A masquerade party is the ultimate costume party. Often associated with Mardi Gras or Carnival, guests wear costumes and masks, eat festive food, and play fun games. 

Decorations 

For a Mardi Gras flair, get decorations in purple, green, and gold or yellow.

• Multi-colored streamers and crepe paper
• Brightly colored masks to hang on the walls
• Balloon bouquets to place around the room
• Small Christmas lights to give the room some sparkle

Food

·        King Cake -- A King Cake has a treasure such as ceramic figure baked into it. The person who gets the treasure in his slice is supposed to have good luck. Traditionally, the cake is a yeast cake in the shape of a ring that takes a couple of hours to make. But you can make a Bundt cake from a mix and hide the treasure in that. Use purple, green, and gold frosting to decorate the cake.

• Jambalaya
• Chicken wings
• Multi-colored Gold Fish crackers
• Crepes with fruit toppings or fillings

Activities/Games

Mardi Gras Beads Competition -- For each game, winners receive Mardi Gras beads. The person with the most beads at the end of the party wins the grand prize. To give the guests a head start, give each a strand of beads when they arrive.

Costume Contest -- As the guests arrive, give them a ballot for them to vote on their favorite costumes. Have categories such as the most original, the most colorful, and best costume. The winner of each category receives a strand of beads.

Make Your Own Mask -- Paint and decorate plain masks with glitter and feathers. Do this when the guests arrive so they have time to dry. Have a contest for the best mask, having people submit their choices anonymously on paper ballots. The winner receives a strand of beads.

Mask Relay -- The guests form at least two lines. At the signal to start, the children at the front of each row pass a mask over their heads to the children directly behind them. Then those children pass the mask back to the kids behind them. This continues until the mask reaches the last person. Then that person runs to the front of the line, and it starts all over again. The race ends when each person is back in his original place. The team that finishes first wins a strand of beads.

Mardi Gras Feather Game -- All the guests sit in a tight circle. A feather is tossed in the air in the middle, and the guests must blow the feather to keep it from falling on them. If it falls on a guest, the person is out of the game. The last guest remaining wins a strand of beads.

Gold Coin Treasure Hunt -- Hide plastic gold coins and send the guests out to find them. The person who finds the most coins wins a strand of beads.

Party Favors

Guests take home the masks they made, the coins they collected, a balloon, and a goody bag filled with beads, a glow stick, and food treats.