, remember, it doesn’t have to be expensive to be a fun and memorable event. By preparing ahead of time, and understanding the expectations of your guests, you can spend more time enjoying your party and your friends, rather than worrying about how things are going and if people are having a good time. So relax, enjoy the game and your guests, and don’t forget the apple pie for dessert!
