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Coney Island Theme Party

As we say goodbye to summer we will be having a Coney Island Theme Party in my retirement community. My thoughts about this have been buzzing around for a few months now, but in the end I've decided to go with the KISS method. Keep It Simple Stupid, or Silly as I like to say, since I don't think simplicity is stupid or anyone who chooses to do things simply is stupid.

That being said, let me share with you what I'll be doing in the community for our Coney Island night. First, of course is that I went on-line to see what the place is all about since I've never been there. I did find a few websites that were helpful. I believe that what the residents would remember about Coney Island and what it is now are different. So I read about the history of the theme park also. From the websites, I was able to "grab" a few pictures that I will enlarge and post around at the event.

In my community, we have booths that are three sided that our maintenance department made for the activities department long ago. Some people call them store fronts also I think. I will have about a half-dozen of these placed around the lobby of our community. We will have 3 food booths and 3 game booths. These booths will be decorated to look like carnival station areas. (Check back next week for pictures.)

The menu will be a salad bar, fresh pop corn, Nathan's Hot dogs, sausage and peppers, and baked beans, corn on the cob, french fries, and more goodies that I can not recall right now. For dessert there will be root beer floats, snow cones, ice cream cones and novelty sandwiches. (Funny how I can remember all of those!)

In the game booths we will have a bean bag toss, spinning wheel, and either a dart/balloon game or knocking over bowling pins game. Residents who play can earn raffle tickets based upon their performance. A drawing will be held after dinner at the show in the auditorium.

Decorations for the party will include balloons, pendant banners, the pictures of Coney  Island and some beach items. I'm also making costume banners (with PrintShop) that I will use for identifying what is in each booth. Oh, and I can not forget, I will bring down the "turn stile" that I had made a few year's ago, that I will put out. I usually label it an "exit" with signs pointing to the "parking areas." I also found some wonderful items on Amazon for Coney Island.

Residents will be served their dinner from the booths and then will take them into the dining room where it is "open seating." The servers will serve any resident who can not handle the booths in the lobby. They will be served the same items as if they went to the booth.

After dinner prizes will be award for those who played the games and we will have a great show. It will be a fun night. You might even show one of the DVDs or VHS that I found on-line after dinner. I hope you'll check back and see the pictures and hear what worked and what didn't. If you have any experiences that you want to share about a fair type of theme party, please do so.

ps. Take a look at my other theme ideas listed in the category listed on the left or start at Thinking About Themes.
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Comments

  1. JoAnn JordanMarch 5, 2012 at 8:10 AM

    I have organized some events with similar themes. You might add calliope music for a little atmosphere. Ours was a fair theme and it was a big hit. Keep sharing your fun ideas.!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Recharging RetireesMarch 5, 2012 at 9:45 PM

    Love the idea of calliope music! I assume it was recorded....??? I'll have to look for it for other "fair" theme parties. Thanks for the idea.

    ReplyDelete

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