Table of contents

• Introduction
• Western Party Invitations
• Wanted Poster
• Bullet Invitation
• Western T-shirt Invitation
• Western Party Dress Code
• Western Party Decorations
• Western Party Guest Arrival & Announcement
• Western Party Favors
• Western Party Activities
• Western style paintball
• Western Movies
• Injured Cowboy
• Water Balloon Toss
• Food & Drink

Introduction

Fancy yourself keen on the Old West? In that case a Western party will be just the thing to turn a dull Saturday afternoon into a day worth remembering. Below you will find all the tips and bits of information that you'll need to get going with the party organization. But before we get to that, just a couple of interesting facts you might not have known about the Old West.

The day of April 10th 1869 saw the laying of 10 miles of track. Now just in case you thought that with all our modern equipment we would be able to do better, think again. This 10 mile stretch is still the current record holder.

Ever heard of Mark Twain? If you have, then you have definitely also heard of Samuel Clemens as they are both the same person. You see, Samuel Clemens believed he would get rich mining silver. But, unfortunately things didn't turn out too well for him, so he changed his name and became one of America's greatest writers.

Did Billy The Kid really kill all those men? While many think this to be true, many reports say that he actually didn't. In fact, rumor has it that he only killed four men in his entire career as an outlaw. And just so you know, he got the nickname "The Kid" because he apparently resembled a baby goat.

Moving on to another famous persona of the Old West, we encounter Doc Holliday who, if you didn't know, was a dentist. Unfortunately he suffered from Tuberculosis, also known as consumption in those days.

And that being said, it’s time to get down to business.

Back to top

Western Party Invitations

The invitation is one of the most important parts of the party as it is that thing which either persuades your guests to come or to stay as home. Therefore the ideas below have been designed to ensure that you have the best possible chance of success. Be sure to include the following information in your invitations:

• Party Name: Give your party a descriptive, themed title. A classic western title will read something like “ Wild Bill’s Gunslinger Blowout”

• Salutation: Keep this short and sweet. An example here would be “Dear Angus & Kate”

• Date & Time

• Venue/Location

• Dress Code

• Contact Details

• Additional information…
  

Back to top

Wanted Poster

We’ve all seen those wanted posters in the cinemas and on TV. Where once they were used to ask the public’s assistance in rounding up dangerous criminals, they can now be used to invite your guests to your party.

For this invitation you’ll need a computer, an inkjet printer and some paper. To start off with, you’ll want to design the layout of the poster which will simply require some text in the appropriate font as well as an image of the friend you wish to invite. Here’s what the structure of your invitation should look like with the text changed accordingly:

Wanted

"The Andersons"

Tom Anderson, Kate Anderson

Invitation to attend Wild Bill's Western Blowout

Date: 7^th of July 1867

Time: Noon

Venue: The Royal Hotel Saloon

Dress Code: Western Attire

Info: Bring a Smile

When you’re done with the final design, print your invitation in grayscale on normal white paper. If you don’t have a printer at home, just drop by your local printing firm with your design.

Now, remember that old wanted posters were usually quite yellow. To age your invitations, prepare a little bit of black coffee or black tea and pour it in a tray. Once done, just soak each invitation in the coffee/tea for a while and then let it dry out in the sun. Remember that wet paper is quite soft, so be careful when handling it.

Back to top

Bullet Invitation

An easy invitation to make, and one that’s quite cost-effective. All you will need to do is get an empty bullet for each of the friends you plan to invite. This can be a souvenir bullet that you bought at an appropriate retailer in your area or off the internet.

Once you have the bullets, you will have to get in contact with someone capable of doing some engraving work because they will be transferring all your party details to the each individual bullet. When that’s done, simply give your bullets a polish, and get ready to deliver.

Back to top

Western T-shirt Invitation

This is an invitation in which you will be supplying your guests with t-shirts that have the invitation details printed or embroidered on them. As such, you will have to get each of the friends you are planning to invite a blank t-short.

When you have got the t-shirts, it's on to the design, for which you may need some software. If you don't already have the appropriate software on your computer, have a look on the internet for some free screen-printing software or pay a visit to your local software retailer and ask them for advice.

Now when you are designing the image, take care to ensure that it remains in line with the Western theme. This design will typically be for the front while the details of your party will be on the back (you can add some minor Western decorations there, too).

