Host a Kentucky Derby Party
Ideas for a Horse Racing Themed Backyard Barbeque
Kentucky Derby invitation, decoration, food, drink and betting ideas for planning a successful outdoor get-together centered around the most famous horse race of the year
Celebrate the first Saturday in May in style by gathering your friends and family for a Kentucky Derby Party. Use the ideas and tips below to plan a fun-filled barbeque that is sure to please all your guests.
Derby Party Invitations
Create your own race day party program to send to guests as a Derby themed invitation.
- Use a word processing program to design a cover featuring clip art of horses, jockeys or even big hats.
- Over the graphic write, “Ride on over…” and underneath write, “And talk Derby to me!” Use horse racing terms to outline party details such as post time (time), track (place), and silks (attire).
- Remind the guests to bring money for betting and for the ladies to don the customary big hats.
Derby Party Menu
No Derby party would be complete without time-honored Kentucky favorites and delicious southern fare. Use the list below to choose foods that your guests will enjoy along with choices they may never have sampled before to add to the festive atmosphere.
- Fried Chicken
- Crab Cakes
- Biscuits and gravy
- Hush puppies
- Black-eyed peas
- Shrimp and grits
- Benedictine sandwiches
- Kentucky Derby pie
- Pecan pie
Derby Drinks
The star of any Kentucky Derby party is the traditional Mint Julep. The Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby and perfect for any Kentucky Derby party. Or use the recipe on the Kentucky Derby website to make your own. Purchase Mint Julep glasses online to serve the drinks in and present them to the guests as party favors. Set up an outdoor bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices and order cocktail napkins that feature the slogan, “Talk Derby to me!”
Derby Party Decorations
Host your Kentucky Derby party in your backyard if weather permits.
- Set up small, round tables topped with white table cloths in the grass.
- Group silver vases of varying heights in the center of the tables and fill them with red roses. Or place a tightly packed red rose bouquet in a silver Mint Julep cup in the center of the table with small candles or mini-horseshoes scattered around the flowers.
- Use horseshoe-shaped place cards cut out of white cardstock with silver writing to mix up the group and encourage guests to interact with each other.
- Label the bar “The Watering Trough” and the buffet table “The Feedbag.” Continue the theme by naming the tables after Kentucky Derby mainstays such as, “The Grandstand”, “The Winners’ Circle”, “The Owner’s Box”, and “Millionaire’s Row.”
Derby Betting
Increase the fun at your Derby party by taking bets on the race.
- Cut the current Derby odds out of the newspaper and display for the guests to view as they enter the backyard.
- Pass out Derby tickets and have everyone choose their favorite horse or horses. Charge two dollars for each ticket turned in.
- Close the betting an hour before race time and award the winners their share of the money after the race.
- Or simplify things and charge each guest a set amount to pull a horse’s name out of a cup. The winner takes all.
