What to Buy for a Winter Festival
A winter festival needs more than food and decorations. You will need equipment for hot drinks, warm food, serving, seating and sheltered stalls, plus enough reusable tableware for busy periods. Plan quantities around your expected attendance and the length of the event, then add a small buffer for breakages, spills and late arrivals. Check storage space before shopping: chilled groceries, ice and bulky items are easy to underestimate.
What to bring
Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.
Furniture
- Party tentsqty 4
- Market stallsqty 8
- Tablesqty 12
- Folding chairsqty 80
- Bar stoolsqty 12
- Table skirtsqty 12
- Changing room screensqty 2
- Clothes racksqty 4
Tableware
- Reusable glassesqty 180
- Coffee cupsqty 100
- Soup bowlsqty 120
- Platesqty 150
- Forksqty 160
- Knivesqty 160
- Spoonsqty 160
- Teaspoonsqty 120
- Serving plattersqty 20
- Thermos flasksqty 10
Kitchen
- Soup kettlesqty 3
- Food warmersqty 4
- Cutting boardsqty 6
- Chef’s knives and bread knivesqty 8
- Measuring cupsqty 4
- Serving spoonsqty 8
- Pliersqty 8
- Bottle openersqty 4
- Coolersqty 6
- Ice containersqty 4
Equipment
- Coffee machinesqty 3
- Kettlesqty 4
- Refrigeratorsqty 2
- Payment terminalsqty 2
- Extension cordsqty 8
- Power stripsqty 8
- Bluetooth speakersqty 2
- Microphone
- Music player
- Patio heatersqty 4
- Fire extinguishersqty 2
- First aid kitsqty 2
- Walkie-talkiesqty 6
- Cash boxesqty 2
- Table scalesqty 2
Lighting
- String lightsqty 12
- LED lampsqty 16
- Lanternsqty 12
- Batteriesqty 24
Decorations
- Christmas treesqty 3
- Christmas baublesqty 60
- Christmas garlandsqty 12
- Winter flagsqty 20
- Artificial snowqty 6
- Decorative wreathsqty 8
- Menu boardsqty 8
- Table décorqty 20
- Name badgesqty 180
- Directional signsqty 12
- Arrow stickersqty 30
Cleaning
- Broomqty 4
- Vacuum cleanerqty 2
- Mopsqty 4
- Bucketsqty 4
- Cleaning glovesqty 8
- Waste binsqty 12
- Waste binsqty 4
- Paper towel dispensersqty 4
- Toilet brushesqty 4
Catering
- Groceries
- Coffee - 6 packs
- Tea - 8 boxes
- Cocoa powder - 3 kilos
- Sugar - 4 kilos
- Milk - 25 liters
- Oat milk - 8 liters
- Whipped cream - 12 cans
- Marshmallows - 4 kilos
- Apple juice - 20 liters
- Orange juice - 15 liters
- Cola - 12 bottles
- Cola Zero - 10 bottles
- Orange soda - 8 bottles
- Bitter lemon - 6 bottles
- Spa Blue - 10 crates
- Spa Rood - 4 crates
- Alcohol-free beer - 6 crates
- Beer - 8 crates
- Red wine - 12 bottles
- White wine - 8 bottles
- Non-alcoholic mulled wine - 15 liters
- Mulled wine - 20 liter
- Lemons - 3 kilos
- Oranges - 5 kilos
- Cinnamon sticks - 4 bags
- Star anise - 3 bags
- Cloves - 3 bags
- Honey - 3 jars
- Vegetable stock - 2 packs
- Tomatoes - 6 kilos
- Onions - 4 kilos
- Winter carrots - 5 kilo
- Leeks - 4 kilo
- Celery - 2 kilo
- Potatoes - 8 kilos
- Pumpkin - 8 kilos
- Lentils - 4 kilo
- Chickpeas - 12 cans
- Coconut milk - 8 cans
- Cream - 6 liters
- Olive oil - 3 liters
- Salt - 2 packs
- Black pepper - 2 jars
- Paprika powder - 2 jars
- Cumin - 2 jars
- Nutmeg - 2 jars
- Italian herbs - 2 jars
- Parsley - 6 bunches
- Baguettes - 35 pieces
- Unsalted butter - 3 kilo
- Herb butter - 20 tubs
- Hummus - 30 tubs
- Cream cheese - 20 tubs
- Young cheese - 5 kilos
- Brie - 3 kilo
- Boiled ham - 3 kilos
