With Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just around the corner, that means people all over the country are getting ready to gather around the TV, to watch the first-ever Super Bowl to be hosted by a team playing, or to watch the commercials and the half-time show which are both always over the top and spectacular.
Whether you are planning on gathering at your home this year or renting a private space at a nearby venue, there is plenty of work to do in preparation for the perfect get-together not matter how big or small of a party you throw.
Here is our guide on throwing the best 2021 Super Bowl party!
The Venue
The biggest football game of the year is coming soon, and social media is buzzing with party planning tips, recipes, and ways to make your Super Bowl event epic. While there is certainly some nostalgia in hosting a party in your home, the perks of renting an event venue are numerous. Here’s why you should consider giving your big game plans to the pros who really know how to party in style.
More space equals a bigger guest list
How many people can you fit in your living room? Filling your space to max capacity doesn’t exactly bode well for a party where people will be passing around snacks and drinks while jockeying for a good viewing position. With a venue hosting your party, you can invite everyone on your ideal guest list, even those with children. Give guests room to socialize, eat, and watch the game, without worrying that you left someone important off of the invite list. Plus, venues are specifically designed to provide an inclusive experience for everyone in your life — regardless of your home’s square footage or layout.
You are able to participate in the party versus managing the party
Let’s face it: Hosting a party can be exhausting, and the preparation and cleanup involved can kill any satisfaction you get from being the host with the most. Add in the responsibilities of making sure there’s enough toilet paper in the bathrooms and that the snack bowls are always full, and you’ve committed yourself to a full-time job — one that doesn’t leave much time for you to watch even a moment of game time. By giving the big jobs to an event planner, you’re much more likely to use the party as a chance to catch up with family and friends, enjoy some snacks, and cheer on your favorite team.
Venues are more equipped to handle special requests
From dietary restrictions, kid-friendly menus, to rearranging the space layout and dealing with vendors, event planners handle these types of requests every day as a natural part of their job. They are experts in providing a fun and safe environment for all.
What to Look for in your venue search:
- The TVs or Screens: It’s a football party, after all, so keep your search limited to those venues that offer larger-than-life televisions, projectors, and sound systems (usually indicated by the “media room” and “A/V tech” filters). You’ll want your guests to feel like they are up close and personal to the coaches and players, something that can easily be done at a tech-connected venue.
- All season spaces: Indoor amenities are nice, but if you live in an area with warmer weather, don’t neglect what the outdoors can offer. Even those locations in cooler climates should work with you to make the best use of the fresh air with covered spaces, canopies, and patio warmers.
- Wi-Fi for all: Make sure your venue offers WiFi for guests who are going to want to share updates on their social accounts and check their fantasy football points.
These are just a few of the must-have amenities that a venue should have, but personal preference varies. To ensure that your search for the best location only includes those spaces that meet your standards, use the advanced filters on EventUp to sort by location, features, size, and more. You can filter out the noise of event locations that don’t fit your party needs before you even begin to browse options.
Questions to ask the venue:
Help narrow down your favorite venue picks with these carefully-curated questions. Keep them handy for communicating with reps at each event venue:
+ Do you have a menu for special diets? If not, is outside catering allowed?
+ How long is alcohol served? Can outside specialty drinks (signature wine, etc.) be brought inside the venue?
+ What is your reservation window, and what’s the cancellation policy?
+ Will other parties be held at the event at the same time? What are the policies for on-street parking and shared amenities?
+ How many people does the room or space accommodate? Can furniture and décor be moved to suit our needs?
These are just a few of the important details you want to get settled before you book. Remember that EventUp has many of these questions answered for you in each of their approved venue profiles.
Food
Finger food is the key to throwing a good Super Bowl party. Whilst your guests are standing and yelling at the TV because so and so dropped the ball, again, they will not want to sit down to a multi-course meal that requires silverware or manners. Finger foods are easy to grab, and even easier to eat while cheering and waving a foam-finger in one hand. We have selected this specific menu since each item allows for them to be prepared in many different ways. With a pre-set menu, you now can pick the recipe that best suits your unique guests. With these finger food options, you are sure to please all of your guests.
Caprese salad skewers
Traditionally they are cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil, but you can mix things up by serving them with balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, and coarse sea salt, or pesto.
