“I was Good Because I Got Some Bead”
-Anonymous
Feathers, Glitter, and Beads! There is nothing wrong with that Statement, now add a little bit of Masked Mystery and we have the Festival of the Season! Of Course, I am talking about Mardi Gras! The one time of the year when we can pull out the Masks and Beads and run around town painting the town Purple, Green, and Gold all while dancing to amazing Jazz music.
Masquerade Mardi Gras
Suggested Event Colors: Purple, Green, and Gold
Summary: As the weather is starting to warm up it is a great time to call all of your neighbors out of their warm homes and into the streets. Mardi Gras is known for many things, Great Food, Music, Dancing, Games, and, of course, Mardi Gras Beads. A Masquerade Mardi Gras Party works great for a Block Party, Church Party, or even a School Carnival. For this Example, we will be using a Block Party.
Everything Mardi Gras is known for will be present in the Block Party. Dinner will be a Barbeque featuring Chicken and Potluck for side dishes. Games will provided in form of Carnival Games, and Dancing will be brought to you by Modern Classical Jazz.
Invitations: Invitations for the Block Party should be sent out 1 and a half to 2 weeks before the event. It is best to Hand-Deliver these invitations. When it comes to Neighborhood parties, families like to meet the hosts personally before they attend, especially newer families. Take a day and work your way around the neighborhood ringing door bells and inviting families, this is also an easier way to get potluck volunteers.
“Cup O’ Fun” Invitations
Makes: 1 Invitation
Needed:
1 Green Plastic Party Cup 1 Strand of Gold Mardi Gras Beads
1 Mardi Gras Mask White Cardstock
2 Tulle Stick Gold Cardstock
Write-Up:
Masquerade Mardi Gras
BLOCK PARTY BARBEQUE
Saturday, February th
6:00 to 9:00 pm
9874 West 7300 South Sandy , Ut
Come Join Your Neighbors as we dawn our Funny Masks, Eat Great Good, Dance Around, and Play Carnival Games.
For Potluck Volunteering call Jen Fredricks at (801) 648-5555.
Chicken on the Grill!
Print off your Write-Up on the White Cardstock, cut out the invitation, mat on Gold Cardstock and cut the invitations. Tape the Cardstock Invitation onto a tulle stick, on the other tulle stick tape a Mardi Gras Mask.
Using the Gold Mardi Gras Beads fill the Green Plastic Cup ¾ full. Then Place the two tulle sticks in the cup.
Table Set-Up: Depending on where the party is being held the way you place or tables or how you decorate your tables can be left up to the weather and venue limits. For this type of event Circle tables would be the best for socializing and they fit in a smaller space. Seats should not be assigned. Guests will be getting up and down from them as they are eating, playing games, and dancing.
Tablecloths should reflect the fun and excitement of Mardi Gras. Use alternating cloths for each table (Purple and Green) with a reflecting fun centerpiece. Place 6 chairs around the table.
Centerpiece: You want to keep the centerpiece small, just in case weather kicks up. Keep it simple with a square mirror laid flat, on top place 3 candles in a triad position. Take mask cut-outs (like the ones used for the invitations) and small silver nails and pin the masks into the candles, around the candles loop gold mardi gras beads.
Other Decorations: For light when it gets dark and for classy decoration while its light out use white paper lanterns (colored ones will look just as good). Another cheaper idea would be to use tiki torches around areas that children wont be running around.
Music: Mardi Gras is known for their Jazz Music and great tunes street goers can dance too. For your party, you have a choice of getting a live jazz band, getting a D.J, or making your own Playlist. A Live Band is great for Live Music and Dancing. Guests will enjoy having live entertainment. A D.J will do all of the music preparation for you. A Music Playlist is the hardest of the three, but it is the less expensive route.
Some Songs I Would Recommend:
“Feels Like Rain” by Buddy Guy
“Walkin’ to New Orleans
“Fire on the Bayou” by The Meters
“Mardi Gras Mambo” by The Meters
“Carnival Time” by Al Johnson
“Fire Water” by Wild Magnolias
“Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Check out Playlist to Sample Some of the Music!
Games: Mardi Gras is very similar to a carnival, the children in the group will love Carnival Games and the teens would love volunteering to help out with the games.
Bucket Toss: Line buckets 6 inches apart on a board. Line the players up 8 feet away from the board and have each player throw 3 bean bags, if they are successful and make it into the bucket a prize will be rewarded.
Balloon Darts: On a stiff board or a small flat-board of plywood pin different size, different color balloons full of water. Players will be lined up 10 feet away from the board with darts. When a balloon is popped a prize will be rewarded.
Can Knockdown: Stack 5 cans on a table 8 feet away from the players. Players will have 3 bean bags they can throw, when all cans are knocked down, player will be rewarded a prize.
Hula Hoops: Players will compete to see who can Hula Hoop the longest and win a prize.
Ring Toss: Put your old coke bottles to use. On a small piece of flat plywood glue 4 bottles equal distance apart. Players line up 6 feet away from the board with 3 rings that they can throw. When a ring falls around a bottle a prize will be rewarded.
