6 March Madness Party Ideas

March Madness is here! Which means a several week long celebration of bet placing, team cheering, and of course, March Madness party hosting. If you really want to host a March Madness party that’ll break some brackets, try these 6 March Madness party ideas for an epic basketball banquet. And hop on over to your nearest Spec’s for more tips from our expert party artisans!

1. Decorate with themed colors.

Having party guests that root for rival teams can be tricky. So how do you tackle the decorating without fouling on one friend or the other? Black, white and orange are always a safe bet. Try table cloths and napkins in general basketball themed colors to really boost the game-day vibe. But if you’re all on the same team, then by all means wave that banner!

2. Get crafty and make a basketball chip bowl.

Using kitchen shears, cut a mini sized basketball in half, clean and use to serve chips or crackers. Friend’s will remark, “How very Etsy of you!”

3. Have guests show up at least 30 minutes before game time.

Party planning 101: Get your guests there on time. This will be sure that everyone gets settled in so you can serve drinks as people arrive. And when the game clock starts everyone will be in their seats with a cold beer and ready to cheer.

4. Order party trays to feed hungry guests.

Game day grub is a must-have for any March Madness party. We recommend you go with simple finger foods. Your guests will want to just grab an easy appetizer so they can keep their eyes on the game, not on an elaborate fondue set-up or salad bar. Our gourmet sliders, quesadillas and wings always win guests over! Order your party trays at your local Spec’s and spend less time in the kitchen and more following your bracket.

5. Keep the cooler stocked with quality beer.

Sure, sports drinks in your cooler might add to the March Madness vibe, but if most of your friends drink sports drinks at your parties something tells us you wouldn’t be reading this blog post right now. (Spec’s isn’t exactly famous for our Gatorade.) There’s nothing more sportsmanlike than a great tasting craft beer at a March Madness party. Lagunitas Hop Stupid Imperial IPA carries a refreshing west coast flavor at a great price. For another value craft beer that really takes it to the hole, try Saint Arnold Pub Crawl Pale Ale.

6. Keep the game clean with a basketball hoop over the trash can.

This adds a little B-Ball flair to the kitchen and makes clean up entertaining.

Does your party have a headcount, but you don’t know how many drinks you’ll need? Try our helpful guide here.