Plan an unforgettable Pride party for all five senses

With PrideFest just around the corner, June 15 and 16 at Civic Center Park in Denver, it’s time to pull pride season party ideas out of the closet.

And like any plan, a great party comes together best with foresight.

“We consider the five senses,” said Chris Blumke, president of Denver-based Decor N More, Inc. “You have to think about the sound, smell, touch, taste and feel of the party.”

That applies to food, drinks, decor and music for the perfect social atmosphere. For example, an outdoor pride bash could involve a party tent above couches and lounge chairs.

“The current trend is to have standing highboy tables and cocktail tables so people can mingle,” Blumke said. “Everyone wants everything modern and glowing. Build bars that glow and cocktail tables that glow.”

For battery-powered lights that can be attached under tables, try Party City or Party America, Blumke said – and make sure they’re the right kind for what you’ll use them for. “It’s got to be event lighting units, such as hard cans or LED light units.”

Don’t hesitate to flip through magazines for ideas, considering who you expect to attend and what would fit the crowd. “Every time I go somewhere, I open a magazine,” Blumke said.

The easiest way to throw a party is to hire a planner – most charge an hourly fee, so it’s important to give them your budget from the beginning.

Dr. Christopher Ott, an emergency room doctor, and his partner Jeremy Simons started Denver’s famous Pink Party in their backyard eight years ago. Since then it’s grown to one of the largest pride parties in Denver, and this year Ott is expecting around 1,000 guests of the event – which has become a fundraiser for statewide LGBT advocacy organization One Colroado – at Cassleman’s Bar and Venue located at 2620 Walnut St., Denver.

“It’s just a sea of pink,” Ott said.

When he and his partner started their PrideFest party planning, they would throw two parties: one on the Friday before PrideFest, and the other the day of.

“The party the night before was a flavored vodka party,” Ott said. “You’d put out 40 handles of various kinds of vodka. The biggest thing you can do is provide the booze; have it be open bar.”

Of course most first–time hosts won’t be thinking quite that big.

“You shouldn’t size the party too big off the bat,” Ott said. Start by inviting 20 to 30 people, and if it’s a success you want to duplicate, expand it next year. Ott suggests picking a signature drink to match the theme. (Blumke suggests beer for a Western-themed party, for example.)

Nita Mosby Henry, founder and president of Girlz Pushing the Button – a black lesbian organization in Denver – also throws an annual pride party, this year with a Southern Savanna theme on the second level of eden Bar and Cuisine Lounge at 30th and Downing.

“It’s one of the only times we can pull together the black community,” Mosby Henry said.

The décor will represent a soft, cotton-like feel with sheer white linen across the walls, plus Southern comfort food – food being one of the major attractions of the event.

For a fun event on a smaller scale, Ott suggests a PrideFest brunch. In potluck style, provide the mimosas and Bloody Marys and let guests bring the food.

“Depending on how hung over you are from the night before, it’s sometimes a great idea – and sometimes not a great idea,” he joked.

Blumke suggested a “build a float party” to prepare for the PrideFest parade – her company builds floats, including a huge burrito float for Chipotle last year. Blumke says it costs between $1,000 and $2,500 to build a float, so the party – serving drinks and light food while your guests enjoy building it – is a good way to get some free help and excitement around the project.

“It’s an opportunity to really get creative,” she said.

It’s a perfect mix for a perfect party – full of scent, sight, touch and sound – which applies whether you’re gathering for a serious purpose or just a gathering among friends to mingle or wind down.

“A lot of people can plan their own party, as long as you can feed the five senses,” Blumke said.