Last night’s party went off without a single hitch! At 6:24pm, over 35 people were squeezed into 500 square feet to watch Animal Kingdom win this year’s Kentucky Derby.

While the Derby itself only lasted a few seconds, are house was alive with the sound of new and old friends for more than 6 hours! 

This year’s outfits were far superior to last year’s Derby outfits and the hats and spectators took up lots of room in our small apartment.

The food was enjoyed by everyone! We set up the buffet on our dining room table and bar area. There was plenty of space for people get food and converse around without it becoming too crowded.

We decorated the area with authentic Kentucky Derby items such as tumblers and pitchers. In addition, we carried the red, yellow, and rose theme throughout this area with red napkins, yellow tablecloth, and red roses.

The hits of the evening were the macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, and pimiento cheese. Buying pastry bags and tips from William-Sonoma yesterday made the deviled eggs so much easier to fill and ten times prettier than last year’s eggs!

We set up a full bar on our kitchen counter, using a large tin beverage tub for the wine and beer. Bo was the bartender, making mint juleps and bourbon slushies for everyone!

Blue Smoke catered the meat items last night (pulled pork, barbecued chicken, and brisket) while Bo and I cooked the sides and desserts. We also offered three different types of barbecue sauce for guests to use.

Around 7:30, guests realized they could control the music using Bo’s iPad. This turned out to be the tipping point in the party. For the next two hours everyone danced and laughed as we all made fools of ourselves dancing to our favorite songs. People screamed requests and then quickly downloaded or found it on Bo’s iPad! There was more than one Journey session, random Rihanna dance party, and Ludacris rap session!

 

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome of our 2nd Annual Diamond Derby party! Everyone seemed to have a great time, get along, and enjoy the food and drink.

We’re already looking forward to next year’s party and making note of the changes we’ll make including printed invitations, increased portions, and mint juleps by the pitcher!

Question: Did you watch the Kentucky Derby or go to a viewing party?