Christmas In July Party Ideas (For Pro Event Planners)

July 28, 2026 kscope

If you’re an event professional looking for Christmas in July Party ideas, here are our favorites! Kaleidoscope has been entertainment at professional Christmas In July events since 2013 and we’ve compiled a list of Christmas in July event ideas (and warnings) from our clients–perfect for country clubs, outdoor shopping centers, summer camps, and private parties!

4 Christmas In July Party Ideas for Entertainment

Santa in his summer outfit is one of our favorite Christmas in July party ideas
Santa Kenny sitting on lawn chair surrounded by Christmas trees decorated with leis

Above: Santa Kenny at two Christmas In July parties at a private beach club in RI and an outdoor shopping center in MA.

Santa Meet & Greet

At A Glance: Hire Santa to come in his special Christmas in July outfit for a summer meet and greet or to be your event MC!

Age Range: Kids & Families

Guests Entertained Per Hour: For meet and greet up to 30 families per hour for photos or up to 15 families per hour for private conversations, pre-arranged gift / party favor hand outs, or Santa letter reading.

Extra Theme Ideas: Upon request, Santa can come with an empty bag to hand out party favors such as Hawaiian leis,

Logistical Considerations: Santa and his line must all be in the shade! In July we have had clients faint in line waiting for meet and greets, as well as entertainers. Where ever you want his throne to be, make sure he and everyone are in shade.

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An outdoor shopping center hosting Christmas in July themed balloon twisting
A boy in a tshirt and sun glasses outside holding a Christmas balloon
A girl holding a candy cane sword balloon at a Christmas in July event

Above: a Christmas in July party at the Clinton Premium Outlets in Clinton, CT and examples of our holiday themed face paint.

Face Painting & Balloon Twisting Themed for Christmas in July

At A Glance: Hire face painters and balloon twisters (optionally in elf costumes) for themed face painting!

Age Range: Kids – Adults

Guests Entertained Per Hour: ~12 per hour per artist with large designs or up to 20 an hour per artist with our speedy designs. (We have up to 20 artists available.)

Extra Theme Ideas: Have your face painters or balloon twisters come as Christmas elves!

Logistical Considerations: Face painters need 1 table and 2 chairs each; balloon twisters need 1 table and 1 chair each. For everyone’s safety, all entertainers need to be placed in solid shade (like a tent, gazebo, or awning) for the duration of the event.

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A foam party at a Christmas in July event

Above: our summer foam party and our Christmas elf artists.

Christmas Elves Foam Party

At A Glance: Hire our North Pole Elves for a Christmas in July Foam party! Our foam party techs can come dressed as elves and playing tons of holiday techno remixes, perfect for dancing in the “snow” to!

Age Range: Kids, Teens, and Adults. However, like a public pool, we suggest you stick to only one age group in the foam at a time (for example: a kids play session and an “adult swim” session) for everyone’s safety. See more foam FAQ on our foam site.

Guests Entertained Per Hour: 25 guests per hour per cannon (up to 4 cannons available). On average, guests will want to spend about 30min in the foam before moving onto other activities.

Extra Theme Ideas: Have Santa MC the foam party!

Logistical Considerations: Foam must be blown on a flat area with no holes or protruding options; within 100′ of grounded electricity and a water spigot; over 100′ away from any body of water; and supervised by the client’s team. Learn more about safety and logistics on our foam site.

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A DJ dressed as an elf is a unique Christmas in July party idea

Above: Did you know that all of our event entertainers are available in costume characters?

Holiday Remix DJ

At A Glance: Hire a DJ and request techno versions of winter classics for a more “Christmas in July” feel.

Age Range: All ages. (Please specify with your DJ if you would like family-friendly edits or not.)

Guests Entertained Per Hour: As many as you’d like!

Extra Theme Ideas: Have your DJ host contests for swag give away (see our below Christmas in July party ideas!)

Logistical Considerations: DJs need access to electricity and solid shade (like a tent, canopy, or gazebo) if they’re going to be outside.

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3 Christmas In July Party Ideas for Catering

Snow(ball) Cones & Sugar Plum Fairy Floss

Many rental companies offer snow cone and cotton candy machine rentals for relatively cheap as long as your team can operate them. Offer red, green, and blue flavors to get into the spirit of your Christmas in July party!

Summer S’more Pits

Get a propane fire pit (normally around $150 at a big box store or cheaper to rent) or food warmer candles and set up a DIY s’mores station! Perfect for both summer and winter themes!

Snow Flake Fruit Plates

If you or your catering team can DIY it, use snow flake cookie cutters to cut out pieces of fruit into festive shapes!

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Christmas in July swag and give away idea: branded Hawaiian leis
Christmas in July swag and give away idea: branded Hawaiian shirts

4 Christmas In July Party Ideas for Brand Promotion

Themed Photo Booths (with or without Santa)

Rent a digital photo booth to super impose your branded background onto photos. You can also do this as a festive Christmas in July party idea that has a more “summer party” feeling than traditional photos with Santa!

