How To Prepare for A Kentucky Derby Party

Do you know what the first Saturday in May is? The Kentucky Derby! It’s not too late to plan an impromptu Kentucky Derby party. I wanted to show you how to prepare for a Kentucky Derby Party.

Do you know what is the most exciting 2 minutes in sports? What is the only sport that requires women to wear hats? And what event has its own designated cocktail?

Well, of course, it’s the Kentucky Derby – and this year is the 150th running of the most famous horse race in America, if not the world. This event calls for a Kentucky Derby party.

In 2001 Sweet Shark and I went to the Kentucky Derby and it still ranks as one of the best days of our lives. The pageantry, the spectacle,  the beautiful horses, the color, the hats, the mint juleps (!) – it was all a wonderful experience.

Starting in 2003, every other year we have hosted a Kentucky Derby Party (We did miss a couple of years when we were moving, lived in an apartment for a year and moved into our new house). And we had to cancel 2020’s party after the SAVE the DATE went out.

This year we are back in full Kentucky Derby party mode.

It’s our very favorite party to host. Even if you are not into horses or horse racing, the Kentucky Derby is still a great reason to gather your friends for good food, the classic mint julep and dressing up with hats!

If you can’t host a Kentucky Derby Party this year, you can save this party prep post for next year (Pin it to your Party Ideas, Please!)

The ideas and decorations I’m sharing are easy to make for a party – mostly on short notice. Send out a quick text for email invitations as I do. Gather some horse decorations in red and black, set out some easy appetizers, and make a (big) pitcher of mint juleps and you are set.

Our Kentucky Derby Party Preparations

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Preparations begin in February when I send out a “save the date” and in April, we send our official invitation. We ramp up into full swing party mode the week of the Derby. I always use PaperlessPost for our invitations.

First, I want to give you a sneak peek of some of our Derby Day decorations.

By Friday, we try to have (almost) everything in place so we can just do last-minute meal assembly, set up the bar, and relax before our guests arrive.

Kentucky Derby Party Decorations

Here are some decorations that you should consider for a Kentucky Derby party.

When guests arrive, our banner greets them outside. We put it on a pole attached to a tree in the front yard. There are all sorts of Kentucky banners available.

When we had our first Kentucky Derby party in 2003, we stocked up on (1000) cups for mint juleps, Derby napkins, straws, and sparkly little horse confetti to last us for awhile – as in forever.

We have over 30 Kentucky Derby glasses starting in the 80’s that belonged to Sweet Shark’s parents and we’ve added more over the years.  You can order Kentucky Derby party paraphernalia online at several sources or your local party supply store.

This one is my favorite.

Jockey hats are good to have on hand in case a lady forgets to wear her hat. They are also fun to place around for decorations.

A cute Thoroughbred pony sings for his supper and makes a great addition to the decorations. It usually sits on Sweet Shark’s bar next to the mint julep cups.

Speaking of mint juleps, here is Sweet Shark’s awesome recipe.

Kentucky Derby Decor on the Front Door

For a couple of parties, I used this wreath to greet guests. This Kentucky Derby wreath took me about 20 minutes to make.

For this year, I made a new door hanger for our front door.

DIY Derby Tote Board

In addition to Kentucky Derby items that you can order online, there are several projects you can make yourself to add to the theme of the party.

Every year my brother-in-law makes a great tote board for the party. I’ve kept them all just because. I can’t wait to see this year’s board.

Kentucky Derby Racehorse

I found this wooden horse in Waco at the Junky Monkey when I visited Magnolia Market several years ago.

After a fresh coat of black paint, I attached the horse to a piece of scrap wood so he could stand up. His transformation was a big part of our Kentucky Derby preparations.

And speaking of “run for the roses”, every Kentucky Derby winner receives a blanket of red roses. Using faux roses from Hobby Lobby, a piece of burlap ribbon I had on hand, and a hot glue gun, I made our racehorse a blanket of roses.

He stands proudly on our mantel every year.

You could use heavy cardboard to cut out a horse for your own party. Just paint it black and make a stand so he stands up.

Kentucky Derby Banner for the Mantel

I bought these supplies at Hobby Lobby with a special decoration in mind. This black & white check ribbon is perfect for many Kentucky Derby decorations.

In addition to our racehorse, I wanted a banner for our mantel. These letters would be perfect for a Kentucky Derby banner.

I spray-painted the die-cut letters and bought pre-cut triangles of fabric for my project.

All I had to do was glue the letters to the fabric.

Then I wove the black and white check ribbon through the fabric triangles. For a pop of red, I tied on red netting that I already had on hand.

Fun Extra for a Kentucky Derby Party

Everyone gets a copy of “My Old Kentucky Home” to sing along with the 100,000 fans at Churchill Downs during the post-parade.

With just these few decorations, your Kentucky Derby party will be a hit.

Here are more ideas to get you started on some Kentucky Derby party preparations. 

Until then, PIN this post to keep in your Kentucky Derby or Party Board.