Party Ideas

New York restaurant Tipsy Parson hosts an annual Kentucky Derby party, and in 2013 the outing at Drive In Studios had plenty of quirky details from Matthew Robbins Design and Gifts for the Good Life. Two horse-shaped props stood at the entrance to the event, decorated with black hats and oversize award ribbons.

If there's no room for life-size horses, take a page from the Hermès playbook. For the opening of the first dedicated Hermès men’s store in 2010, an LED installation by Japanese artist Makoto Tojiki referenced the luxury fashion house's heritage and made for a striking visual.

For an even smaller nod to the central focus of the Kentucky Derby, the Tipsy Parson Derby Daze party in 2013 had plastic toy horses strewn around the buffet tables for a kitschy touch.

Pennants and flags are common sights at the derby—pink bunting will even deck the Churchill Downs racetrack today for the annual Pink Out festivities. A simple string of flags overhead can add color to an outdoor gathering, which is what producer BrownHot did to accent the seating for the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic's V.I.P. picnic last year.

An activity like horseshoes will help guests get into the spirit, and the targets can even sport customized flags like the one for Gilt City's Washington launch party in 2011.

Or decorate a bar with on-theme details. In 2012, Maxim's Filles and Stallions Party at the Kentucky Derby used a horseshoe-shaped ice sculpture to draw attention and brand the cocktail bar from Bulleit Bourbon.

For flowers, there's classic Southern blossoms like magnolias and wisteria, but many event hosts opt for red roses. The use of the vibrant flower is a nod to the derby's "Run for the Roses" nickname and the tradition of draping the winning horse with a blanket of red roses.

For the Kentucky Derby-theme American Heart Association's 2012 gala in Seattle, event designer Matthew Parker created a photo backdrop that included a life-size papier-mâché horse made from more than 5,000 individually placed construction-paper strips.

It isn't the Kentucky Derby without a mint julep. For the opening of the American Museum of Natural History's "The Horse" exhibition in 2008, Maker's Mark provided a bar that served the cocktail to guests.

For a different spin on the classic derby drink, Design Cuisine served mint julep snow cones at the 2011 Gilt City Washington launch party.

Andrea Correale, founder and president of New York-based catering company Elegant Affairs, mixes blueberries into the mint julep recipe to make blueberry mint julep ice pops. The frozen treats are made with fresh mint leaves, water, sugar, frozen limeade concentrate, bourbon, and blueberries.

Light refreshments are usually the best bet for late spring/early summer gatherings. The hot brown sandwich is a Louisville tradition, but other sandwiches are just as suitable, like the spread RCano catered at the 2009 Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic.

For more elegant finger foods, Tipsy Parson served deviled eggs on silver stands at its Derby Daze party last year.

A more casual way to serve snacks is to place them in patterned metal buckets, which is what Eatertainment Special Events and Great Performances did for the 2010 Red Bull Air Race in New York.

In addition to pies and cakes, Tipsy Parson's Derby Daze party offered sugar cookies decorated to look like race horses. The treats were served on sticks and presented on grassy trays.

The Derby Daze affair also made sure waitstaff passing drinks were dressed for the occasion in jodhpur-style pants and riding boots.