Honouring Dads: 13 Father’s Day Event Ideas

Father’s Day is all about honouring the dads. For many of them, a mug with a funny slogan or a new tie in horrendous colours will do the trick.

But how can you as an event organiser do your part to make the day special? We’ve put together a list of 13 Father’s Day event ideas to provide you with some inspiration.

In this article, we’ll cover…

• Food events
• Outdoor events
• Sports events
• Entertainment ideas

The activities below suit nearly all types of dad personalities, so there will be plenty of scope for you to organise a fete.

Food events

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So what better way to celebrate Father’s Day than putting on a food and drinks event? Here’s a list of food events you can organise for any time of the day.

1. All-day breakfast

A balanced breakfast is a must, so why not organise a Full English (or, you know, something tastier) for fathers and their children? Besides, the Breakfast Club shouldn’t have a monopoly on all-day breakfast. It’s a great way for the family to start the day and still leaves time for a packed schedule…maybe for something else you’ve organised?

Tip: Here are some breakfast ideas for Father’s Day you can use as part of your all-day breakfast event.

2. Boozy brunch

If Father’s Day falls on the weekend, how about skipping the idea of breakfast entirely and organise a classic bottomless brunch? You can also make things a bit more interesting by choosing a cocktail theme, and perhaps have some live entertainment to spice things up.

Tip: See how Skylon has organised a bottomless G&T brunch with jazz music for Father’s Day.

3. Barbecue

Every dad is the grill master of their house, so why not let them do what they do best by hosting a community barbecue event? Invite your neighbours and their families along for a wholesome day out, where everyone brings their own steaks (and dads).

Tip: You can find some inspiration in this comprehensive Father’s Day BBQ party plan (complete with delicious images).

4. Wine (or whiskey) tasting

There’s no shortage of pubs and bars, so why not organise a wine tasting event? Or perhaps a whiskey tasting for the single malt lovers. Invite fathers and their children over to see who’s the best at guessing the most expensive wine or whiskey.  A plan that involves drinks and dads can never go wrong (unless he insists on driving afterwards).

Tip: You can see how Birmingham Wine School has organised a Father’s Day wine tasting, and how Leighton Buzzard has created a whole whiskey festival celebrating dads.

Outdoor events

DIY projects in the outdoors are very manly, so Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to explore those avenues. If you’ve got access to a workshop, organise an event for fathers and their children to work together on a practical project. But there are other mechanically oriented happenings you can organise.

1. Green woodworking

A green woodworking course could be the perfect gift for the environmentally conscious father. This two-day woodworking course ditches all the power tools in favour of going old school with side axes and shave horses. Why not organise your own woodworking session for Father’s Day?

2. Guided walks and den building

Den building is another excellent opportunity to let dads showcase their woodland DIY skills. Organise a guided walk through the local woods, instruct fathers and their families on how to build a den, and then enjoy the beautiful surroundings with some hot chocolate and marshmallows around a campfire.

Looking for some places to organise guided walks? Here are some ideas to get your gears going:

• Lyme Park, Cheshire
• Penrhyn Castle, Penobscot County
• Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
• Nostell Priory and Parkland, Yorkshire
• Scotney Castle, Kent

3. Test-driving

Many dads are car enthusiasts, and Father’s Day should be all about their interests. So why not organise a test drive event where dads can try out those new rides they’ve been salivating over? Virgin Experience Days has had great success with their Father’s Day Driving Experiences.

Tip: You can draw some more inspiration from these Honda and Renault test-driving events.

Sports

While we’re on the subject of sports, there are many opportunities for you to plan an event that encourages participation.

1. Sports events

Many a father is a sports fan as well, so why not organise a sports event that they can attend with their children? Nothing spells bonding like cheering for the same team…or booing the opposing one! Besides, since Father’s Day falls outside of football season, you’ve got next to no competition.

Tip: Read our ultimate guide to a successful sports event, so you know how to make the most of it.

2. Cycling

If you have some bikes, it’s time to dust them off for Father’s Day. Encourage families to cycle together for some fresh air. Perfect as a low-cost, fab day out activity. You can, for example, organise a Father’s Day bike ride on one of these awe-inspiring cycling routes.

Tip: Why not combine cycling with some of the other ideas in this article? Draw some inspiration from these cycling events put on by Sustrans in honour of Father’s Day.

3. Rifle shooting

For the fathers that are more into shooting down clay pigeons, there is the option of hosting a shooting day. Again, Virgin Experience Days has already tried and tested this type of event, so you don’t have to gamble by organising a Father’s Day shooting event.

Tip: For inspiration, have a look at the Clay Lodge and see what kind of competitions they set up.

4. Sponsor a duck

Sponsoring a duck in a duck race is a traditional game hosted at the Coughton Court. It’s an event that never gets old—or boring. This is one of Father’s Day event ideas that are particularly well-suited for families with smaller children.

Tip: Read more about this type of event at the National Trust website…and don’t be afraid to steal the concept for your local area!

Entertainment

Finally, there is no shortage of entertainment in the bigger cities. If your town doesn’t have a lot going on, there is a lot of scope for you as an event organiser to make things happen this Father’s Day.

1. Live music

Encourage children to take their dad to a live concert and watch him relive his rock-star days. There are as many possibilities for music events as there are music genres. It could also be a great way for you to help fathers introduce the younger generation to music from back when music was good.

Tip: Read our guide on how to plan a music event and start planning your own Father’s Day throwback concert.

2. Film screening

For the father who isn’t the outdoorsy type, or who is just straight up a couch potato, why not host a film screening? There are tons of classics from sports to inspiring films for kids to watch with their dads. Pull out the projector, invest in some snacks, and put on a Father’s Day film screening.

Tip: Looking for a list to choose from? Use this overview of the best movies to watch with your dad to find inspiration for your Father’s Day film screening.

So what do you think?

Hopefully, you now feel well-prepared to seize Father’s Day. With the Father’s Day event ideas we’ve outlined, do you think you can take it from here?

This is a national day you wouldn’t want to mess up! Be sure to let us know how it went in the comment section below.