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My Dream Dinner Party

A carnival-themed party at a Toronto park!

By Talia DevoraPublished 4 years ago ā€¢ 10 min read
5

Do y'all remember your carnival days? If yes, what did you favour most about a carnival? Cotton candy? Games? Funnel cake?? Clowns? Or all of it?! I definitely do! Even if I am an introvert who is not a fond of weekly parties or anything whacky with people I am not really close with, I favour carnivals very much. I loved many of the games that I played at the Purim carnival that was hosted at my synagogue, as well as all of the food! Those good old days will never be forgotten! At one point in my high school career, I even volunteered at a few carnivals that occurred in the community. There is an annual carnival that is hosted at the summer camp I work at, so I am always enjoying carnivals as an adult. The only difference is, I work at the carnival instead of participating in the carnival! Either way, it is still a fulfilling experience for me!

My ideal carnival-themed dinner party would take place at one of my favourite parks called Earl Bales Park in Toronto. It would most likely take place in the spring or summer and it would be on the weekends! The date would be determined based on the weather. If it was raining, I would postpone it since everyone would want to come when it is decent and warm outside. Otherwise, it would not be a fun experience. The time would most likely be in the late evening, and would not go on until midnight. For instance, the party would begin at 5:00 pm and would end at 10:00 pm.

Being an adult doesn't prohibit you from going back to your childhood days at the carnival! Whether you are a parent or someone who enjoys doing all sorts of engaging activities and eating junk food, you are free to attend a carnival at any time! If you are one of those folks who adores carnivals and and wants to remember them for the rest of your lives, attending my dream carnival-themed dinner party will be a memory of a lifetime!

There would no formal seating, since it would be situated at a park. I feel it would be too pricey to pay for the seating and the other tablewear. I will be already be taking care of the food stations and the activities. In lieu of formal seating, everyone can be responsible for bringing their own seating: portable chairs, inflatable sofas, a towel to lay on the grass, etc. There would also be installed picnic tables and benches, so guests will be free to use those as well.

PARTY ATTIRE

If you are one of those people that are not really into dressing up, you don't have to stress! Guests will choose to come in their favourite costumes or casual outfits that they wear on a daily basis. Women will not be required to buy that pricey dress and high heels from an expensive boutique and spend 4 hours at the beauty salon. Men will not have to hurry to that Harry Rosen kind of store to purchase a suit and book a last minute appointment at the barber shop.

Women can wear their favourite casual outfits that are worn on a daily basis or they can come in their favourite Halloween costume. Men will be able to do the same! Kids can wear whatever they want, including their favourite Halloween costume that they wore at Trick-or-Treating! Women will choose if they want to wear makeup or not. Men will not have to shave their beards or moustaches and apply hair gel if they don't want to.

However, guests will be required to bring a towel, flip flops, a bathing suit/bikini and swimwear. There will be tons of activities where guests will get soaked, so it's better to be safe than sorry! They won't want to leave the party wearing soaked clothes on the way to their car, taxi or the bus. So what's the solution?? Be prepared to get soaked. Don't participate in water activities in your favourite outfit or costume!

ACTIVITIES

Do y'all remember the classic fish bowl pong game at your local carnival? Ring toss? Balloon toss? Or even the messy, dirty cake fight that some of you conducted in your backyards during the summer? Well, if you fondly recall these activities, now will be your opportunity to revisit those memories! All of the activities will be modified and wheelchair accessible, so my friends and guests will be able to actively participate, in a stress-free and inclusive atmosphere.

Most of the classic carnival games and activities will be offered at the party. People will not need to purhchase a ticket from the booth to play the games or engage in any of the activities, since it is not a "traditional carnival". People will be allowed to play and participate as many time as they want and how long they want. Prizes will be granted for all of the winners at the end of the party. Instead of annoucing the winners like they do at a silent auction/event, the winners will be given a sticky-note and will pick up their desired prize as they leave.

Here are some of the classic carnival games and activities that will be at the party. Here are some of the prizes that will be granted for the winners:

FISH BOWL PONG

In lieu of glass bowls with colored water, I will use plastic cups and pure water with goldfish or beta fish filled insisde. The pong balls will still be provided.

RING TOSS

TIP-A-TROLL

These are just a few of these activities that will be offered. Activities such as the Fish Pond, the Dunk Tank, Bingo, Fruit Punch Pong, Water Balloon Fight, Cake Fight, Skee Ball, Bouncy Castle, Bean Bag Toss and a Craft Table will also be offered for kids and adults to make things and color pictures. For folks that are not really fond of games or don't want to participate in many of the activities for whatever reason, a craft table will be an impeccable alternative. People are also free to just lounge at the park and chat with other guests. They can also just watch their kids participate in the games and activities. Prizes such as stuffed animals, loot bags, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, fast-food, toy-store and bookstore gift cards for $10.00-$25.00 (1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place winners) and fancy balloons (honorable mention winners) will be given. Prizes will not be granted for the craft table, since they will just be making things as opposed to competing with other guests. Same guidelines go for people participating in activities like the Dunk Tank, the Bouncy Castle Water Balloon Fight and Cake Fight.

