Writer / Lindsey Thompson
The Cinderella stories. The upsets. The bracketology. Whether you’re an avid college basketball fan or just enjoy picking your bracket based on the mascots, March Madness is an exciting time. This year, share that excitement by hosting your own watch party for your family and friends with this winning starting line-up. Here are 5 helpful tips for making your March Madness party a slam dunk.
1. CHOW DOWN ON GAME DAY CLASSICS Food for your March Madness party should be simple and easy to eat with your fingers. Chicken wings, jalapeño poppers, pizza and nachos are classic game day go-tos. Take your finger food game to the next round by choosing foods that correspond with some teams in the tournament. For example, serve mini hot brown sandwiches in honor of Kentucky or pulled pork sandwiches for Kansas. For dessert, decorate cupcakes in your favorite team’s colors or use orange and black icing to create mini basketballs. It’s not a party without libations, and March Madness allows for lots
of creativity for drinks. If a local team is in the dance, keep a cooler full of beer from area breweries. You could also choose local favorites from other teams in the tourney. Keep cocktails simple so that you don’t have to spend your whole party tending the bar. Try premixed drinks like margaritas, sangria and mojitos that you can mix up before the party and let people serve themselves. For the 21-and-under crowd, have bottles of Gatorade (bonus points for orange flavor to tie into the basketball theme!) and bottled water on hand.
2. DON’T SKIMP ON THE TV The bulk of the party will be watching the games, so you’ll want to have a nice-sized TV. If you can swing it, set up several TVs to watch multiple games at once, especially during the first rounds. Put your TV(s) in a spot where everyone can comfortably view it, providing spots for people to sit and watch if they want to. Think creatively for extra seating, repurpose poufs and stools as seating. Before the party, check your cable connection to be sure no one has to experience an expected blackout.
12 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / MARCH 2020 / atCarmel.com
