Looking for classic, glamorous Kentucky Derby Party Ideas? Here’s how I hosted the ultimate Kentucky Derby party, recipes and all.
The Decor
I styled my table with a white lace tablecloth, an abundance of red roses, silver touches (I scored the trophy looking decor at Thrift for Good for $8!), and fresh mint from my garden.
Red roses are of course the symbol of the Kentucky Derby, so I also hung red rose garlands all over the house, including from the chandelier. I hung a Kentucky Derby banner from my mantel and a large Run for the Roses photo op in dining room doorway.
I also had a photo of my beloved Saddlebred Prince printed on canvas and added another rose garland to it to make it pop.
The Food
I’m obsessed with this Derby party menu! I made lots of snacky southern food and decadent sweet treats.
Derby Party Menu
Pimento Cheese Sliders
Shrimp & Lemon Tartar Sauce
Horseshoe Cheese Ball
Crudités and Dip Trio
Charcuterie Cups
Fruit & Olives
Cream cheese & Pepper Jelly
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Mint Julep Cupcakes
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
White Chocolate Lemon Bars
Pimento Cheese Sliders
This is a super easy three-ingredient recipe that anyone can make! Get the recipe here.
Shrimp & Lemon Tartar Sauce
This lemon tartar sauce stole the show at my party! It’s a must-have recipe if you love shrimp. Get the recipe here.
Horseshoe Cheese Ball
I covered this delicious white cheddar cheese ball with edible silver leaf to look like a horseshoe. So cute for a Derby party! Get the recipe here.
Crudités and Dip Trio
I always love having veggies as part of a buffet spread. You can’t just serve a bunch of rich, cheesy food! I styled a large veggie platter with cherry tomatoes, homegrown peas, carrots, cucumber slices, celery, beet chips, and veggie sticks. For the dips, I chose hummus, a caramelized onion dip, and a spinach dip.
Charcuterie Cups
These cute little Charcuterie Cups are so easy to customize to your liking! I styled each with assorted nuts, cheeses, three kinds of salami, prosciutto, berries, and rosemary from my garden. Get the recipe here.
Cream Cheese & Pepper Jelly
This is a Southern favorite for a reason. It’s easy and everyone loves it! Just pour spicy pepper jelly over cream cheese and serve with crackers. Yum!
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
I baked a vanilla version of my Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies and they were such a hit! New recipe coming soon.
Chocolate Mint Julep Cupcakes
This is one of my all-time favorite cupcake recipes. Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes are topped with a cool mint frosting. They’re phenomenal! Get the recipe here.
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
These decadent pecan pie bars are not for the faint of heart. They’re insanely rich and perfect. Get the recipe here.
White Chocolate Lemon Bars
I love having a variety of treats at any party and these light lemon bars are quite southern! Get the recipe here.
The Drinks
The famous Mint Julep is the iconic Kentucky Derby drink. I made three pitchers of my famous Mint Juleps, only pulling out one at a time so the others stay well chilled, plus served a simple non-alcoholic punch, half pineapple juice and half ginger ale, plus water with lemons.
I styled the drink table with fresh mint from my garden to garnish drinks, a rose garland, and a white tablecloth. Simple and elegant!
The Betting
We had some race fun by betting at the party. I designed and printed a poster through Office Depot and placed it on an easel with a rose garland around it. The poster had all of the horses names listed plus a blank space for my guests to initial.
We set the rules at $2 per bet, one bet per horse, unlimited horses. Our pot was $80. Me and two friends bet on Derby winner Mystik Dan and split the pot three ways. Everybody seemed to love the Derby party activity!
The Hat Contest
I also hosted a simple hat contest with a fantastic prize: the official Kentucky Derby 150 glass from the Derby store engraved with roses and the names of every horse who’s ever won.
I passed out slips of paper and pens and announced that the hat contest. Everyone went around the room and said their names. We did this in the final hour of the party so that everyone had a chance to mingle and scope out hats.
My fashionable friend Kenya won and squealed with delight over her party favor!
The Fashion
How fabulous do my friends look!? Fashion has always been such a big part of the Derby’s history and I loved seeing all of my friends dressed up in fabulous hats.
I hope this inspires you to throw your very own Derby party! For more Kentucky Derby recipes, click here.
Leave a Reply