A great way to entice the horse lover in the family is by having a Kentucky Derby themed party. In so many parts of this country and around the world, horses are a big part of life. The excitement of the race, the thrill of the win, the beauty of the sport; horse racing draw us in and holds us in an irreversible state of ecstasy.

How can you bring the magic of the track to your party? At the track the winner of the race is lead into the winner's circle and gets a large bunch of red roses placed around its neck. Decorate the party with red roses in bunches around the room. The roses can be real or silk. If the roses are silk, spray them with the sent of roses. They will appear more realistic. Set up what would look like a winner's circle around where the tables would be. Place a horseshoe wreath on the front door. Use small plastic horses as centerpieces or place them on a buffet table for decoration. For a child's party, bring in pony rides for the guests to enjoy.

Also with a children's party, supply wooden horseshoes for all your guests. You can allow the children to decorate the wooden horseshoes with stickers, markers or paint. Write their names on them and let the children take them home as favors. We found animal party invitations for a Kentucky Derby horse theme at www.PartyThemeShop.com. Write on the invitations for guests to wear large and decorative party hats. You can hold a contest on who has the best hat and the winner can be given a prize. Or you can buy large hats from garage sale or antic shops to serve as decorations for the party.