34 Wild West Theme Party Ideas

A Wild West theme party is great for cowboys, cowgirls, or anyone willing to have a good time and stay on budget! These different cowboy party activities, decorations, and favors will give your party folks the real Wild West experience. From cook-offs to horseback riding, you can choose from the following Wild West party ideas to get your guests moving around and yelling Yee-Haw!

Wild West Theme Party Décor

Why did the cowboy take the hay to bed? To feed his nightmares. Here we have compiled a list of cowboy theme party décor for your next cowboy theme party! Did you plan on a party for adults instead? If so, check out our checklist for throwing a great house party!

1. Bandanas

Use bandanas to decorate your party by using them as your napkins! Not only is this a cute décor idea, but it also is practical for your guests! You can buy the classic red bandana or get different colors.

2. Hat and Badge

If you have some extra money, go to your local party store and grab Sheriff hats and badges. Hand them to the children as they come into the party and they can dress up as cowboys and cowgirls!

3. Tablecloths

Cover the tables with red and white tablecloths. If you can find them, try to get checkered ones to go along with your saloon/cowboy theme. Or buy ones that are cow-print!

4. Saloon

Decorate your party like an old saloon! Make a sign that invites your guests to the party by writing “Welcome to ______’s Saloon!”

5. The Ghost Town Scene

Use river stones to line your walkway as décor. Add some kerosene lanterns to give your place that spooky western look! Gather all your guests around and tell them stories of what it used to be like in your ghost town! You can also look for a saddle to put on a bale of hay for guests to sit on and have them take pictures with it.

6. Western Town

If you’re feeling extra creative, try creating backdrops of an Old Western town. This will make an elegant photo opportunity for your guests!

7. Wanted Posters

Try making wanted posters of all of your guests. Find photos of them and write the word “Wanted” over their photo. Assign each of them silly crimes and hang the posters around the party.

8. String Lights

If your party goes on into the night, try hanging up string lights to emulate the vast night sky of the Wild West.

9. Hay Bales

Hay bales can be purchased at your local home improvement retailer or online. Hay bales are a unique way to spice up your party setting and truly give your guests that rural Wild West feel all at the venue of your choosing!

10. Oil Lamps

Oil lamps will remind your guests of those Wild West days when only the light of a non-electric lamp could illuminate their nights. Oil lamps are also just a beautiful and practical décor piece!

Wild West Theme Party: Games and Activities

Why did the cowboy get lots of laughs? He was horsing around. We have compiled a list of cowboy party games and activities to keep your guests entertained throughout their night out at the Wild West.

11. Pin the Tail on the Horse

If you’re having a younger child’s birthday party or even an adult party, try playing pin the tail on the horse! Gather your guests and blindfold one, spin them three times and then see where they think the horse’s tail goes. The person that is closest to the real tail wins! We promise this is so much more fun than it sounds.

12. Wanted Dead or Alive

Whether you run around with outlaws like Jesse James or you stick with the sheriff, wanted posters for each guest is an excellent way to decorate your party. Hang these up so all your guests can see them as they walk in to really set the atmosphere from the onset. Nobody is safe from the likes of your gang, but keep an eye out for that sheriff!

13. Giddyup Pony

Nothing says the wild west like dependable stead. Go to a local party store or online and grab two stick horses. Split your guests into two teams and have them participate in a stick horse relay! The object is to run around from one end of the room to another on your stick horses. When you get back to your team, you pass the horse off to the next person. The first team to the watering hole wins!

14. Snake Bite

For this game, get a long rope and spray paint it green so it looks like a snake. Then, lay the rope on the ground and try to whisk it back and forth as fast as you can. The object is for the guests not to touch the deadly snake. If they do, they’re out! Last person standing wins. Include this in your list of activities for an exciting time.

15. Grab Your Partner

Teaching your guests how to line dance/square dance. This will surely get your guests off their feet. This will also create a lot of laughs and memories.

16. Pony Rides

Rent out a place where your guests can ride horses and ponies for the true cowboy experience! This is something guests will never forget.

17. Horseshoe Toss

Even if your guests didn’t arrive by horseback, horseshoes is a fun game for all ages that will work flawlessly with all other party elements. For this western party game, you’ll need to place several stakes on your lawn and have your guests throw horseshoes at these. If time is tight, you can pick up a full game set easily so don’t go stealing shoes off your horse!

18. Western Entertainers

Who does not love a good trick? We do and we are sure your guest would too! You can hire performers from a local rodeo company that can perform different rope tricks and shoots with bows and arrows. Or you could find friends who know how to do this and teach your friends at the party how to do it. Whether you get a professional or teach your guests, this activity is a sure-shot way to engage adults and children alike.

19. Sack Race

Grab some sack race bags and go back to the simpler times with this timeless and fun game. This game only requires you, some guests, and some sack race bags and is sure to bring out the competition and laughs!

