The Derby Details...
Third time we've thrown this party. Each year it gets bigger. I use this blog to record what went well, what I'd change, and to generally reminiscence on a great time.
With about 50-60 people in attendance our biggest planning challenge was traffic flow. We spread everything out in different stations throughout the house and outside. Then hung signs up to help direct folks to anything they might need. We also had two viewing areas set up for the race. Upstairs in front of the 82 inch tv was the sophisticated 'grandstand' seating. Then outside we placed a 50 inch tv and had our 'track side' viewing area. As it turned out to be a beautiful day, most people stayed outside.
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| Party goers watching the pre-race commentary outside |
Food
Drinks
Once again we had a pretty impressive bourbon selection for our Mint Julep bar. I used a simple syrup mint mix from Taste of Kentucky, provided shaved ice and left instructions for everyone to mix their own.
For the non-bourbon drinkers we had two selections of home brewed derby-inspired beer. It was delicious. (We are lucky that one of our friends is a great brewer of beers.)
Betting
General Betting Boards - $1 per bet. Write your name in a square for your horse for Win, Place, or Show. Winnings are then split amongst all names in that block.
Pot Luck Horse - $20 to randomly draw a horse
Biggest Loser - $5 to randomly draw the the last place horse
A few happy winners...
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| She was also our best dressed lady |
Games
Once again everyone voted for the best dressed categories. This year for prizes we did gift baskets. I liked the basket idea.
Find the Silks - This was a new idea to give the kids something to do after the race. We hid pictures of different jockey silks throughout the house. The kids were then given a time limit to find all of these silks. They loved it. I will do this game again, but give them more time to look.
It's pretty lucky to have a talented artist friend. She created this beautiful canvas for all the party goers to sign as a commemorative gift.
A few more photos:
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| Mint Julep bar |
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| Pig Roasting |
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| A jockey and her horse resting after the race |
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| The dashing men. btw - who let the one guy who didn't dress up sit in the front of the picture?? |
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| The lovely ladies |
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| The host & hostess and our sweet little girl (who was only there long enough for a few photos) |
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