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The first Saturday in May is the Kentucky Derby. Celebrate with a Kentucky Derby party! Make yours casual, or have your guests dress up like those attending the derby.
Or…for a different invitation, how about printing them on paper, rolling them up, tying with a ribbon and tying on a tiny horse figurine purchased at the dollar store?
Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig.
It is my understanding that “Derby Pie” is trademarked. There are quite a number of variations, some using pecans, others walnuts, I will let you search out the recipe that suits your tastes and talents!
Encourage guests to wear hats, give a prize for best Derby hat!
Serve mint juleps, the traditional drink of the Derby.
Use red roses in your decorating, The Kentucky Derby is known as The Run for the Roses.
NBC Derby coverage begins at 4:00pm with The Kentucky Derby Red Carpet coverage, and continues with the race at 5:00 and additional coverage until 7:00. Have all of your televisions sets tuned in.
Serve traditional Kentucky foods to keep with the theme.
Make rosettes like winners typically get, to decorate the backs of guests’ chairs.
Have a horseshoe-shaped cake decorated with red frosting roses.
Put numbers 1 – 20 on pieces of paper and put them in a silver bowl. Have each guest pick one one, that is the horse they will root for during the race. The winner receives a small prize.
Use a large horse head sculpture, or little toy horses set on your serving tables.
Use astroturf for your tablecloth on your serving tables.
Bring out all the best china and silver, celebrate this one-hundred and thirty-eight year old tradition!
Kentuckians are thankful that Miss Jennie Carter Benedict created her Benedictine spread back around the turn of the century for her catering business. Use this cream cheese and cucumber spread for finger sandwiches, or as a dip for vegetables and on crackers.
Benedictine Recipe
1 large cucumber
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons finely grated onion
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 drop of green food coloring
Peel, grate and drain the cucumber
Combine with remaining ingredients in food processor
Serve as is as a sandwich or canape spread
Thin with sour cream to make a dip for vegetables.
Place the nuts in a jar, pour the bourbon over the nuts, seal the jar and allow the nuts to soak overnight.
Mix the butter and sugar; fold in the soaked chopped nuts. Form into 3/4″ balls and refrigerate overnight.
Line a tray with waxed paper. Melt the chocolate, roll the balls in the melted chocolate to coat, arrange in a single layer and store in the refrigerator until serving.
I really began this project thinking this would be a horse head ‘wreath’ to hang on my front door as I gather friends for a celebration of the Kentucky Derby. When I got so far along with this, I knew it had to be the centerpiece for my Kentucky Derby tablescape. I discovered this horse…
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2 Comments
Well I’m not planning on having any derby parties anytime soon, but I’ll definitely have to steal a few of these ideas for my daughter’s horse themed birthday party 🙂
Well I’m not planning on having any derby parties anytime soon, but I’ll definitely have to steal a few of these ideas for my daughter’s horse themed birthday party 🙂
Hi Brittany! I am glad you came up with some great ideas from my post!