Others will be able to guide you on quantities. Some could depend on the ratio of girls to boys. 1/2 the girls will be concerned about fitting in the uniform and 1/2 the boys will eat anything and everything in sight! My only comment is I'd suggest a cooler of bottled water. You might be surprised how many would forgo soda for water or mix them up.

I might also consider replacing some of the wings or maybe the pizza rolls with a crockpot or roaster of meatballs. I'd also consider a coleslaw, but in fairness, I'm a coleslaw and meatball fan!

Possibly some fruit or something. Although I like the menu, I'm thinking something a bit lighter might fit in well. Except the veggie sticks most everything is fairly heavy. Even a light fruit salad mix or something. But kids will love it no doubt.

Hope you all have a great time!

I think it sounds good, but with 35 teenagers probably at least one or two will be a vegetarian and it looks light on meat-free options, unless the pizza is cheese. Otherwise it's just pasta salad and raw vegetables. Maybe some veggie hot dogs?

How long is the party going to be? That would help with the amount of food. I would probably do at least 2 batches of the mini corn dog muffins. For teens they are mouth poppin' size. They may go fast. 3 sodas for a teen...plan on more then that. I would have bottles of water also. You have lots of chips and dips spread out around so that is good. It helps the kids fill up so they aren't just chowing down on the main dishes. Sounds like it is going to be a fun time. Enjoy it! NancyLouise

I'll ask my teen tonight. Agree it depends on how many boys (though girls can eat a lot too!). I'd skip the chocolate fountain (messy, esp. if windy) and just have lots of cookies, brownies, mini muffins for dessert. That's what seems to go over well at Scout events.

Have you considered 6 foot party subs and/or pizza instead of the wings and pizza rolls?

I have two teens (1 of each) soda or pop is not that popular with their friends. Have lots of water bottles. Also many seem to be healthy eaters so go big on the veggie tray and other healthy options.

Compared to when I was young and pizza,wings,and pop were expected at every event, todays teens seem to drink far less pop (soda) and eat much healthier. Also not so many chocoholics. My kids don't seem to really like chocolate that much!

I also agree with the water, although it seems that every teenager I see is either drinking soda or some energy drink.

I also think that more are health conscious, trying to lose weight, etc., so the vegetables are good, and maybe just some fruit, not necessarily a salad, just a selections of apples, bananas, grapes, etc. would be a good addition.

I'd also either keep the pizza cheese only or leave meat products out of the pasta salad so that the vegetarians will have something to eat and I can almost guarantee you'll have a couple.

The chocolate fountain is fun but messy, so be prepared!

Annie

Party is from 5:00 - 11:00

Veggie Dogs - good idea!

Fruit - Another good call.

Thank you for the help!

Oh, and most importantly, have fun!

Annie

Chinese salad always goes at our band parties (we have 65 kids! I love band! I'm a drumline mom as well, grin).

Costco has a good sesame/oriental bottled dressing. Pick up a few heads of iceberg lettuce, green onions, a few cans of mandarin oranges (make sure they aren't from China if you care....), chow mein noodles, sliced almonds.

Watermelon also goes fast.

Gotta love Costco for parties.

JessyF - Fellow Band Parent! My step-daughterâÂÂs school did drum line and we were very involved with that too! This school doesnâÂÂt have drum line :-(, but DD is busy with Jazz so I donâÂÂt know how she would have fit it all in!

Oh! Is it OK to post a link to my daughterâÂÂs Jazz performance last weekend? IâÂÂm just so proud! That is her standing, featured on the Alto Sax. She is only a freshman, so we have 3 more years to enjoy the wonderful band experience.

Thanks for the Chinese Salad idea - I really think the kids will like that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jazz - If I Could Fly

wow, she's great, you have every reason to be proud!

Very cool jeri, she/ they are great! Thanks for sharing.

Di

Neat video! Check your GW email....

Wow...Jeri! I am very impressed. I work for a company that does adjudicated performance tours for schools and I say superior rating ;) love - amazing for any age! and great menu, too - the corn dogs are too cute I am going to try that. OH and my nephew is auditioning for NYU's jazz programs. Not sure all parents would be thrilled with that! lol He is in a jazz trio.

