Planning a corporate party, fundraiser, or kids’ party on a tight budget?  No matter what kind of event you are planning, you want to get the most out of it, and that means finding the best value.  There are plenty of different themes you could choose for an event, but choosing a theme means finding something which is line with your budget.  Some themes take major investments in terms of décor, ambiance, and activities.  One of the most cost-effective themes you are going to find is a carnival theme.  How can a carnival-themed party help you to save money?

  1. Easy décor

Getting the ambiance right for a carnival-themed party is easy.  Actually, with the right activities and catering, it is virtually automatic.  Carnivals are familiar to everyone who has ever attended one, and most of us have at some point of our lives.  By choosing common carnival games and activities, you are automatically building the image of a fun fair and crafting that atmosphere.  Carnival canopy booths with red and white stripes offer simple and affordable enclosures for activities which help to convey this atmosphere.  Your basic white festival tent also does an excellent job at creating the right atmosphere.  This is a perfect enclosure for chairs and tables for dining and also for presentations and other special event highlights.

A carnival theme does not require you to spend extra money on fancy lighting effects or technology-based entertainment or multimedia.  You do not need to rent or install expensive sound systems.  You can rent a simple outdoor venue and make your event as large or small as you want.  Elaborate, high-tech events can be fun, but a lot of guests will have the best time at simple events which offer them good old-fashioned fun.

  1. Cheap but tasty food options

The idea of a Hawaiian BBQ may be appealing, but think how much effort you’d have to put into the food.  “Taste of the World” parties are also very popular, but once again, expensive as far as catering is concerned.  A carnival theme on the other hand lends itself easily to delicious food that is also very cost-effective to provide to your guests.  For parties which will have a large number of attendees, this is especially important.  You can save a lot of money just by reducing your food costs.

All you need to do to keep your guests happy and well fed at your carnival party is rent a cotton candy machine, popcorn machine, hot dog steamer, pretzel warmer, or snow cone machine.  A combination of these choices is even better.  Not only will these options keep your guests well fed, but they will also contribute to the carnival atmosphere!  The taste and smell of carnival food takes us right back to childhood fun fair experiences.  While none of these foods are gourmet, sometimes gourmet isn’t what we are looking for.  Sometimes we just want something that evokes positive memories.

  1. Affordable entertainment

A lot of the games and activities we associate with fun fairs are not only fun, but cheap.  For example, it does not cost a lot of money to contract with a face painter or a balloon twister.  Guests love these activities though, and balloon animals make great take-home gifts for guests, especially children.  Other games like bingo and raffles and wheel of fortune cost nothing to run, and they are perfect for fundraising.  Games like baseball toss and slap shot hockey are also cheap to rent and fun to play.  None of these activities require special equipment, and none of them require electricity.  This makes them ideal for day-long events.

Planning a party is a lot of work, and trying to do it on a budget is even more difficult.  When you are trying to save money, though, it is important to make sure that you meet your budgetary requirements.  This is especially key for fundraisers which are trying to raise money.  By choosing a carnival theme, you escape from a lot of the technical hassles and expenses associated with other more elaborate party themes.  You keep activities, equipment, food and décor within an affordable limit.  Even if your budget is tight, you should easily be able to satisfy your financial requirements and still show your guests an amazing time!