Mother’s Day is on Sunday 14 May, and it’s the perfect time to help people connect and show appreciation for the important women in their lives.
As an event creator, Mother’s Day gives you an opportunity to organise in-person and virtual events where people can celebrate the contributions women make to society. We’ve gathered inspiration for in-person, virtual and community Mother’s Day events, and tips on how to promote them.
Table of contents
How do I organise Mother’s Day events?
5 Mother’s Day promotion ideas
Unique ways to celebrate Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day craft event ideas
Mother’s Day community event ideas
Mother’s Day resident event ideas
Virtual Mother’s Day event ideas for special experiences at home
Online cultural Mother’s Day event ideas
Mother’s Day online workshop ideas
Planning a Mother’s Day event?
How do I organise Mother’s Day events?
Mother’s Day events should focus on mothers and motherhood, but these words can mean different things to different people. Your event can reflect this. Think more broadly about the caregivers in our society — they include biological mothers, stepmothers, adopted mothers, foster mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunties, single mothers, and more.
Inclusion and diversity at your event
Hosting free Mother’s Day events is a wonderful way to unite your community. Make sure everyone can access your event, and that cultural diversity is respected. Not everyone can attend in-person events, so you could also consider a virtual event.
Plan community events
Since Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to plan community events, you could consider working with local businesses or partnering with local craftspeople. It’s a way to enhance your event’s reach and appeal and can help benefit the wider community.
We’ve come up with ideas for hosting a Mother’s Day event that you can adapt for your own purposes to ensure attendees have the best experience.
5 Mother’s Day promotion ideas?
It’s important to devote a bit of effort to market your Mother’s Day event and create some buzz around it. This section looks at some basic marketing ideas for Mother’s Day.
Get the timing right
Timing is everything. You don’t want to start promoting your event in January, but you also don’t want to wait until just one week out. By then, people often already have plans. Promote your event a month or two beforehand to give everyone a chance to mark it on their calendars.
Create an email series
Creating a well-timed series of emails will let attendees know about your upcoming Mother’s Day event and remind them when the date is getting close. While you want to avoid inundating event-goers with too many emails, send an initial announcement a month or two out to get people to reserve the date. Then schedule reminders during the lead-up to ensure it is top-of-mind for your potential guests.
Promote local events offline
For offline promotion, flyers and letterbox drops can help you advertise community events in targeted geographic locations. Posters and community noticeboards are also effective ways to let attendees know about local events.
Organise a social media takeover
Working with local brands that are familiar with your target audience, you could organise a social media takeover. You can post content about your Mother’s Day event on the various brands’ profiles. Aim to extend your reach to a broad target audience to draw traffic to your event.
Host a giveaway
Giveaways grab people’s attention. You can offer the chance for prizes or free tickets when entrants share your event with their friends on social media. Another idea is to enter every ticket holder into a giveaway.
Unique ways to celebrate Mother’s Day
You can host many types of events to celebrate women – here’s a selection of unique Mother’s Day activities to get you thinking.
1. Cooking or baking masterclass
A cooking or baking demonstration gives guests the chance to learn new recipes and sample the results. Employ local experts and offer a masterclass. Or you could base your theme around a specific cuisine.
2. Afternoon tea
Afternoon tea is the perfect treat to gather people together. If the mothers you are catering to enjoy getting dressed up for an occasion, you could make it a high tea and serve fancy sandwiches and scones with a glass of prosecco. Consider inviting local performers such as dancers or musical artists to provide entertainment.
Event creators Stamford Plaza Melbourne offer a sumptuous high tea at their “Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea Buffet”. This timeless ritual is celebrated with beautiful cakes, delicate ribbon sandwiches and special desserts.
3. Mother’s Day brunch
Brunch has become more popular than ever. Choose a theme that caters to the interests of the mums you’re treating, such as a guest speaker for an industry-based group, or entertainment for a more informal event.
4. Pop-up shops and displays
You could invite businesses to tempt your guests by showcasing their products. Local retail outlets selling clothes, jewellery, homewares and crafts could all work well here.
5. Wine tasting
Wine-tasting events can be a great option for Mother’s Day. Consider partnering up with a local restaurant, winery or boutique distillery for your event venue and catering.
6. Cocktail class
Break out the cocktail shakers and unusual ingredients for a cocktail making masterclass. You could invite a mixologist to teach your guests the latest cocktail recipes and entertain them with their skills.
7. Gin making
Flavoured gins and boutique distilleries have been trending for a while now. You could provide a range of tasters and recipes for your Mother’s Day event, or better still, partner with a local distillery to host a gin-making class.
8. Foods from around the world
To celebrate different cultures, invite local suppliers to set up food stalls or catering trucks offering a range of exotic cuisines. You could negotiate with them so that mothers get a special treat such as a free sweet.