Custom Made Hawaiian Shirts & Leis

To get everyone into that Christmas in July spirit, consider using custom made Hawaiian shirts (in red and green of course) as prizes! There are multiple companies online who can print your brand logo onto that, or as a charm on a polyester lei.

Custom Caricature Templates

Consider hiring caricature artists with custom templates that are both themed to Christmas in July party ideas and include your event’s name, company logo, or anything else you want!

Custom Blankets (For Beach or Lawn Parties)

If your event is on the beach or you’re going to expect guests to sit on a lawn, consider custom branded blankets or towels for them to sit on. Not only is this a practical problem solver, but families will keep it for future beach outings!

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5 Christmas in July Ideas for Interactive Entertainment

Ugliest Hawaiian Shirt Contest

Invite guests to wear their ugliest Christmas sweater, or Hawaiian shirt! Judging by a round of applause, see who wins!

Beard Competition

Who has a longer beard than Santa? Bring Santa up and any guest that has a longer beard wins a prize.

Beachball Keep-it-Up Contest

Hand out red and green beachballs and see who can keep bopping it in the air the longest!

Letters to Santa

This DIY booth keeps kids engaged and writing. Let parents take home the letters or create a mail box for them to drop it off.

Candy Cane Limbo

Get a giant candy cane (the kind the are normally used for lawn decorations) and have your guests limbo under them!

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What To AVOID for Christmas in July

DON’T keep your entire event in the sun or forget to plan for weather.

Almost every Christmas in July party idea event we’ve ever done has been outside. Which is great! But in New England, any summer day could turn to over 100° or flash flooding with not much notice.

Plan for both shade and a rain date for your outdoor event.

DON’T forget a water station.

Speaking of outdoor events: make sure your guests have access to water! Many Christmas in July party ideas lend themselves to fun ice-y, peppermint-y, cocoa-y drinks. But make sure you have access to cold water for guests who will be outdoors in the heat!

DON’T leave the July out of Christmas (or the Christmas out of July).

One of the most common Christmas in July party ideas that fall short is that clients have purely Christmas activities and purely summer activities… with none that include both. For example, a party that has a classic Santa meet and greet (in his normal winter suit) and rainbow snowcones, instead of a themed Santa with themed snow cones.

Whatever activities you want to do, ask yourself: is this too summer-y or too Christmas-y, and not the other?

DON’T skip Santa.

We may be bias, but Santa is probably the biggest hit at any Christmas in July party! Even if you’re going to DIY all of your other entertainment, without The Big Guy it won’t really feel like Christmas!

Hire New England’s Party Experts

Patriotic Holiday Face Painting & Balloon Twisting in CT, MA, RI

July 8, 2023 kscope

Our face painters and balloon twisters love entertaining at Memorial Day cookouts, 4th of July fireworks shows, Labor Day block parties, or any other patriotic holiday event you might have!

If you’re booking an event that you want themed red white and blue, please ask us about our seasonal face painting and balloon twisting menus.

These special patriotic menus have a variety of options, including both seasonal motifs (like fireworks, bandanas, lightning bolts, and the Statue of Liberty) as well as red white and blue versions of some of our most popular kids’ designs (tigers, dogs, butterflies, and rainbows).

Just make sure to specify if you’d like our normal year-round menus or special holiday menus at the time of booking.

(Please note, that we are not currently able to customize any of our tattoo products to the season.)

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Book Your Holiday Entertainment Now!

Fall Face Painting & Balloon Twisting in CT, MA, RI

June 14, 2023 kscope

At Kaleidoscope, we’re obsessed with fall!

If you’re booking an event this fall, please ask us about our seasonal face painting and balloon twisting menus.

These special autumn menus have a variety of options including both seasonal motifs (like pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows, and foxes) as well as Halloween designs (like ghosts, bats, monsters, candy corn, and jack-o’-lanterns).

Just make sure to specify if you’d like our normal year-round menus or special holiday menus at the time of booking.

(Please note, that we are not currently able to customize any of our tattoo products to the season.)

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Fall Festivals & Gatherings

If you’re looking for a fall-festival that isn’t specific to any holiday tradition, our standard fall menus include starry nights, crisp leaves, and even cute turkeys! 

Halloween Parties

For Halloween parties, our artists can come equipt with our standard fall menu that has plenty of spooky designs on it–from creepy jack-o-lantern to friendly ghosts–plus classic fall designs for children whose families don’t celebrate Halloween.

Additionally, our artists can create unique face painting designs that compliment guests’s costumes. We love to get creative!

Day of the Dead Face Painting

If you’re looking for sugar skulls, ask for one of our sugar skull artists who can come by and create original designs for guests ranging from teeny highlights around their eyes to full-coverage amazing faces!

Please note that this is unique to our fall menu, and should be specified at the time of booking.

Country Club Entertainment Ideas

April 12, 2023 kscope

Looking for country club entertainment ideas? Kaleidoscope has been helping private clubs create perfect parties since 2013, and with our extensive list of entertainers for hire, your club can boost membership value and engagement all year long.

Here are some of our favorite ways to captivate your members and help you create events unlike anywhere else.