FOOD/BEVERAGE

Regarding food and beverage, there will lots of options. For people that have dietary restrictions or don't like certain foods/beverages, there will be other things for people to enjoy. None of my guests will go hungry or thirsty, especially since it is a carnival! Nobody can go hungry at a carnival, right?! Most of the food will be fried, sweet and salty since that is typical "carnival cuisine". The beverages will be the usual ones that are purchased in the stores or eateries such as wine, beer, assorted juice, water and assorted sodas such as Coca Cola and Fanta. People who are under the age of 19 will be denied alcoholic drinks and will need to have ID with them at all times. If they don't have any ID, they will be denied alcohol.

Here are some examples of carnival-style food that will be at the party!

ELEPHANT EARS

Instead of just serving plain elephant ears with sugar and cinnamon on top, gourmet elephant ears will be served. Guests will get to choose what they want on top: peanut butter sauce, hot fudge sauce, strawberry sauce or caramel sauce. Toppings include gummies, oreos, chocolate chip cookie crumbles, crumbled Reeces peanut butter cups, cookie dough, sprinkles, chocolate chips, rainbow chips, fruit/berries, m and m's, skittles, smarties and hersheys kisses.

COTTON CANDY

There will be assorted flavours and colors of cotton candy. Colors to choose from are purple, pink and blue. Each color will come in different shades like dark or light pink. Dark and light shades of purple will also be served. The flavours will include the original, strawberry, watermelon, grape, blue-raspberry and bubblegum.

FUNNEL CAKES

The best part about purchasing a funnel cake is, you can dress it up with whatever you want! Toppings include any flavour of soft or hard ice cream (strawberry, chocolate or vanilla), chocolates, candies, cookie crumbs, fruits/berries, preserves, whipped cream (chocolate or original), custard and sauces (hot fudge, peanut butter, strawberry, caramel, honey and butterscotch).

FRIED CHEESE STICKS

FRIED PICKLES

Common foods such as hot dogs, hamburgers and french fries will also be included in the menu. For anyone who doesn't consume meat or dairy, there will be vegetarian burgers and hot dogs. All the assorted condiments like relish, mustard and ketchup will be offered at all of the hot dog/hamburgers and fries stations. For anyone who is gluten free will be offered a gluten-free hamburger or hot dog bunch when requested. Best of all, no one will have to have cash or debit cards handy! All the food will be free for guests and the host!

MUSIC

There will no specific music playing at the party. However, people can bring speakers and their iPhones if they want to play any music. Since it is a carnival and not a funeral, I suggest that all guests play uplifting music that people can move around to. Examples of uplifting music that I would request are disco songs, electronic music hits, rock and roll music and all the pop hits that are listened to on the radio! There will be young children at the party, so music with curse words or pejorative language will be forbidden! No songs that discuss death, suicide, murder, break-ups, and family issues will be allowed. Any generation of music such as the 70's, or 80's will be permitted! To promote inclusivity, only English music will be allowed at the party. We wouldn't want anyone to feel left out and not understand what is being played.

GUESTS

All the members of my immediate family such as my mom, my dad, my brothers, my step mother, my grandparents, my mom's boyfriend and his mother, my aunt and uncle, my mom's cousin and her spouse and my step brothers girlfriend will be invited. My close friends from school, camp, social clubs and the residence I reside in will be welcome to join. All of my friends on Vocal will be free to join!

In terms of famous people, I have quite a few on the list! The invitations will be given to them, but they are free to choose whether they are willing to attend or not. Some of my favourite celebrities live outside of Canada, so it may not be feasible for them to attend. Most are alive, some don't exist because one is deceased and some were characters from childhood shows I used to watch. Here are some of my favourite celebrities and characters that I would invite:

1. VENUS ANGELIC

2. FREDDIE HIGHMORE

3. ECKHART TOLLE AND KIM ENG

4. ADAM SANDLER

5. TAYLOR R

6. BALD AND BANKRUPT AND GIRLFRIEND ALINA (AKA ALINCHIK)

7. LAMB CHOP AND FRIENDS

8. THE PUZZLE PLACE GANG

Anyway my friends, I hope you have an awesome week! Don't forget to like, send me a tip, share with your family/friends and follow me under the Instagram name of naturalbibliophile22 to connect and be in the loop for more exciting stories!

Take care and cheers to all of my mates!

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About the Creator

Talia Devora

Poetess, visual artist and lifestyle/quiz writer! My pastimes include reading, sleeping, gaming, music, fitness, etc! Be yourselves, be kind and value life! Let's connect and be friends!

My IG accounts: @tdwrites24 & @tdcreates97

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Comments (3)

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  • Mike Singleton - Mikeydred2 years ago

    This is great fun and made me hungry

  • Babs Iverson2 years ago

    Fantastic carnival theme party! Adam Sandler is the perfect guest for your dream party!!! Loving this! Not familiar with elephant ears but sounds fabulous.

  • I've never heard of elephant ears before! Are those something similar to waffles or am I wayyy off? šŸ˜…

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