Host a Bourbon Street Bash with a Mardi Gras Homecoming Dance

You don’t need to go to New Orleans for a good time! Bring the festival to your school with our Mardi Gras decorations. Start your dance planning by visiting our Mardi Gras Theme Party section.

The excitement of Bourbon Street is yours with our Mardi Gras theme kits. They come with all the New Orleans you need to create your fun event! Add more flourish to your festivities with our dance tips below!

Invitations

You will want to send an enticing invitation to let your guests know that this will be an event they won’t want to miss! We offer terrific metallic masks that can be used as an invitation. Simply attach a card or note to each one. You can use a slogan like “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Mardi Gras Mambo,” “Mardi Gras Madness,” “Mardi Gras Magic,” or “Bourbon Street Bash.”

Decorations

No Mardi Gras dance is complete without three basic necessities. Use these everywhere and anywhere for a festive flair to your off-Bourbon Street party. Remember – more is better when it comes to these three items!

• Colorful Beads — regular, metallic, pearl, crown medallions, you name it – everyone should be wearing beads!
• Here are some decorating ideas to use your beads – instead of just wearing them around your neck:
o Use them like confetti and scatter them across your tables
o You can string them like garland and wrap them around tables and chairs
o Fill bowls and vases full of colorful toss beads to add a brilliantly colorful accent to your dance site

• Masks — everyone attending a Mardi Gras dance should definitely have a mask! Be sure to have them on hand to pass out to students when they arrive. Masks are an easy and affordable way to dress up students and get them in the spirit.
• Here are a few simple ways to decorate with masks:
o Adorn the entrance with an assortment of masks hung at various heights and angles.
o Create a simple centerpiece by placing masks on sticks and putting them in a vase of water colored with food coloring in purple, green or gold. Fill the vase with metallic coins to add more sparkle and pizazz.
o Tape masks to the walls and stage to add snap!

• Toss coins —these are another essential item that will create a true Mardi Gras mania atmosphere! These can be scattered on tables or simply bundled up into small packages to serve as a perfect favor for students. If you will be serving a sit-down dinner, place a small bundle of coins at each place setting.

Along with these three basic decorating elements, here are some more great suggestions to help you create your very own Bourbon Street festival. Be sure to stick with a purple, green and gold color scheme for your party since these are the standard colors for Mardi Gras.

Patterned gossamer (a lightweight fabric) that would be great to use to create swags, tie bows, or cover chairs. This is a very economical fabric that adds a wonderful and festive touch.
• Fill the room with Mardi Gras-colored balloons. Hang the balloons from the ceiling by tying curling ribbon to air-inflated balloons and dangling them from the ceiling. Create a simple arch by the entranceway by alternating purple, green and gold balloons.

Food Ideas

You will definitely want a Cajun theme for your food! Here are some ideas:
• Steamed crawfish, gumbo, Po’ Boy sandwiches, red beans and rice, shrimp beignets, and grilled catfish.
• Cajun hashbrowns, sweet potato casserole, and spicy shrimp cocktail are great side dishes.
• Mardi Gras salad (use green lettuce, purple cabbage, and either shredded carrots, gold raisins, yellow tomatoes, or cheese for the gold).
• Bread pudding and King’s Cake for dessert.

Favors

You will want to give the students something that will provide a memento of the evening fun. Here are some excellent choices for you!
• Our French Quarter flute candle is 8½” high and is stacked with purple, green, and gold glitter. Have your own design and wording imprinted in gold on the side!
• Our Mardi Gras bubbles are a fun way to celebrate as well as add that personal touch you are looking for. The bottles come in an assortment of the traditional Mardi Gras colors.
• Capture the Mardi Gras magic with our personalized napkins. We offer a large selection of dinner, luncheon, and beverage napkins in an impressive palette of 20 colors. We also offer a wide range of ink colors, as well as a metallic foil, holographic foil, prismatic foil or a traditional ink imprint.
• Napkins can be laid out on a buffet table, or can be displayed at each place setting. Place napkins in the center of each place setting at an angle, or unfold them and place them in glasses for a tall dramatic look. The napkins can also be tied (and bundled with plastic cutlery) with a multitude of items to match your theme. Try curling ribbon, gossamer streamers, ric-rac or ribbon.