9. Pamper session
Mothers all deserve some downtime, and who doesn’t enjoy some pampering? You could work with local businesses to provide pampering treats such as pedicures and manicures, makeup classes, or massages.
10. Dance workshops
Teach your guests some new moves and have a few giggles with the help of an instructor and a local venue. Do an online search to see what dance styles are available in your area.
In 2023 event creators William Maslin Dance Studios are offering a “Mother’s Day Dance Class and High Tea” event in Sydney, New South Wales. The 45-minute group dance class is great for beginners and they’ll get to enjoy a glass of bubbly and refreshments after.
11. Karaoke
Allow mums to take centre stage, whether in-person or at home via video link. An old-fashioned sing-along is an activity everyone can be involved in.
12. Dinner cruise
Organise a river cruise or partner with a business that offers boat cruises to offer a unique dining experience on the water for your guests.
13. Art exhibition
You could host an art exhibition or artist-in-residence centred around the idea of parenthood or caregiving, or women in general. You could invite some talented women artists to collaborate and see what ideas they come up with.
Mother’s Day craft event ideas
Creating something with others can be a special experience. This section lists creative event ideas that could suit your Mother’s Day event, either as extra entertainment on the side or as the main theme.
1. Flower arranging
Nothing says Mother’s Day like fresh-cut flowers. You could work with your local garden centre or florist to host a demonstration on the art of flower arranging. Try negotiating for a free bonus for the mothers in the group, such as a small plant or packet of seeds.
2. Gardening masterclass
In the same way as #1 above, you could organise a gardening masterclass with an expert presenter to give your group some useful tips and advice.
3. Pottery painting
Pottery painting is a lovely way to get everyone involved in a creative activity and it’s suitable for all ages. Incorporate the cost of an item of pottery or glassware into the ticket price so guests have something to decorate and take home.
4. Painting class
A painting class lets attendees have fun and get creative. You could host a pre-Mother’s Day sip-and-paint brunch with a DJ, door prizes, and the opportunity to make something special for Mother’s Day gift giving.
5. Soap or candle-making class
Scented candles and hand-crafted soaps can make treasured gifts. Provide an instructor and all the ingredients for this relaxing and social activity. Combining it with catering such as a lavish lunch spread could make the day extra special.
Take inspiration from event creators Elegant Embers Candle Co. They are offering a Mother’s Day Candle Workshop where participants will create two 35-hour candles. These are no-skill required, step-by-step, fun and social events.
6. Scrapbooking workshops
For a scrapbooking workshop for Mother’s Day, you could encourage mums to bring along special family photos and keepsakes such as postcards from family vacations. Include the cost of equipment such as glues, papers and blank journals in the ticket price.
7. Sewing lessons
Learn new skills such as needlework and dressmaking techniques as a group. Find a talented seamstress and invite them to share their skills. Restyling treasured older garments and mending clothes rather than sending them to landfill could be an environmental theme for your Mother’s Day event.
8. Printmaking classes
You could set up a workshop, either in-person or online, for participants to learn how to print using traditional techniques. At a pre-Mother’s Day event, guests could make creative and original Mother’s Day cards. Calico is an inexpensive material often used for making printed placemats and napkin sets. Or look for blank canvasses such as pale-coloured aprons or other clothing to style up.
Mother’s Day community event ideas
If you’d like to host a Mother’s Day event that will bring people together, this section has some ideas for events that will attract crowds of locals as well as people from afar.
1. Mother’s Day picnic
You could include food, drinks, and shopping at a Mother’s Day picnic. Guests could choose between a regular admission ticket or the VIP experience with gourmet hampers of local produce. Partner up with a craft fair or farmers’ market.
2. Film screening
Watching a movie together is a bonding experience. You could screen a movie that resonates with your target audience for a Mother’s Day social event. You could provide popcorn and hotdogs or partner with a local restaurant to provide the catering.
3. Farmers’ market
Farmers’ markets can be a great way to showcase local produce and educate people about where our food comes from. Providing tasty snacks to sample can increase sales at such events.
4. Yappy hour
Celebrate pet parents in the community by hosting a dog-friendly event for Mother’s Day.
5. Mother’s Day fun run
You could organise a short fun run to raise money for a charity that addresses women’s issues, such as a women’s legal service. Event attendees can help raise money while enjoying themselves and exercising.
6. Nature trail
Organise a nature trail in a park, the grounds of an historic building or a private garden that families can enjoy together for an outdoor Mother’s Day event. Keep an eye on the weather, and have a wet-weather contingency plan in place.