Prizes: Prizes can range from Mardi Gras beads to Glow-in the Dark Frisbees (oriental trading) to candy. Oriental trading has great bundle prices and orders can be made online.
Dinner: With a Block Party Barbeque it is best to have the option of Hamburgers vs. Hot-dogs or, for this occasion, Chicken vs. Steak. Guests can bring their own meat or it can be supplied by the host family.
Bourbon Whiskey Barbeque Sauce
Makes:
½ Onion, Minced 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cup Bourbon Whiskey ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
½ teaspoon Salt 2 cups Ketchup
¼ cup Tomato Paste 1/3 cup Vinegar
2 tbsp Liquid Smoke Flavoring ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
½ cup Packed Brown Sugar 1/3 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce
In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the Onion, Garlic, and Whiskey. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until Onion is translucent. Mix in the Ground Black Pepper, Salt, Ketchup, Tomato Paste, Vinegar, Liquid Smoke, Worcestershire Sauce, Brown Sugar, and Hot Pepper Sauce.
Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Run sauce through a strainer if you prefer a smooth sauce.
Along with the barbeque a great way to take a major load off the hosts shoulders would be to make the occasion a “Pot-luck” (Volunteers each bring a plate). This way there is plenty of food to go around and everyone’s different tastes are satisfied. Here are just some suggestions for dishes to bring to the table.
Southwestern Layered Bean Dip
Makes: 12 Servings
1 (16 oz) Can Non-Fat Refried Beans 1 (15 ounce) Can Black Beans, Rinsed
4 Scallions, Sliced ½ cup Salsa
½ teaspoon Cumin ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
¼ cup Pickled Jalapenos, Chopped ½ cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 ½ c Chopped Romaine Lettuce 1 Medium Tomato
1 Medium Avocado ¼ cup Canned Sliced Olives
2 Container Sour Cream
Combine Refried Beans, Black Beans, Scallions, Salsa, Cumin, Chili Powder, and Jalapenos in a medium sized bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart Microwave Safe Dish. Sprinkle with Cheese.
Microwave on High Heat until Cheese is melted and Beans are hot. 3-5 minutes.
Spread Sour Cream evenly over the Hot Bean Mixture, then scatter with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Avocado, and Olives.
Serve with Tortilla Chips.
Mardi Gras Pasta Salad
Serves: 6
1 Box Tri-Color Rotini Pasta 1 Small Red Onion
1 Small Green Pepper 1 Large Carrot
1 Can Whole Corn 1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes, Drained
1 Bottle Italian Dressing
Cook Noodles according to the box directions for al dente and rinse with Cold Water/
Dice Onions, Peppers, and Carrots into small pieces. Drain Tomatoes and Corn Well.
Add all Veggies to the cooked Pasta Noodles.
Pour Dressing over top, using as much as you would like, to taste.
Refrigerate over night.
Cocktails: It is up to the host whether or not the need for an alcoholic beverage at the party. I would recommend a cooler placed away from the children surrounded by adults to watch filled with beer or whatever drinks you would like for personal enjoyment. For other Beverages giant drink coolers are the best to store and serve.
Virgin Hurricane
1 Splash Grenadine 2 ounces Orange
4 ounces Pineapple Juice 0.5 ounces Sugar Syrup
Mix Juices slowly with Sugar Syrup. Stir. Splash the Grenadine to turn the Mixture red. Serve chilled for best taste. Be careful with the Sugar Syrup, too much can turn your Hurricane into a Super Sweet Disaster.
Home-made Root Beer
Makes: 2 Liters
1 cup Table Sugar 1 tablespoon Root Beer Extract
¼ teaspoon Powdered Bakers Yeast Cold Fresh Water
2 L Soda Pop Bottle
Funnel 1 level cup of Sugar, then add ¼ teaspoon of Powdered Bakers Yeast. Shake Bottle, then swirl the mixture to make the center of the mix concave.
Add 1 tablespoon Root Beer Extract. Fill the bottle half-way with Cold Tap Water. Rinse in the Extract which sticks to the Tablespoon. Swirl the bottle to mix and dissolve the Extract. Once it is well blended fill the bottle to the neck, cap, and seal. Invert repeatedly to dissolve more extract.
Store at Room Temperature for 3-4 days until Bottle feels hard to a forceful squeeze.
Refrigerate over night before serving.
Dessert: Along with potluck entrees, most families will easily volunteer for bringing dessert. Once again, the follow is just a suggestion.
Chocolate Covered Bananas
Makes: 8 Bananas
1½ cup Nuts 3 tablespoons Butter
4 Firm Bananas ½ cups Semisweet Chocolate Morsels
8 Wooden Skewers
Measure Nuts into shallow pan and set aside.
Melt Butter and Chocolate Morsels together in small saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour Chocolate Mix into second shallow pan and set aside.
Peel Bananas and cut in half cross-side.
Immediately dip bananas in melted chocolate to coat evenly. Roll in nuts pressing nuts into chocolate to coat evenly. Place on wax paper lined tray.
Freeze firm for 2 hours.
Rice Krispies may be substituted instead of nuts.
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