Grey Cup: Football Party Ideas

The 97th annual Grey Cup is scheduled for Sunday Nov. 29 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. You don’t want to watch it alone! Football, friends, food and drinks, all in the comfort of your own home—what better excuse to throw a great Canadian party?

Grey Cup Party Warmup:

CFL Semi Finals! November 22

EAST FINAL
BC Lions vs Montreal Allouettes
TSN: 1 p.m. EST

WEST FINAL
Calgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan Roughriders
TSN: 3:30 p.m. EST

DRESSING UP YOUR GREY CUP PARTY

Creating a fun Grey Cup atmosphere is easy to do, and worth the effort. Here are a few ideas:

• Encourage guests to come dressed in their favorite team colors or to wear football jerseys.  
• Wear a referee striped jersey as the host.
• Decorate your party room with tablecloths, shirts, jackets, hats and other paraphernalia in team logos or team colors.
• Add team and player posters, football equipment, pennants, and photos.
• Use white tape or chalk to mark off the yard lines from the curb to your front door—this is also a fun activity to do with the kids.
• Cover chair backs with team jerseys. Unless you are a huge CFL fan it may be hard to cover all the chairs with team jerseys, but even a few sports jerseys add to the atmosphere.
• Welcome your guests to the party by putting a sign over the door with your name as part of the Stadium name (i.e. Smith Stadium, James Field).
• Set up friendly football pools to encourage even the non-fans to become involved. Create pools based not only on the outcome of the game but also more random results, like total points, “random square” pools and even the coin toss.

FEEDING THE CROWD

	Bring a little fun to your party! Watermelon or Helmet »

No grid iron gathering would be complete without snacks. It’s a long game, though, so be prepared to offer up heartier fare for your football crowd—especially if you are serving alcohol. Fun food serving ideas:

• Design a buffet to resemble a concession stand to dispense the food and/or drinks.
• Use items like football helmets, shoulder pads, etc. to hold baskets or bowls of food. (You might want to clean them first!)
• Try Astroturf on your buffet instead of a tablecloth.

	Try these snacks and appetizers for an interesting spin on this year's game.
	• Bacon Bites • Layered Guacamole • Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms • Steamed Mussels with Sambuca • Grilled Spicy Chicken Wings

GREAT CANADIAN DRINKS

Football and beer always go well together, but in staying with the Canadian theme, try offering up some Caesars. The Caesar is actually a Canadian invention: It was developed in Calgary, Alberta, in 1969 by bartender Walter Chell to mark the opening of a new restaurant, "Marco's." Its popularity has grown and it is estimated that 250 million Caesars are sold every year.

Caesar Tip Caesars are “pitcher-friendly,” and the ability to mix a pitcher of Caesars makes hosting your party even easier. To help ease that November chill, leave a bottle of TABASCO® beside the bar for those who want some extra spice. Classic Caesar Punch Recipe 6 oz vodka 36 oz of  Clam Tomato Cocktail 1 tsp TABASCO® Sauce 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce Mixing instructions Add all ingredients to a large pitcher and stir to mix. Rim glass with lime juice and rimmer. Fill glass with ice and pour. Garnish with celery and lime wedges. Makes eight 6-oz Caesars. PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Pitcher of Caesars recipe » Canada's favorite mixed drink is the "Caesar" and we have the perfect way to serve them to your guests and still leave you able to enjoy the game.

The Canadian Manhattan » A true classic matched up with a classic Canadian game.

Hot coffee drink ideas » Along with the standard coffee and pop serve up some spirited coffee and hot chocolate.