By Liz Norman
Expert Author

Nothing will get your guests going faster and to participate in the festivities quicker than a party built around a “theme”. There are all sorts of themes to choose from.

This Old West theme party is particularly popular as it invites your guests to simply arrive in their old jeans and shirts.

What could be more comfortable? It’s also a good theme pick when kids are also invited.

This is a party that should be planned to start in mid-afternoon and run well into the evening where your guests can gather around “the old campfire” after dark and tell stories. Don’t have a place for a campfire? Sure you do. Just surround a 6’-8’ circle of dirt (or 3” deep sand-fill) with large rocks. Don’t worry, remove the sand the next day, use it to add to your garden soil, and your concrete or grass will recover quite nicely.

Decorations:

·Bales of hay to sit on (You can spread the hay later for weed control in your garden. )

·Oil lanterns and/or oil lamps. Candles work too, but no “electric” lights please.

·Disposable red, or blue & white, checkered table cloths with matching plates and napkins.

·A handful of daisies or wild flowers tossed into glass jars for the tables.

·If you have access to some old saddles or cowboy boots to set around, that’s great.

Suggested Activities - Plan on picking up some fitting prizes from your dollar store:

·A 1 legged, potato-sack race. (You can quickly stitch these up from cheap burlap fabric. )

·A pie-baking contest (The pies will be served for dessert! )

·Horse Shoes

·Square dancing

·Who can tell the scariest Ghost Story around the campfire?

·Who can tell the biggest and most believable lie around the campfire?

·The best cowboy poetry. A double prize for an original poem by the teller.

·If you have a friend with a guitar, do a sing-a-long, which is great fun.

Menu Idea:

·Pan-fried Chuck or Swiss steak smothered with gravy and onions

·Mashed potatoes, or bake them in hot coals

·Cowboy beans

·Corn-on-the-cob

·Sliced tomatoes

·Hot, fluffy biscuits with butter and jam

·Assorted homemade pies for desert

·Iced tea, lemonade, coffee, and beer, if desired.

Note: You can make room for a fire pit just about anywhere. Even on a wood deck if that’s all you have. Sometime soon do a search on this site for articles written by Liz Norman and she will tell you how.

· This copyrighted article may be freely reprinted only on the internet, so long as the provided click-able links remain exactly as shown in the author's section.

About the Author:
Liz Norman is a freelance writer with a special interest in helping those on limited budgets achieve their goals.

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