Ask A NYC Expert: Tips For Throwing The Perfect Super Bowl Party
Super Bowl 50 will kick off on Feb. 7 and we're getting pumped for the party! Whoever you're rooting for, this year's 50th celebration of football's top contenders is sure to be a hit. If you're planning on throwing your own Super Bowl bash, you'll want to check out these tips from our New York City party expert.
Ariana Gordon Stecker
Save the Date®
315 West 36 St., 10th floor
New York, NY 10018
(212) 333-3283
www.savethedate.com
Ariana Gordon Stecker is the Chief Operating Officer of New York-based events planning company Save the Date®. From elegant weddings to high-profile corporate events and everything in between, Save the Date® handles all things party -- and they handle it with style. So it's natural that Stecker would have the best ideas for throwing a Super Bowl party right in your own home.
Keep Guests Occupied
Stecker comments, "It's important to have mini events going on within the big event because some people will be focused on watching while others are there to socialize." It's not enough to just have the big screen and a few food items. Set up different areas within your event space so that people can have the opportunity to do different things. Try a games corner, a kids corner, an adult socializing/drinking bar and the central TV station.
Throw Some Color Into Your Food Display
Have fun with your spread! Stecker says it's not super important to incorporate your team's colors into the food, but green and brown are two easy, football-centric colors you can work with. "There's a lot of cool food in green, like guacamole or salads, edamame, pastries, bread, cookies; even liquor fits into that theme: scotch, mojitos, green jello shots or even hot apple cider for those who don't drink. And to take it to the next level, do 'end zone' cupcakes, a deli stadium, a Mexican dip made to look like a stadium, carved fruit. And green ice cream," Stecker says.
Make It Memorable
You want your guests to have fun, and you want them to remember you for next year, too. One way to do that, suggests Stecker, is through a photo booth. Grab a football, a poster of the stadium or your favorite team and snap away! "Turn your apartment into a photo booth souvenir, so you can print out a crowd of people as if you were in the stadium. People can take pictures, and that's an instant share on Instagram or Facebook so your friends can see what a great time you're having at the event," suggests Stecker.
Decorate Wisely
There is so much you can do with decorations for your Super Bowl celebration. Grab your favorite team's logos and pin them up around the house; get paper cups and plates with your team on them, and even "make coasters out of AstroTurf." If you really want to impress your guests? Something so simple and easy to do, suggests Stecker, is to "set up your apartment or house like a "tailgate" with coolers and beach chairs for people to sit on!"
Party Games
Stecker has a never-ending supply of ideas for party games, especially ones that are football-related. Football bingo and Super Bowl trivia are just two ideas. Her favorite though, is what happens during the commercials. "For me, the best part of the Super Bowl is the commercials. Advertisers pay millions of dollars to premiere new, creative commercials during the game. During each spot, let guests compete to guess the product first. Or ask your guests to rate the commercials, and then take a vote to determine who picked the best ones," says Stecker.
Related: NYC's 12 Best Restaurants To Order Super Bowl Takeout
Jennifer Eberhart is a writer, reader, crafter, traveler and New Yorker. She works in midtown New York City for non-profit organizations. Her degrees are in communication studies and art history.You can contact Jennifer on Twitter at @egyptologist. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