Once you have the design, simply take it to your local screen printer and ask them to print it onto your t-shirt. Just note that it would be a good idea to let them know which software you will be using before you start the design to ensure it is compatible with theirs.

And finally, when your t-shirts are printed, all that's left to do is get ready to deliver!

Back to top

Western Party Dress Code

Stating “Cowboy” or “Western Outlaw” under the “Dress Code” section of your invitations will probably do the trick. But just to ensure that everyone knows what that means, here are a couple of items typically attributed to western attire:

• Hat

• Bandanna

• Shirt

• Vest

• Jeans

• Leather Chaps (for them rustlers)

• Boots with spurs

• Gun belts with gun holsters

These merely represent the basic elements and may be substituted with different materials and colors.

Back to top

Western Party Decorations

To ensure that your western party is as authentic as possible, ensure that the following items are all strategically placed around the venue. Most of these items can either be bought or rented from your local western merchandise store.

• Straw bales

• Steer skull

• Lanterns (remember, electricity wasn’t available in those days)

• Wagon Wheel

• “Wanted” Posters (on the walls)

• Saddles

• Cacti

• Authentic Covered Wagon

And for those who want to go that extra mile, get a sign made with the name of your saloon or tavern. Think along the lines of “Wild Bill’s” or “The Royal Saloon” in an appropriate font.

Back to top

Western Party Guest Arrival & Announcement

Why not have your guests try their hand at some target practice as soon as they enter the venue? And just to make things more interesting, make it a moving target. This can either be done with a toy gun that squirts water or a paint ball gun.

Western Party Favors

Party favors are those items you use to thank your guests for coming, but also to ensure that they remember your party for days, weeks, months and possibly years to come. Below you will find a couple of our ideas, all of which you will be able to find at the appropriate retailer in your area or on the internet.

• Souvenir bullets

• Western hat

• Gun holster

• Spurs

• Posters

• Calendars

• Mugs

• Key rings

Back to top

Western Party Activities

Western style paintball

Start the day early and organize a trip to your local paintball arena. Once there, you and your friends can reenact the shootout at O.K. Corral or just have some fun trying to see who the quickest draw is.

Just remember to put safety first.

Back to top

Western Movies

The Western genre is one of the most popular movie categories. Start the day off with a couple of good old western films to set the mood for the event. Just note that you will have to get these (if you don’t already have them) before the party starts.

In addition, have enough snacks and drinks ready to ensure that your friends are provided for.

Back to top

Injured Cowboy

To start off, divide into two teams and select one person from each team as the injured cowboy. Once the injured cowboy has been selected, he or she is the prisoner of the opposing team.

Divide the playing area into two with the division clearly marked (with a chalk line or anything else). In addition, an area for the prison should be allocated at the back of each team's territory. The goal of each team is to rescue their prisoner from the other team's prison without being caught. This is done by carefully and swiftly running through the other team's area until prison is reached. Once the prison is reached, the rescuer is safe. He or she must then carefully plan the escape (with the prisoner) back to their team's territory to avoid being captured. Should they be captured, they’ll have to wait for someone else to come rescue them.

Back to top

Water Balloon Toss

Before your party starts you will have to get your hands on a couple of balloons – at least one between two people.

The game is started with two people who stand about 4 feet from each other and both are wearing the oven mitts. They then have to pass a balloon filled with water between each other. After they have successfully completed three passes, they have to take a step back, and then complete three passes again. This is repeated until one of them drops the balloon or until a bad pass is made. The guilty person is then eliminated from this round of the game and then replaced by someone else.

The winner of the game is obviously the person who stays in the longest.

A variation of the game is to make one large circle with all the participants. One balloon is then tossed between all the players. If someone drops a balloon or misses a catch, they are out. But if the toss was bad, then the person who threw it is out.

Back to top

Food & Drink

Here’s a list of some traditional old western dishes. Recipes for these can be found on the internet or in most cookbooks:

• Barbecue – beef and chicken

• Grilled Steaks

• Baked Beans

• Corn on the cob

• Chicken Pie

• Fried Apples

• Watermelon

As for drinks, well, lemonade and water just about covers it in terms of western drinks for teenagers. But then again we live in modern times so you may just as well add fruit juices, punch, sodas, milkshakes, non-alcoholic cocktails, etc.

Back to top