A Hawaiian luau tent party can feature exotic drinks and traditional foods.
Party tents are a practical option for outdoor parties. They keep stray raindrops from dampening party goers and provide shade on hot summer days. With a bit of creativity, party tents can be used to turn your next birthday or anniversary party into a memorable themed event. Invite your guests to explore exotic lands or to a down-home celebration worthy of rural America. Does this Spark an idea?
Hawaiian Luau
Treat your guests to a taste of the islands by throwing a Hawaiian Luau party. Go totally exotic and opt for low-lying tables with coconut mats and pillows for seating. Cover the tables with yards of boldly printed Hawaiian floral prints and mark each plate setting with an orchid lei sitting in its own seashell. Make centerpieces out of exotic flowers such as birds of paradise, ginger, plumeria and bright red anthuriums. Use tiki torches and strings of white fairy lights for atmosphere. Encourage your guests to dress the part and greet them each with a fresh flower lei and the traditional kiss as well as a refreshing mai tai. Dine on barbecued chicken or pork, or fresh fish off the grill. Include side dishes such as fresh fruit salads with pineapple, mangoes and papayas, fried rice with vegetables and if you really want to get authentic, the Hawaiian staple, poi. Don't forget the haupia, or coconut pudding and the macadamia nut cream pie for dessert. (ref 1; ref 2)
Hillbilly Hoedown
Turn your party tent into a real hillbilly hoedown. Forget the tables and formal chairs. Instead use hay bales for seating and dine picnic style. Arrange the hay bales around the outer walls of the tent, leaving room to do some country dancing in the middle. Hay does tend to scratch, so you may want to cover at least a few of the bales to protect anyone in a short skirt or shorts. Decorate the tent with horseshoes for good luck, baskets full of straw holding stuffed toy chickens and an assortment of stuffed toy barnyard animals. Set up a horseshoe pitch either inside or outside the tent. Set up a bobbing-for-apples station. Ask your guests to dress in hillbilly jeans, plaid shirts or maybe overalls. Shoes can be optional. Set up buffet tables, made by placing large sheets of plywood over wooden saw horses. Cover with red checked tablecloths and set out disposable plates, bowls and cutlery. Serve an assortment of fresh sandwiches, fried chicken, baked beans, chili, potato and green salads. Add batches of homemade corn bread and warm hushpuppies (deep-fried corn dumplings) for a Southern twist. For dessert, serve deep-dish apple pie and home-churned ice cream. (ref 2)
Arabian Nights Party
Belly dancers, boldly colored silks draped over tent poles and low-lying tables covered with white tablecloths flecked with gold transform a simple garden party into an exotically elegant affair. Scatter potted palms throughout the tent. Add a few rattan peacock chairs and cushions for effect. Create edible centerpieces full of candied dates, figs and other fruits. If your guests feel comfortable in belly dance outfits, encourage the look. Long, brightly colored caftans work just as well, for both men and women. Serve tender roast lamb topped with raisin or apricot sauce or perhaps fresh grilled fish. Chicken cooked in lemon juice is another Moroccan dish. Couscous, a grain-sized pasta traditionally made with various fruits, nuts and vegetables added is a Moroccan staple. Round out the meal with an assortment of fresh and dried fruits, pistachio nuts and almonds. For dessert try some Moroccan coconut cake, which is more like thick fudge cut into squares.(ref 2; ref 3)
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