20. Campfire

If your party is outdoors, build a campfire and sit around it with your guests. A campfire is perfect for sharing stories of adventure, telling scary stories, cooking up some food, or even singing songs if your guests are willing!

21. Piñata

Your piñata could come in any shape that you feel would fit your party whether that be a donkey, a cowboy boot, or a cactus! Piñatas are great party activities because not only are they always fun for guests, they allow for customization on the host's end. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what you fill it with.

Wild West Theme Party: Menu Ideas

What do you call a happy cowboy? A jolly rancher. Look no further if you want to make your guests happy. We have compiled a list of party food ideas to serve at your next Wild West theme party. Just follow these cowboy foods tips:

22. Cactus Juice

This is a western drink that everyone at your party is sure to love! Take some ginger ale and lime-flavored Kool-Aid and mix it together. Grab some green cups and make your guests feel like they are really drinking juice from a cactus!

23. Jars

Grab some old jars to give your party that old-fashioned feel. Stick some old-fashioned candy in the jars like taffy and root beer barrels. Lay these around your party as decoration and as a snack.

24. Traditional Food

Serve traditional cowboy food such as chili, sloppy joes, beans, ribs, etc. To keep it to the cowboy theme, give your courses fun names! Some can be “Howlin Hot Dogs” or “Rootin’ Tootin’ Ribs”.

25. Campfire Potatoes

Wrap up potatoes in aluminum foil and cook them over your campfire if you chose to have one. This is a delicious and interactive menu idea for your guests. Make sure to provide plenty of toppings for your guests!

26. Cookies

Everyone loves cookies, and cowboys are no exception! Bake cookies for your guests and cut them out into cowboy shapes to add to your menu. Try making a cowboy hat or sheriff’s badge. If you can’t cut them out into cowboy shapes, try drawing on them with frosting. Don't forget about healthy snacks and dessert as well!

27. Cowboy Cake

Create a cowboy cake for your parties! You can either get this cake made at your local bakery or make it yourself. Try decorating the cake with a Sheriff, horses, and hay. For added effect, crush graham crackers to make your cake look like it has dirt on it! You can also create a “fence” around your cake by using pretzel sticks.

28. Watermelon

Watermelon is a delicious and refreshing snack for guests to enjoy at your party. Choosing watermelon specifically to add to your menu allows for your guests to participate in a seed spitting contest!

Wild West Theme Party: Favors

Southern hospitality will always be a huge part of the Wild West no matter how much more it was known for its ruggedness and intense atmosphere, so sending your guests home with these incredible party favors or gifts is essential.

29. Hats and Handkerchiefs

Cowboys and Cowgirls are iconic in part because of their unique headwear. Get into your true wild west mood by giving out cowboy hats either in traditional colors or extremely colorful ones. Find handkerchiefs in a checked or gingham style for a useful favor that further adds to the involvement of the western theme. Not only will your guests be more in the western spirit, but they will also have memorable favors to take home!

30. Small Cacti

Having a hard time thinking of a gift or a party favor? Your guests will be so surprised when you give them their very own cactus to take home. You can find small potted cacti at gardening stores. They are also easy to maintain since they don’t need to be watered as often as other plants. You can also attach a sticker that says something like “I was at Jack & Jill’s Rodeo” or you could paint the pots for personalization!

31. Cowboy Candy

You do not just have to fill your mind with western ideas, but also your stomach! You can use regular candy bars or any other candy as party favors to keep your guests happy and amazed at your creativity. To do this, use cookie cutters in the shape of cowboy boots, cowboy hats, or cacti to shape your candy to the theme.

32. Felt Horses

Have your guests riding out of the party with their own felt ponies. These prizes can be made out of felt, yarn, and some dowel rods. Customize these with colorful felt or yarn to give each guest a pony that stands out!

33. Old Photos

Capture the moment by taking black and white photographs, which later you can frame with cute and stylish western frames for your guests to take home. Just like the Wild West ended, so will the party but you can always have your infamous cowboys and cowgirls look back on it with the photos!

34. Lucky Horseshoe Key Chains

The cowboys and cowgirls at your event will need some good luck after the party, so you can buy them horseshoe key chains! If you can’t make the key chains, then instead you could buy some small plastic horseshoes for your party folks that they can carry around in their pockets for luck and to remember your party. Who knows, their horse may get a flat on the way home.

Using our ideas for a cowboy-themed event we can promise you that your guests will be able to have the wildest party of their lives. Our tips on decorations, games, favors, and foods are sure to make it a night that you and your friends will never forget!

West Theme Party: Conclusion

There are so many ways to do a Wild West Theme Party! It can be overwhelming to figure out what you want to do. Luckily, these ideas can help put you in the right direction. If you need any other party ideas, make sure to check out our other ideas!

Written by Isis Bonilla, Shannyn Apolaro, Hayden Corbell, Aditi Parikh; Contributors: Samantha Shek, Ben Kennaley and Gianna Rutigliano