THE ULTIMATE TIGER KING PARTY IN THREE EASY STEPS
Hey all you cool cats and kittens, it’s a champagne and brie kind of evening! One truly befitting that of a Tiger King. We invite you to join us in all the big-cat fun as we throw a Tiger King Party to observe National Zoo Lovers Day on April 8.
Seemingly out of nowhere (or the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park), Joseph Allen Schreibvogel Maldonado-Passage, who fortunately goes by the catchier (and significantly shorter) name of “Joe Exotic,” popped into our lives this spring. Boy, was he a welcomed break from all of the craziness going on in the world. Oh wait … the world to which he introduced us through Tiger King on Netflix was possibly equally as crazy. Or crazier. But in a different, somewhat more lunatic way. How was that even possible?
Unfortunately it looks like Carole Baskin’s Fur Ball, which was featured in the series and boasts “traditional safari costume formal attire,” hasn’t been held for quite some time. Given the current shelter in place situation, I’m thinking it’s highly unlikely the event will be reprised anytime soon. Fortunately, we’re here to help you recreate a little bit of the magic at home.
For this celebration, there are so many elements from which to work, I frankly don’t know where to begin. What to wear? Flower crowns, animal prints or sequins, of course. Carole is so on trend and Joe loves to sparkle. He also seems to gravitate toward any hot pink shirt he can get his hands on. Party favors? How about an “I Got Peed on by a Tiger” t-shirt, now available in a variety styles and colors on Etsy, thanks to some creative people out there with admirable Cricut skills.
Alas, I’ll leave the fashion choices of Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, Jeff Lowe, and all of their various husbands and wives (to whom they may or may not be legally married) in the capable hands of the hundreds of fashion bloggers out there. Make Every Day an Event exists to show you how to plan and entertain, like a pro. And over the years, we’ve found the most important parts of a party are a good theme (check) and good food (check). So here’s how we interpreted this fantastic, over-the-top idea:
THE DECOR …
Here Kitty Kitty, there kitty kitty, everywhere kitty kitty! We went there (I’m referring to the garage, of course) and pulled out a bunch of off-season tailgating decorations. We’re not just bandwagon Tiger fans people, we’ve been rooting for the Tigers since college.
The casual nature of this theme made our backyard patio the most appropriate venue, with a buffet style setup. The Tiger was the focal point of our tablescape, of course. This is a Tiger King party! We dressed him up with a gold sequined hat to add some sparkle, in a nod to Joe. Burlap and tiger print table runners laid a great foundation for the other elements which included black lanterns, palm fronds, a colorful floral bouquet, and some galvanized and wooden serving pieces.
THE MENU …
The inspiration for our buffet was drawn directly from the show. Shrimp cocktail, brie, Moet Chandon, and, of course, pizza! While this wasn’t necessarily the quality of Zooters Pizza and Pasta Bar, we think it probably tasted even better (wink, wink). And since we didn’t have access to buckets of free meat from WalMart (even paid groceries are scarce right now), we opted for a veggie version from a local eatery. We’re all making sacrifices these days … !
PRO TIP: This tongue-in cheek party was planned in response to the wild popularity of Tiger King on Netflix during the Coronavirus quarantine. Tiger conservation and illegal tiger trading are a very serious matters, ones we would never make into a joke. If you would like to make an impact in this area, please consider supporting the World Wildlife Organization and their efforts to protect tigers through the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
How will you #MakeEveryDayanEvent today? Tell us your wild ideas below!