- Smoked chicken - 3 kilo
- Paprika chips - 12 bags
- Plain chips - 12 bags
- Pretzels - 8 bags
- Mixed nuts - 5 kilo
- Mandarins - 8 kilos
- Apples - 8 kilos
- Grapes - 5 kilos
- Gingerbread - 8 packs
- Spiced biscuits - 10 packs
- Christmas biscuits - 10 packs
- Cookies - 12 packs
- Brownies - 120 pieces
- Apple pie - 8 pieces
- Icing sugar - 2 kilos
- Ketchup - 4 bottles
- Mayonnaise - 4 bottles
- Mustard - 3 jars
- Chili sauce - 3 bottles
- Napkins - 1000 pieces
- Coffee filters - 4 packs
- Wooden stirrers - 500 pieces
- Bamboo skewers - 500 pieces
- Baking paper - 4 rolls
- Aluminum foil - 4 rolls
- Plastic wrap - 4 rolls
- Paper towels - 12 rolls
- Toilet paper - 48 rolls
- Hand soap - 8 bottles
- Hand sanitizer - 8 bottles
- Dish soap - 4 bottles
- Dishwasher tablets - 50 pieces
- All-purpose cleaner - 4 bottles
- Glass cleaner - 2 bottles
- Toilet cleaner - 4 bottles
- Sponges - 12 pieces
- Microfiber cloths - 24 pieces
- Trash bags - 100 pieces
- Freezer bags - 4 boxes
- Disposable gloves - 500 pieces
Tips
- Plan two to three hot drinks per person for the first hour, then one drink per person for each additional hour. Buy extra coffee, tea, milk and sugar if the festival runs in cold weather.
- Provide at least one bowl, plate, fork, knife and spoon per guest, plus 10–15% extra for replacements and busy serving periods. Keep separate coffee cups and reusable glasses available at the drinks area.
- For hot food, use soup kettles or food warmers rather than relying on domestic pans. Allow one serving spoon per dish and prepare enough thermos flasks or kettles to keep drinks available while the main equipment is being refilled.
- Count tables, chairs and stalls from the layout before buying or collecting anything. Keep at least one clear route between tents and stalls, and arrange the furniture early enough to adjust the layout before guests arrive.
- Do not leave weather protection and cold storage until the last day. Confirm party tents, heating and lighting in advance, and have coolers or ice containers ready for chilled groceries and drinks.
Frequently asked questions
- How many cups and glasses do I need for a winter festival?
- Start with one coffee cup and one reusable glass per guest, then add 10–15% extra. For a 100-person festival, that means at least 110 of each if washing or collecting them during the event is not practical.
- How much hot food and drink should I buy for a winter festival?
- Plan two to three hot drinks per person during the first hour and one per person for every later hour. For food, use the caterer’s serving size and add about 10% if attendance is uncertain or guests will stay for several hours.
- When should I reserve tents, heating and lighting?
- Reserve tents, heating and lighting as soon as the date and location are confirmed, preferably several weeks before the festival. Recheck the forecast and equipment requirements during the final week.
- What tableware is needed for a winter festival food stall?
- For each guest, provide a plate or soup bowl as needed, one fork, knife and spoon, plus serving spoons for every dish. Add 10–15% spare tableware and keep bottle openers, cutting boards and serving platters at the preparation area.
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