I recently took the kids to the Big Apple Circus. The show was totally fabulous and the kids absolutely loved it.

As I watched the show, I noticed the bold stripes and colors and snacked on popcorn for 90 minutes straight. While doing so I couldn't help but think about circus themed parties!

The circus theme is such an obvious one yet a theme that allows for your imagination to run wild.

Some basics for putting together a Circus themed party would be: The Color palette ~ cherry red, antique white, teal and plum Circus Animals ~ cupcake toppers The Essentials ~ popcorn, coke and ice cold water

We always love customizing whenever possible. Favors are the perfect outlet to do so. We made bubble tins in bags with "admission ticket" hangtags for our circus themed party favors once and they were a huge hit.

The circus is always full of stimulating eye candy hanging on the ceilings and the walls. A cheap and easy way to decorate your party while mimicking this style is to hang or lay out paper lanterns. I love them in gold...

What screams circus most of all though? TOP HATS! How ridiculously fab is this beverage dispenser of watermelon juice topped with a hat.

The classic circus animal print is so great for menus and food toppers. We also found these purple swizzle lollis that made for great toppers on our cupcakes!

The circus is a special event to take your child to and can make for a super memorable party theme as well.

This post was sponsored by the Big Apple Circus but all circus party tips are our own.