Wings
BBQ, buffalo chicken, honey mustard, Korean BBQ, chili lime - baked, fried, or grilled. There are almost too many ways to prepare and cook wings. Don’t pick more than two types of wings to serve to make it easier to prepare and serve for you.
Chili
Spicy, mild, turkey, beef, or vegetarian. So many combinations are available to fit any diet. Chili is always packed with flavor and warms the soul.
Cornbread
You cannot have chili without the sweet sidekick of cornbread. By having these prepared in muffin tins, they become finger food.
Pigs in a blanket
We can pretend that these are on the menu for the kids, but a mini hotdog wrapped in a fluffy roll will most certainly be enjoyed by the adults as well.
Egg rolls
Are another fantastic option to prepare with different types of filling. Plus, anything tastes better when it’s fried.
Meatballs on skewers
Beef, turkey, or vegetarian (Demaris Philips pecan meatballs are so good they may trick a few folks)
Nachos
Instead of piling your nachos high with all of the toppings on only a few of the chips. Spread those chips out onto large platters into thinner layers and cover everything with all of the goodness. I prefer shredded chicken, lots of cheese, jalapeños, and olives.
Spinach artichoke dip
This dip is on the menu acting as one of the ‘healthy’ options for the day. You can also use the same chips from the nachos or even dip your nachos in the spinach dip.
Desserts
Brownies, Cookies, and Cupcakes will be your best option for pleasing your entire party. They are easy to eat one-handed and come in limitless flavor options. Taking things one step further, you can order customized cupcakes with the Kansas City Chiefs or Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo making it even easier for the biggest fans to grab the dessert of their football dreams.
Drinks
Beer
Beer is by far the most common drink among football watchers. This year, support your local breweries by ordering larger orders of beer, cider, and sour beers for your party. Most breweries are offering online orders, where you simply designate the day and time you want to pick up your order. Order ahead of time to ensure that you get a sampling of all options available.
Wine
For those non-beer drinkers in attendance, wine is a great option. Along with breweries, wineries have also stepped up their ordering game as well. In order to please as many attendees as you can order both red and white wines.
Mixed drinks
Many restaurants are offering mixed drink kits to go. Depending on where you are located, you can order a full kit including the alcohol, or you can order all the mixers, and just need to supply the alcohol yourself. All of these kits come with directions on how to properly mix and serve these fun drinks. Check out the website for your favorite local restaurant to see what mixed drinks to go kits they are serving.
We love supporting local companies and restaurants. Ordering from your local brewery or winery supports those small businesses even if you hold your party at home. It also introduces those brands to all of your guests, hopefully creating new fans who will then support and order themselves.
Decorations
Tableware
Plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, coasters, and table cloths can all be purchased in either team colors or more generic football themes. Going all out on the tableware, adds an element of fun, a pop of color, and sets the tone for the party, casual and relaxed! Always opt for compostable and made from recycled material when you come across those options. Help the planet while having fun.
Team jerseys
Encourage all guests to pick a side and come wearing their team jersey. Dressing the part instantly gets you in the mood to cheer on your team and celebrate with your friends. A fun thing to do with team jerseys is to pull them over the back of chairs as if it were a chair cover. Adding jersyes as chair covers transforms an event space without any heavy lifting.
Pennant Banner
Are synonyms with sports and are a must for any sports-related party. Banners can easily be hung and you can either order them in team colors, team logos, or if you are feeling crafty, head to the nearest craft store and pick up felt and string, and you can quickly cut out and string together your own DIY banners. Add some stenciling and paint to fully customize your banners in any way that you dream up.
Foam fingers
This is another decoration that screams ‘football’. They can be ordered in all colors with more generic messages such as “Go Team!” and “#1 Fan” in order to reuse them every year no matter which team makes it to the next Super Bowl. They are great for photo props and get the crowd cheering and waving their foam fingers.
Drink koozies or tags
No matter how many attendees you plan on having, people are guaranteed to get their drinks mixed up as soon as they set them down to grab all of those party snacks available. Custom koozies are the perfect way for each guest to label their drink plus it also works as the perfect party favor. If you planning on having a larger party, a more affordable option would simple football tags you can write your name on with a sharpie and either tape or hang it to your drink of choice.
You are now ready to kick-off your Super Bowl party planning. Start browsing venues over at EventUp.com so you can reserve your favorite venue now.
What are some of your favorite ways to throw a Super Bowl party? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Facebook or Instagram pages to share photos!