I love band kids - they are good kids. Good luck and agree on the water, too.

I asked my DS last night, he said at Scouts the popular things he's noticed are the grinders (subs) and pizza, chips, cookies. Not too many parents bring veggies, fruit, pasta though when they do bring veggies the only ones eating them are the adults, and pasta is only devoured when they are doing a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and there is no other entree, people just don't bring pasta or pasta salad to B&G dinner or Court of Honor.

Now, for cross country/track,it's a whole nother thing (not that I've been or contributed so I'm going by what he told me). There the kids (esp. the girls) go for the fruits and veggies, pasta (carb loading) is big, meatballs would be good though some of the girls are vegetarian, and everyone drinks water.

Sorry, I just don't know about band kids. I know it's tomorrow, good luck and let us know how it goes.

Another drumline mom here! Our band parties are 200 kids for full band; 20 kids for just drumline. Both groups devour pasta, meatballs, lasagna, pizza, fried chicken. The fruit and veggie trays are typically eaten only by the parents who are there as servers. Watermelon is always a big hit, however. Gotta say, though, almost no one goes for the sodas. Water and pink lemonade. Lots and lots of water.

I always grill a bunch of Nancy's Asian boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized strips) and serve it cold over JessyF's Cold Soba Noodles. YUM! It always goes quickly. Very quickly.

Desserts...eh, again, eaten mostly by the parent volunteers. Though, the kids will go for chocolate chip cookies or cupcakes. I'll usually make a few dozen cookies and cupcakes.

Jeri,
How did it turn out and what did you end up having? I always look forward to these posts! I'm sure everyone had a great time and the food was great!!! Did you end up doing the chocolate fountain?

Party was a HUGH success! Thank you for asking and for all the input.

Food wise - I probably asserted myself when Pizza would have been fine - though I did get lots of âÂÂThank-yousâ from the kids. As mentioned, Band Kids are really a great bunch and very polite too. I was a tad worried with 40 boys & girls, but they were all well behaved.

I made 96 of the mini corn dog muffins and should have made 3 times that! These are super easy to make and the kids loved them. The Pizza Rolls also vanished and I should have had more of them too. The hot wings went well (about 8 lbs), but not the teriyaki (about 4 lbs) - I would have expected the opposite.

The fruit tray was demolished, but not the veggie tray. The Ham sandwiches didn't go well either, which surprised me.

They liked the hot dogs, but I think they liked cooking them over the fire pit outside. :-) The pasta salad was well received too. But the hit of the party was the chocolate fountain - I think as much for the novelty as the yummy dippers.

Soda: Dr Pepper was the favorite by far. I did have plenty of coke, sprite, water and lemonade too.

Thanks again everyone - I really appreciated all the help. :-)

Jeri

Jeri sounds like a wonderful party but ...it is that video of your daughter that grab me.

Be proud, be damn proud, you have every reason to be

Thanks Chase... That is so nice of you to say. I am so very proud... Somehow, I really got lucky... DD is in love with life, she loves her friends, she loves her school, her teachers, her family, her pets, everything! She is a great student, not because she was born with a high IQ, but because she works hard at her studies. She wants to be her best and applies herself. She is a pure joy and growing way to fast. :-) Her band is off to Chicago in a few days! DD is sooooooooo excited!

Jeri,
That all sounds fabulous! I have made note of what you had so I can be ready when spring rolls around and there's one more big bash. Glad it was such a success!!!

Sorry to be late to the party, but it sounds like everyone had fun. The one thing I remember enjoying as a teenager that you brought up was cooking my own hot dog, partly because I did not know what was in it. It's good you got to use your firepit - we tore ours down when we bought the house and put up a pergola in its place, but then we're in a warm climate where a firepit makes no sense - to me anyway.

Lemonade was always my beverage of choice for picnic type meals, and I would make it in concentrate so that I could dilute it as needed. Most of my friends in high school were in the band, but I went to a differen Jr. High that did not have band.

I think I may try the mini-corndog muffins - those look fun! Thanks for posting the link to the recipe.

Lars