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Hanukkah: Entertainment Ideas for the Festival of Lights!

January 31, 2023 kscope

December is one of the busiest months in the events industry, and every year our artists entertain at dozens of Hannukah events in synagogues, homes, daycares, and Hebrew / Jewish day schools.

We’ve compiled some of our favorite entertainment ideas that we’ve helped clients dream up for their Hannukah party, and we hope this list can inspire you to come up with a truly unique event this holiday season!

Lean into the Festival of Lights

Our normal holiday menus for face painting and balloon twisting have Hanukkah, Christmas, and secular winter designs that they bring to large events all December long–so if you hire any of our artists they’ll have special designs for Hanukkah.

But for parties that are specifically for Jewish families, we love bringing in UV face painting and LED balloon twisting! Our artists can create all sorts of things that kids will love at your event that will literally glow throughout the night! (And you can either provide your own blacklights or rent them from us at a discounted rate whenever you order a UV or LED package.)

If you’re looking for something a little more elegant (and for all ages), glitter looks also add a special sparkle to any nighttime event. We’ve seen these paired with disco ball-like mirror decorations to transform an entire recreational room into a sea of glimmering magic!

Winter Holiday Face Painting & Balloon Twisting

If you want classic face painting and balloon twisting, all of our holiday menus (which we bring to every event) come with designs for Hanukkah, Christmas, and secular winter. Our goal is to make sure no one feels left out during the winter holiday season, no matter what event they’re attending!

When you invite us to your Hanukkah event (or see us out in public), we look forward to celebrating Hanukkah with Jewish guests!

Try our Fan Favorites

And if you want some classic party entertainment, we have plenty of other ideas that are great for any type of family event!

Caricatures are perfect for organizations that want to commemorate an occasion. Our artists can draw any couple or family and include “Hanukkah 2028” (or whichever year) right on the drawing.

If you’re on a budget, temporary tattoos are also really fun! Artists can get through around double the guests than they can with face painting or balloon twisting, so if you’re looking for something special that doesn’t break the bank, it’s a great budget entertainment idea. (Glitter tattoos and flash tattoos are especially fitting for The Holiday of Lights!)

Want to create Something Custom?

Just ask our office for a quote and check any boxes you want pricing for. We’d love to put together something special for you!

And if you’re looking for additional holiday entertainment, check out our line of holiday entertainment!

 

 

Purim Event Entertainment Ideas

January 31, 2023 kscope

Purim is a joyous holiday celebrated worldwide to commemorate the Jewish people’s salvation from extermination in ancient Persia. It’s a day of celebration, feasting, and merriment, with festivities including costume parties, parades, and carnivals. To add more fun to the celebration, why not consider incorporating face painting and balloon twisting into your Purim activities?

Face painting is a great way to get into the Purim spirit. Children and adults alike can enjoy having their faces painted with bright colors and festive designs.

With our full face painting packages (10-12 kids an hour), you can transform yourself into a favorite character from the Purim story, like Queen Esther or King Ahasuerus, just by adding a festive mask or crown. Want something unexpected? Ask for a hamantaschen!

Balloon twisting is another classic form of entertainment for kids and can be tailored to fit the theme of Purim.

When you order our full balloon twisting package (10-12 kids an hour) balloon artists can create various Purim-themed items such as masks, swords, and crowns!

And of course, with both face painting and balloon twisting, kids who come in their own unique costumes can get something that matches what they’re wearing–whether that’s an animal, superhero, mermaid, or anything else they can dream up.

On a budget for a large event? Our artists also offer Speedy Faces and Simple Balloons, which include simple designs outside of a Purim theme but can entertain 20-25 kids per hour per artist.

Here are some examples of the differences in our full design packages and speedy/simple design packages:

Our face painters and balloon twisters come dressed as regular people to entertain at your Purim. But if you want to add that extra level of excitement, ask our office about pricing to have them dressed as costumed characters. If your Purim has a theme, our artists can dress to match! And if you just want some extra costumes, we have pirates, mermaids, clowns, fairies, and more that can come not only provide your guests with amazing art, but make your event feel more festive!

And finally, we love caricatures for Purim because not only are they great for all ages (including teens who might be too cool to dress up) but our artists can draw everyone in their costumes for the year!

We’d love to come make your next Purim event one to remember!

(And if you’re going to be looking for Hanukkah or Bar/Bat Mitzvah ideas, we have you covered too!)

And if you’re looking for additional holiday entertainment, check out our line of holiday entertainment!

 

 

Stilt walker who can twist balloons party planning

Reach New Heights of Fun: Hire a Stilt Walker for Your Party

June 3, 2019 kscope

Stilt walkers are a festive addition to any event! With colorful costumes and big personalities, they can totally change the atmosphere of any party they entertain at.

Looking to hire a stilt walker for your party or event in CT, RI, MA, or NH? Stilt walkers bring excitement, energy, and a unique appeal to any gathering! Whether you need a stilt walker to greet guests in your driveway, main road, or parking lot, or entertain indoors (as long as the ceilings are 10 feet or higher), they create an unforgettable experience.

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