Has it been a while since you last organized a party? Is the party head inside you seeking some great outdoor event ideas to escape the monotonous daily life? Well, we get your desperation! That’s where a party tent comes in.
However, don’t just make everything about the food; rather, take your time and come up with something unique to entertain the guests. You can transform the tent into an outdoor movie lounge or a DIY cocktail bar that keeps things light yet fun.
If you want to know more about some creative ways to elevate your party tent and how a solar power station can help, keep reading!
Quick Setup: Laying the Foundation for Your Party Tent
Before setting up your party tent in the Canadian outdoors, ensure you have the right tools and equipment. Being well-prepared ensures that not only you, but also your guests, feel safe and comfortable. Here’s what you should get:
Essential Items
The following are the must-haves for your party tent:
- Choose the Right Tent: Begin by selecting a party tent that can comfortably accommodate your guests and complements the aesthetic of your party. Some common options that you can explore include frame tents and clear top tents. Frame tents feature an aluminum frame without a center pole, while clear top tents are made of clear PVC and PC, allowing everyone to enjoy a view of the mesmerizing sky during the event.
- Tables and Chairs: Once you’ve set up the tent, the next critical item you need is tables and chairs. They should provide comfort to the guests and also relate to the event’s vibe. For instance, if it’s a backyard party, you can opt for lightweight folding tables and chairs; however, for a formal gathering, a round or long table with luxurious chairs is more suitable.
- Drinks and Food: Do you know that the menu of your tent party can make or break the overall vibe? Yes, it’s true! Therefore, you should come up with food and drink options that taste yummy and also allow the guests to feel the heart of the host. Since it’s mostly cold in Canada, you can serve cream of mushroom soup or any other popular soup that your guests prefer. You can also have kababs and baked potatoes as a side. As far as drinks are concerned, hot chocolate and winter cocktails are the way to go!
- Solar Generator: Grid power can be interrupted at any time, either due to a technical fault or adverse weather conditions. To keep the party going, consider also bringing a solar generator. It harnesses the sun’s energy, which is clean and provides you with stable and free electricity throughout the day.
Atmosphere-Enhancing Items
Now that the essentials are sorted, let’s move to the items you need to enhance the overall aesthetics of your party tent:
- Lighting: Ensure your party tent has ample lighting in various forms to enhance the atmosphere and facilitate easy navigation. You can add string lights that give a warm, soft glow, while chandeliers serve as a focal point for a sophisticated setting. If you want to create an old-fashioned vibe, you can place lanterns that add a cozy atmosphere to the whole space.
- Decorations: Of course, no party is complete without magical decorations. You should add drapes to give the party tent a touch of elegance. However, if you are a nature lover, we suggest hanging flowers around the poles. This will give your tent a fresh and fragrant vibe. Rugs and pillows can be the cherry on top of your entire decor.
Easily Overlooked Items
While preparing the party tent, it’s natural to overlook some items that may not be critical but serve an important purpose. These include:
- Candles: Candles, especially scented ones, are a great addition, as they evoke the 90s theme vibe while providing necessary illumination.
- Mosquito Repellent: In outdoor settings, mosquito repellent is essential to avoid severe bites and reduce the risk of contracting serious, potentially fatal diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and West Nile Virus.
6 Creative Entertainment Ideas for Your Party Tent
Now that you’ve gotten all the essentials to set up a big tent outdoors, let’s see some creative entertainment ideas that you can try to revamp its overall outlook:
- Outdoor Movie Theatre
There’s nothing more amazing than watching a movie together with your loved ones. But it’s a shame to squander the glorious Canadian evenings hanging out indoors. That’s why one of the fun tent party ideas is to create an outdoor movie theatre. You can either watch “Young Sheldon” or a ’90s movie like “Ghost” and “Home Alone.” Here are some things you need for that:
- Projector: While it’s not difficult to take your TV to the party tent, it doesn’t add the needed Wow factor. You should invest in an HD projector that’s lightweight and has great visuals. The BenQ HT2060 is an ideal solution in this regard due to its exceptional light output and colour accuracy.
- Media Player: Long gone are the days when you used to bring out your grandpa’s DVD player to watch movies outdoors. Nowadays, many projectors come with built-in media players, allowing for smooth streaming of movies. However, if yours doesn’t have it, you can get a Roku Streaming Stick 4K. It connects directly to your projector’s HDMI port, draws power from it, and allows you to easily play any movie or show on the screen.
- Bluetooth Speaker: Playing the movie isn’t the only thing; your guests need to listen to it too. While the internal speaker of the projector is fine, it’s only suitable for close gatherings. In case of loud background noises and big crowds, you require a Bluetooth speaker with excellent bass quality to deliver audio accurately.
- Board Game Lounge
People are drifting away from the traditional bar culture and longing for connections with their loved ones. That’s why there’s an increased trend of board game cafes and lounges around the world, including Canada.
So, one of the best and creative ideas is to convert your party tent into a board game lounge. Your guests can play their favourite games, which gives them an adrenaline rush while staying close to their loved ones. Here are some tips that help you in this:
- Focus on Seating: Get the right seating for the board game lounge. We suggest opting for foldable chairs and tables as they are lightweight and give ample space to move around. You can spread a cloth or soft throw blanket to add a touch of coziness. However, when making seating arrangements, be mindful of the games that will be played. If there are more card games like UNO, there should be enough distance between players to hide their moves.
