Howdey partner ! im turning 13 and i having a western party because its different . and most 13 year olds dont have hoedowns for their birthday . well to start off i made the invitations. it's really fun if you hand make them ! well what i did for the invites is first purchase cow printed scrap book paper from my local craft store and lay the white side of the paper on the table and drawed a open vest then i made a dotted line going down where the vest flaps would fold then i cut the shape out and folded the front flaps down so now you have a vest with cow print and you can open the flaps and inside is the information. then you have to have details because it's all about the little things so i got a small red ribbon made a bow and hot guled it to one side of the front of the vest. ow and by the way im an inspireing party planner so this articule is worth it to read and i serios i study party planning. DECORATIONS- well at hoe downs you of corse have to dance so i would sugesst renting a protable dance floor to just lay on the ground so people can dance . and then for DETAILS you can put hay bails around it but not around the whole dance floor because of course people want to see the danceing so i would suggest puting it in a L shaped. then put a bandanna over the hay for decor.for the seating area i also used hay and put it in a circle and put confurtable red cusions on top of the hay so the adults and kids would not scrape them selfs . and then i put a fire pit in the middle for later when we would roast stuff. and in between the hay i stuck horses on sticks. for the food area i wanted to have it right next to the seating so people wouldent have to walk far. and that ment it had to be in back of my house but the water from when people take showers in my house the water comes out in back of my house and that area is a mess so what  did is i took a big piece of wood the lenth and with of the back of my house and put a red scene setter on it (it looked like the doors of a barn yard . and put the board from the corner of my house so it was slanted and then put the table with a red and white cheekerd table cloth. then i built a general store , a bank , and a jail out card board boxes and then got cool brick wallpaper and wall papered the boxes . the kids were allowed to buy stuff from the general store with chochlate coins. but if they ran out they would have to steal from some one else or steal from the bank. then i had a hudge pile of hay with choclate coins and litle toys for the kids to dig for  the hay was also used for picture takeing . then next to the hay i had one rocking chair on each side of the hay with a brown create next to the chair and for detail i added a banndanna and a lanteran ontop of the create. then i bought blow up catus'es and animals and just placed them in randum spots.ACTIVITES- horse shoes , scavenger hunt, rope the horse with a hula hoop on a rope and a fake horse,square danceing you can get a caller and a band if you have the room in your yard,swimming ,squirt gun fight,water ballons pie/hotdog eating contest,three leged race ,sac race, egg spoon races by takeing a egg and puting it ona wooden spoon and then running around a cone with the spoon in your mouth, find the bandit one person will be the bandit and they willhave stolen coins from the bank and every one has to try to find the bandit so they can get money the person who finds the bandit gets the money and they can give it to the bank or keep it and then it starts all over agian if the person decides to keep it and when they are found they go to jail. for the adults you can tell people who make good chili to bring it in then each chili will get a number and every one will get a small cup and will try everyone's chili then they will vote for the best one and that person will win a PRIZE. YOU CAN ALSO RENT A MECHANICAL BULL BUT MY DAD WONT LET ME BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT THEY ARE DANGOROES even thought they are paded at the bottem if you fall off.and you can have a best dressed contest. FOOD- you can have chilli ,warm bread,beans,hotdogs,hamburgers,pie ,melons,furit,and vegtables.for the goodie bags i got red banndanas and put stuff like squirt guns compasses,hermonica,gold nugget candy,hacky sac,handcuffs,and a snake then tie the banndanna up and stick a stick through it. My partie was hudge everyone had an owsome time. now dident i tell you i had owsome ideas. hope you have fun at your party.