Party ideas for a soul bar

It's interesting:
"Wasn't the wedding ceremony beautiful? The highlight, of course, was Linda floating magically down the aisle. I'm sure we were all thinking exactly the same ..."

A soul bar is a great setting for theme parties. The key is to get the right mix of music, have engaging and attendance-attracting games, contests and prizes, and to serve food that rounds out the party theme. Start promoting your party at least two weeks ahead of the date to build buzz and pack the bar. Discuss your plans with key liquor distributors to offset costs. Hire photographers and let the local media know about your event.

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1. Stoned Soul Picnic

   • Many soul singers and bands made hit music around summer themes. Kool and the Gang made "Summer Magic," Sly and the Family Stone made the summer classic "Hot Fun In the Summertime," and the 5th Dimension sang "Stoned Soul Picnic," written by Laura Nyro. Use that song for a summer party theme, or one to get folks out of the house and over to your bar in the middle of a long, cold winter. Create a picnic atmosphere right inside of the bar. Use classic red-and-white checked tablecloths. Hang beach balls and flip-flops from the ceiling. Have a best Hawaiian shirt contest for men and a halter-top contest for the ladies. Serve a buffet of barbecued ribs, chicken and hot links and side dishes of cole slaw, baked beans and corn bread. Make summer specialty drinks like rum punch, hurricanes, pina colada and pink lemonade with a shot of whisky.

   Big Mama's Mother's Day Party

   • Turn the Saturday and Sunday nights of Mother's Day weekend into a fun and memorable costume party event. Invite men to dress up "big mama" style like characters played by stars including Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence in hit movies such as "Madea Goes to Jail," "Big Mama's House" and "The Krumps." Hold a contest for the best-dressed big mama. Make a special theme drink, like "Big Mama's Long Island Iced Tea."

   70s Soul Train Game Night

   • Combine soul music from the '70s with games to create a "back-in-the-day" theme party. Get a dry erase board on an easel and make a version of the classic "Soul Train Scramble Board," where guests have to unscramble the letters to form the name of a soul music artist or song. The bar owner or MC should dress like Don Cornelius, the legendary host of Soul Train, with a wide lapel suit, mutton chop beard and big eyeglasses. Include other games like "Twister" and popular African American card games like bid, whist and spades, and even dominoes. Have patrons dance in a Soul Train Line. Serve classic '70s drinks like daiquiris, whisky sours and rum and cola.

   Global Soul Party

   • Use a "Global Soul" theme to attract people from various cultures. Play a global plethora of songs influenced by soul music from Latin soul artists like Carlos Santana, afro-soul artists, Bob Marley and reggae artists, and British artists including Rob Stewart and the Beatles, who were heavily influenced by soul music. Tell your DJ to find unique remakes of soul music classics by artists from Asia to Australia. Serve a global soul food buffet with fajitas, jerk chicken and egg rolls right along with Southern fried chicken, candied yams and collard greens. Serve margaritas to represent Latin America, a Pim's cup for Great Britain, and Red Stripe beer for the Caribbean. Print miniature flags and attach them to drink swizzle sticks.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: soul music, Soul Train, drinks like, games like, Global Soul, ideas soul