Party ideas for every crowd
Party ideas for Austin hosts: games, costumes, decorations, kids activities, a bachelorette plan, and hosting etiquette built around a frozen drink machine.
In this guide
The best party ideas are simple: a few games anyone can join, a theme that is easy to dress for, decorations that match your drinks, and an activity table that keeps kids busy. Use the guides below to plan each piece, then build the party around a two-bowl frozen drink machine.
A frozen drink machine does more than serve drinks. It gives guests a place to gather, sets your color scheme, and gives kids their own slushie side. Every guide in this section starts from that idea.
Start with your two flavors
Each machine pours two flavors at once, and you can put the same flavor in both bowls. Pick your flavors first, because they shape everything else:
- Colors. Lime and Strawberry give you green and red. Blue Raspberry and Cherry Bomb give you blue and red. Frosé and Peach Bellini give you blush and peach.
- Theme. Margaritas point to a fiesta. Piña Colada and Mai Tai point to a tiki party. Frosé points to a pink party.
- Kids. Every mix is alcohol-free until you add alcohol, so any flavor works as a kids slushie.
Browse all 33 mixes on our flavors page.
Party games
Games break the ice and give guests something to do between refills. Our party games guide has 10 games with setup steps, rules, and a flavor twist for each one. You get kid games, grownup games, and a few that work for every age.
Costume ideas
A theme party feels bigger when guests dress up. The costume ideas guide covers fiesta, tiki, and Texas looks, plus flavor squad costumes for groups, couples ideas, and easy outfits for kids. None of them need a costume shop.
Decorations
Good decor makes the drink station the center of the party. The decorations guide shows you how to set up a machine bar, hang papel picado and string lights, match balloon colors to your flavors, build a photo backdrop, and place the machine in a safe, shady spot near its own outlet.
Kids activities
Kids need a home base of their own. The kids activities guide walks through face painting with safe cosmetic paint, temporary tattoos, balloon twisting, a craft table, and tips for running the slushie side.
Bachelorette party in Austin
Planning a weekend at a rental house or a backyard party for the bride? The Austin bachelorette guide covers themes, pink flavor pairs like Frosé and Strawberry Margarita, games, a sample schedule, and how to get everyone home safe.
Party etiquette
A great host thinks about guests before, during, and after the party. The party etiquette guide covers responsible hosting, kids and alcohol at one party, invitation wording, a heads-up to neighbors, tipping crews, and thank-you notes.
How to use these ideas together
You don't need every idea on every list. Pick one thing from each guide:
| Piece | Small backyard party | Big birthday or reunion |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2 games | 4 games, with a kids round |
| Costume | Dress code on the invite | Full theme with prizes |
| Decor | String lights and a flavor table | Machine bar, backdrop, and balloon arch |
| Kids | Craft table | Face painting and craft table |
| Drinks | 1 machine, 2 flavors | 2 or 3 machines, up to six flavors |
One machine serves up to 100 guests. Bigger parties rent 2 or 3 machines for up to six flavors. We deliver, set up 2 to 3 hours before the party, show you how it works, then pick up and clean.
Plan the rest of your party
When you have your ideas, use Plan a party for timelines, budgets, and power tips.
Ready to plan? Check dates and book online in minutes, or get a quick estimate first.
Questions
What are easy party ideas for a mixed crowd of kids and adults?
Pick two or three simple games, set up a kids craft or face painting table, and run a two-bowl machine with a slushie on one side and a margarita on the other. Label each bowl so everyone knows which side is which.
How do I theme a party around a frozen drink machine?
Start with your two flavors and build out from there. Match balloon colors, costumes, and table decor to the drinks, so a Lime and Strawberry machine becomes a green and red fiesta.
Can kids have drinks from the same machine as the adults?
Yes, if one bowl holds a slushie and the other holds a margarita. Every mix is alcohol-free until you add alcohol, so label each bowl clearly and keep an adult at the margarita side.