9171

Round the Clock 50's - Swing Performance

July 2004

Danielle in Valencia, California

Honorable Mention

Rock around the Clock 50's Celebration - I belong to an organization of ladies who have a summer social every year that includes our husbands. 

We started with original art work for the invitations depicting animated characters at the "Hop".  Colors were in pink and black.  The invitation began with "Come Rock Around the Clock for a 50's Celebration"...There'll be music and eatin' and a little libation...etc. Even the envelopes were pink with black "puff paint" musical notes. The invitation also requested that all guests bring a small picture of themselves from the fifties.

As people began to arrived they were greeted with an enlarged version (poster size) sign of our invitation toped with balloons in the front yard as well as fifties tunes being played on a portable speaker. We took their pictures and used double sided tape to put on their chest "corsage style" - what a hoot! Photos were taken of each couple as they entered and then later mailed to them as a party favor. The back yard was set with round tables adorned with pink table cloths and black skirts. 

The "bar" was decorated in pink and black also.  We enlarged our invitation (letter size) and displayed it to list our assortment of offered drinks - cherry, vanilla and chocolate flavoring for cokes or seven-up. We used an old cola ice tub to display syrups and sodas.  We found black musical note decals and placed several on each plastic glass.  Couples brought their own hard liquor.

For center pieces we used malt glasses with carnations tucked in the top to look like a malt - topped off with two straws and a real cherry.  The buffet table was also in pink and black topped with a small jukebox, musical notes, 45 records and old Coke memorabilia (glasses, trays, etc.).

For dinner, we barbequed hamburgers and our local "hamburger joint" delivered hot french fries.  All were served in red plastic "fifties" trays with wax paper liners.  Appetizers consisted of green onion dip and potato chips, little spicy hot dogs in BBQ sauce, popcorn served in our local movie theatre's popcorn tubs and celery and carrot sticks upright in old "cola" glasses.

Our guests used little red and white checked paper trays to collect their favorite snacks. We decorated the backyard fence with black and pink crepe paper along with pink, black and white balloons. Fifties cut-outs were attached in various locations in the yard, as well as a real globe that revolved with filtered light over the tables (one of only two rented items).  The pool was filled with dozens and dozens of pink, black and white balloons. 

We contacted a local adult "dance studio" and to our delight a fifties costumed couple came and gave three musical performances for free - of course we ended up giving them dinner. In the meantime we played 50's tunes on a rented very cool looking jukebox. Hula hoop, bubble gum, an Elvis singing contest and the "best fifties costume" made the evening great fun. We did lots of research on our prizes - they were all from the fifties. 

For dessert we had an old fashioned ice cream sundae bar and homemade chocolate chip cookies.  All the fixing’s for banana splits or any other type of sundae were available in old fashioned sundae dishes.  Tip: tie a large napkin folded in the shape of a triangle around the ice cream container to keep containers from being a drippy, sticky mess.  Wow, what a blast from the past!!

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