- Select Board Games: Make a list of board games to add based on your guests’ interests and preferences. For instance, if it’s a family gathering, then you should opt for easy-to-play games. If the party is going to be adults only, then games like Mahjong, Scrabble, and Chess are ideal.
- Add a Small Prize: Keep reminding your guests that the whole purpose of the night is to make connections and not competitors. Just to make the games more exciting, you can also add a small prize for each winner to make the environment more fun.
- DIY Cocktail Bar
If you want to do something easy without compromising the fun of your party, a DIY cocktail bar is the best thing. It’s easy to do, sets the tone for your party, and, most importantly, helps everyone break the ice. The following are some tips on how you can set it up in your party tent:
- Choose the Spot: Your DIY cocktail bar shouldn’t be hidden away in some corner of the tent. Rather, it should capture everyone’s attention to maximize the impact. You can place it in the center or near the food stations where there’s going to be maximum foot traffic. Use string and accent lighting to highlight the bar; a neon sign can further add to the overall charm.
- Get Top Equipment and Glassware: Invest in versatile equipment, including cocktail shakers, stirrers, muddlers, and strainers. Also, invest in top-quality glassware that adds a touch of class and luxury to your cocktail bar, ranging from tumblers to Martini glasses.
- Select the Right Ingredients: Keep the menu or ingredients basic yet in demand. Get a variety of spirits that cater to all tastes, such as vodka, rum, and whisky. Also, place tonic water as well as soda, and don’t forget garnishing like lemon, limes, oranges, and other herbs.
- Karaoke/Concert Night
To have a fun music night with your friends and work colleagues, you can host a karaoke or a small concert. Everyone can sing and dance their hearts out, feeling relaxed and exhausted by the end of the night. The following are the things you need to do to organize a karaoke in your party tent:
- Choose a Theme: You should start by choosing the theme of your karaoke night. Select a decade in advance, such as 1960 or 1970, and also a genre of music, such as classical, rap, or hip hop.
- Prepare a Playlist: Create a long playlist with songs that match the preferences of your guests. Take into account the number of participants and the total duration of the karaoke party to make sure every guest gets to participate.
- Set Up the Equipment: Set up all the equipment: lighting, microphone, and other sound systems. Double-check them to ensure they don’t stop midway through a performance, as this can spoil the overall fun.
- Live Workshop
When you are camping in a tent in the rain, you can invite everyone for a live creative workshop. The sound of water hitting the ground in the background can feel like sweet music to your ears while you and your guests dig into an entertaining activity. To organize a successful environmental awareness workshop, follow these tips:
- Define Goals: Have clear goals for your live workshop, whether it’s lowering emissions or reducing waste.
- Hands-On Experience: Provide hands-on experience in recycling, composting, and DIY eco-friendly projects.
- Promote Sustainable Transport: Ask them to come to the party tent using public or sustainable transportation, such as carpooling, to reduce their contribution to global warming.
- Creative Photo Booth
Having a photo booth in your party tent is great as it offers a fun and interactive way to capture memories. However, renting a photo booth can be a little high on budget, exhausting your resources. But don’t stress out; with the following tips, you can create a DIY photo booth offering the same excitement while saving money:
- Set Up the Camera: Position your DSLR or smartphone camera on a tripod at chest to shoulder height. Adjust the camera angle to capture guests’ waist up.
- Install Lighting: No one likes dim and dull photos, so in the photo booth venue, add plenty of lighting, from ring lights to LED panels.
- Add Backdrops: Incorporate colourful and theme-specific backdrops, and create props like hats and glasses that your guests can wear for a memorable photo opportunity.
Jackery Powers Your Outdoor Power Needs
Whether you want to power lighting or musical equipment, the power needs of a party tent are huge. You need the best solar generator Canada to run all the essential devices smoothly. Here are some product recommendations:

- Jackery Solar Generator 2000 v2
The Jackery Solar Generator 2000 v2 features a 2042 Wh capacity and 2200 W power output that can seamlessly meet your party tent energy needs and also serve as a home power backup.
Weighing mere 17.9 kg, it’s 34% lighter than other counterparts, so that you can carry it around without any hassle.
It has a response time of ≤20ms, ensuring that when grid power goes out, the party fun doesn’t get disturbed. What truly makes it stand out is its 30dB noise production, which creates a quiet environment for everyone.
- Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus
Another option on our list is the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus, which has a massive 2 kWh to 24 kWh expandable capacity. Whether you want to charge your portable speaker for movie night or lighting, it can handle all. It features ChargeShield technology that protects the connected devices and increases the power station’s battery life by 50%. The Lifepo4 battery easily lasts for 10 years, ensuring a great return on your investment.
Conclusion
You can experiment with any of the above-mentioned creative party tent ideas to have an amazing experience with your guests. However, if you want reliable solar generators to power tents, contact Jackery today! They have a wide range of solar generators and portable power stations that provide an uninterrupted power supply to the tent even when grid power goes out.