How to Throw the Best Mexican Themed Party, Ever

Wanting to plan a Mexican themed party and feeling a little lost about where to start? Pull up a chair, we love fiesta vibes and all the vibrance that goes along with it! Along with insider cocktail tips, we’ll take you on a (figurative) journey! 

Why choose a Mexican-themed party?

A Mexican themed party definitely brings unique foodie combos and flavours, tasty cocktails and bold dopamine-inducing colors to stimulate the senses and keep guests dancing all night long. Having a bold theme like this one will guarantee your guests an unforgettable night filled with bucket loads of heart and heritage, and a little tequila. If this sounds like the party you want to host then a Mexican theme is the way to go. 

When it comes to Mexican party decorations ideas, our best friend Pinterest concurs that you need bold, bright and beautiful decor. Shopping for Mexican themed party goodies is so easy and accessible, but make sure to allocate a strict decor budget so you don’t go overboard. 

Mexican food is tasty and so easy to prepare, and the cocktails always pack a punch. Traditional Mexican parties have no shortage of activities to keep the troops entertained but look at who you are planning to invite and see if the theme suits. 

Truthfully, we’d ask why not choose a Mexican party theme? It’ll elevate your mood and fill the room with sunshine. If you’re after a party theme down the calmer end of the scale, then we’d suggest exploring other party themes. 

Setting up the venue for your Mexican-themed party

Luckily, when you’re looking for ideas for a Mexican themed party, there is no shortage of inspo out there to fashion a memorable party, within easy reach too! We all agree that a Mexican Fiesta is all about the colour, so look for the boldest and brightest when you’re browsing décor. 

When choosing a venue, find a neutral background and take out competing colours and objects that may distract. Choose four or five of your favourite colours you can repeat these several times for maximum effort. Here are a few ideas to enhance your space: 

• The welcome: Decorate your gate, doorways or trees for an entrance with hanging bright flower or tissue pom poms. Why not pop a clothes rail with a few serapes, sombreros and bright coloured shirts for last minute Mexican glow up?
• Ceilings: Hang various coloured paper lanterns or flower pom poms at different heights. Stretch papel picado (perforated paper) or tissue paper, tie bandanas end to end for bunting or hang umbrellas upside down from above, just keep them high enough out of reveling folks reach!
• Lighting: String up fairy lights in between the papel picado or banners
• On the walls: Drape Mexican blankets in strips to cover paintings. Hang up sombreros over paintings and hooks, make some fringed balloons colourful hats to hang in clusters 

Set the vibe with Mexican music

At all traditional Mexican parties, hiring a Mariachi band would be first prize, so consider your budget and see if you can afford to splash out. If not, get your Spotify playlist lined up with some good Latino tunes. Whether you’re going old school with Ritchie Valens or more contemporary with Selena Gomez, get this ready in advance with enough songs to fill the dance floor for a few hours. 

Fill your guests up with the taste of Mexico

If you are hosting at home, a self-serve station allows guests to pick all their favorite foods. Here are a few simple Mexican party food ideas that always please a crowd:

• Tortilla chips with spicy guacamole and salsas
• Fajitas (especially the build-you-own kind!) and

• Nachos oozing with cheese

• Shredded beef or lamb cooked on the BBQ to load into tortillas and nachos
• Hot sauce and little dishes of chopped chilli
• A taco or tortilla buffet with bowls of shredded salad, salsa, shredded chicken, sour cream and plenty of lime wedges for garnish
• For dessert, plates of gorgeous of churros and cut watermelon

Mexican Cocktail Heaven

Let us help you plan your Mexican fiesta theme party with these bar cart essentials, but just saying we’d include a Paloma and a few a Margaritas:

• Tequila & liquor: A good bottle of tequila, choose a decent one within your budget as you’ll need a few. Take a look at a few cocktail choices to determine whether a white blanco, reposado or añejo is what you need. Some light Mexican beers, too if you keen on a few icy Micheladas
• Citrus: All Mexican cocktails need a healthy measure of fresh lime juice so get prepared and squeeze a few in advance. Alternatively, you can buy lime juice ready squeezed, but we believe fresh is best for the ultimate zesty fiesta vibes
• Grapefruit juice: Mexico’s favourite cocktail is the Paloma, which needs plenty of gorgeous grapefruit juice
• Watermelon: For an effortless self serving, carve out a watermelon for punchbowl of Watermelon and Tequila
• Caffeine fix: To round of the party, a warm coffee cocktail may be in order
• Easy inspo: If someone in your gang fancy’s playing bartender look at these easy Tequila cocktails or more boozier Mexican cocktails
• Garnish & décor: Make a sweet Tajín-style mix for glass rimming, bowls of cut lime and fill jars with plenty of colorful straws and umbrellas

Work on your Mexican tablescapes

Our Mexican fiesta theme party is starting to take shape! Next up, whether you are planning a sit down affair or a grazing board vibe for your guests to stand and snack, say adios to boring plain old white napkins and paper plates and go flamboyant. Check out our other table setting tips below:

• Eye catching centrepieces: Fill large glass vases with cut limes, oranges, or lemons or bright red chillies
• Food stands: Build raised tiers for your spicy bites with down-turned terracotta flower pots topped with their saucers
• Trim: add a pom pom fringing to your serving platters

• Cutlery: Stack wooden cutlery and napkins in empty Mexican or Spanish labelled cans

• Lighting: Fill empty tequila or Corona bottles with those cute fairy lights
• Glasses: Ask your friends for extra glasses if you need, for all the margaritas and tequilas you’ll be pouring

What to wear for a Mexican themed party

If you are attending a Mexican themed party, here are some outfit ideas that you can consider:

• Traditional Mexican attire. You can wear a colourful, flowy dress called a ‘fiesta dress’ or a guayabera shirt, also called a ‘Mexican Guayabera’.
• Sombreros. A sombrero is a traditional Mexican hat that is often worn at parties. It is wide-brimmed with a high crown and is usually made of straw or felt.
• Bright colours. Mexican culture is known for its vibrant and bold colours, so go for clothing with bright hues like primary red, green, yellow, and blue.
• Embroidery. Embroidery is a common feature of Mexican clothing, so you can don clothing with colourful embroidery to add a Mexican touch to any outfit.
• Accessories. Play with accessories like serapes, ponchos, or shawls. You could also consider accessories like flowers, feathers, or jewelry with skulls, crosses, or other traditional symbols.
• Sugar skull makeup. One of the most iconic looks for the popular Mexican festival of Día de Muertos is sugar skull makeup. This involves painting your face white, adding black around the eyes, and decorating the face with colourful patterns, such as flowers and swirls.

Overall, the key to a Mexican themed outfit is to have fun with colours and patterns, and embrace the festive and celebratory nature of Latin-American culture.

Activities for a Mexican themed party

A Mexican fiesta theme party is never complete without a game that includes everyone, no matter what the age:

• Hang a piñata: A colourful papier-mâché shape decorated in bright tissue paper filled with trinkets and treats. Guests get blindfolded and spun around before being allowed three attempts to hit the piñata.
• Let’s limbo: Two guests hold a long pole high enough for friends lining up to pass or dance underneath easily while the Mariachi band play. With each lap, the pole is lowered, challenging your guests to shuffle, squat or shimmy underneath without their hands touching the ground. You will have a ton of hilarious pics for your Insta page (with consent of course).
• Photo booth: Add some silly sunglasses, sombreros and feather boas, hang up a vibrant backdrop for people to snap away for memorable pics to capture all the fiesta vibes

If it’s your birthday, then you might need rad birthday party planning support, alongside these Mexican party ideas for adults a plenty. Otherwise, off you go; go big and go bold!