Theme Party: "Parks and Recreation"
On Tuesday, February 24th, at 10pm, NBC will send off "Parks and Recreation" with a one-hour finale. It's super sad to think about, because the residents of Pawnee have been amazing and hilarious to watch over the past seven seasons. But you can smile through your tears if you host a "Parks and Rec" finale party before, during, or after the final episode airs.
I hosted a "Parks and Rec" themed party a few years ago, and here are some tips for fun Pawnee-themed things to eat, do, and give away:
Honor L’il Sebastian, obviously.
I got a mini-horse piñata as a representation of Pawnee citizens' most-loved little buddy. I also printed out some art from the show (like the L'il Sebastian newspaper cover) to place with it. Fill the piñata with wrapped candy (duh) but to make it more "Parks and Rec"-y, you can also write funny quotes from the show on little pieces of paper and mix them in with the candy. It'll be a fun surprise for guests when the piñata bursts.
Put props and merchandise on display.
Do you own the plush L'il Sebastian from NBC's "Parks and Rec" webstore? How about Leslie Knope's book, Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America? Arrange your Pawnee items so guests can flip through the book or have a good laugh.
Theme your food!
Every good party has snacks, so have a little fun with it. Dream up some "Parks and Rec"-themed foods to have out for your guests. Here's what I came up with a few years ago:
All of the bacon and eggs that I had.
Chris’s Corner: all of the fruits and vegetables.
A
Snake Juice! (My non-alcoholic recipe is equal parts Cran-Apple and 7-Up.)
Ben's Calzone Zone. (In reality they're Totino's Pizza Rolls.)
And of course waffles!
Eat off frisbees
Remember when Ben moved in with April and Andy and realized that they had been eating off frisbees instead of plates? It was cute and gross. But you can carry on this quirky tradition by lining frisbees with paper plates and encouraging guests to eat off them.
Have props for photos.
You want people to take pictures, right? So give 'em something to pose with. I got mustaches as a tribute to Ron Swanson/Duke Silver.
Give gifts… it’s what Leslie would do!
I put together a "Parks and Rec"-themed gift basket (with basketballs on the basket, because Indiana), containing a Pawnee water bottle, a mustache lollipop, Knope pins, a box of gum that reminded me of Leslie and Ben, and a couple of other treats. I also got a Knope sticker for the front of the basket, and printed out a funny Chris Traeger valentine to stick in there. My friends and I played a trivia game and the winner got to take the basket full of goodies home!
Make it weird.
I got a little bit Tom Haverford about things and put this filming/photo notice on my door, inspired by Entertainment 720. Every little nod to the show is an extra bit of fun.
And don't forget... TREAT YO SELF!
STORY & PHOTO CREDITS
Written by Christina LeBlanc
Photos by Christina LeBlanc, Alex Jackman, and Andy Rowell