7. Charity fashion show
Raise funds for a relevant charity with a fashion show that celebrates mothers. This could be themed for parents-to-be, for example maternity wear and baby needs.
Mother’s Day resident event ideas
This section covers Mother’s Day event ideas for adults in residential care, sheltered housing or retirement living.
1. Keep fit class
Host an exercise class for people who like to stay active. Aerobics, step, Zumba? Think about what format your potential guests will be attracted to, recruit some local instructors, and turn up the volume.
2. Mother’s Day raffle
Offering entertainment and prizes for your Mother’s Day event, like a raffle, can generate excitement and encourage participation. Again, choose a relevant charity to donate the proceeds to.
3. Celebratory barbecue
Set up a barbecue with tables and umbrellas where residents can socialise before, during, and after a meal. Try a barbecue breakfast with eggs, bacon and muffins. Decorate the area with flowers and bright bunting to create a Mother’s Day theme.
4. Iced tea bar
An iced tea bar is a more relaxed version of afternoon tea encouraging residents to chat while taking refreshments.
5. Celebrate with sundaes
Get everyone together to connect over ice cream sundaes and desserts. You could get creative and offer lots of different sundae toppings like smashed chocolate bars.
6. Game night
Focus on games enjoyed by older residents such as bingo, bridge and gin rummy. Board games such as Scrabble can be played in tournaments and Trivial Pursuit can be played in teams, which will help to build relationships amongst your group.
Virtual Mother’s Day event ideas for special experiences at home
Many in-person events can be adapted to accommodate your virtual guests, and here are a few more ways to get them involved online.
1. Offer Mother’s Day treats
A cooking class is a good opportunity to learn new techniques, even for folks who are already wizards in the kitchen. Some creators offer cooking classes focused on making treats to give as a gift.
Participants are emailed the ingredient list prior to the class so they can have all the ingredients ready. On the day they simply log into the class being streamed online and get cooking. Guests can interact with the presenter, and each other, via the video platform.
2. Online retreat
Bring extra relaxation with an online Mother’s Day retreat. Send out supplies before your event, such as tools to facilitate graceful strength training and flexibility, and for aromatherapy and meditation.
3. Virtual Mother’s Day bingo
Themed events are a fun way to celebrate Mother’s Day. You could provide specially themed online bingo or a whole Mother’s Day of virtual games like a Scrabble tournament or poker match.
4. Virtual brunch
Before the event, send a list of tasty recipes for your guests to choose from and liaise with local businesses for concessions on ingredients. At the event, you could encourage people to share their favourite stories about their mothers.
5. Chocolate tasting
Send attendees the chocolate they’ll be sampling ahead of time and consider including ideas for food and drink accompaniments.
6. Virtual relaxation session
Invite your guests to partake in mindfulness in the comfort of their own homes. Partner with an instructor who can lead the session and give relaxation tips. Providing goodies such as candles or essential oils will help to set the scene.
7. Yoga class
Led by a yoga teacher on a video streaming platform, your guests can learn how to master the moves and breathing that encourage inner peace.
8. Virtual exercise class
Livestream a session where your guests can work out together. Remember to cater to all abilities and include a cool-down.
9. Virtual Mother’s Day mall
Help attendees pick the perfect gift with a virtual marketplace. You could offer unique gifts such as handmade jewellery, bath and body products, candles and home decor, in an online shopping hub specially for Mother’s Day.
10. Panel discussion
Bring panellists together to discuss a topic relevant to parenting or women’s issues. Using a video streaming service, participants can interact for a Q&A session after the presentations.
Online cultural Mother’s Day event ideas
Celebrate different cultures with these Mother’s Day event ideas.
1. Expert speakers
Whether it’s a local historian or an intrepid traveller, listening to a passionate speaker brings attendees on a journey without having to leave their living rooms. Invite an expert to share their knowledge about a Mother’s Day theme such as parenting or inequality, and you’ve got yourself a webinar.
2. Literary event
Reading is the perfect way for people to get some precious time to themselves. But it can also be a social activity. Invite an author to read to guests or host a book club-style appreciation Mother’s Day event.
3. Virtual concert
Livestream local musicians or singers to bring the community together to celebrate mothers and parents in general.
4. Online quiz
Theme your quiz around mothers or influential women. Think of fun prizes for the winners or pledge to donate the proceeds to a relevant charity.
5. Virtual photographic exhibition
Choose a theme that will attract potential participants. Better still, make it interactive and ask them to send in their photographs. Together you can stage an online exhibition.
Mother’s Day online workshop ideas
Here are some creative ideas to engage your guests and help you to plan online workshops for Mother’s Day.
1. Jewellery-making class
Jewellery making is a way for your guests who are mothers to treat themselves and for others to make something special for their own mother. Send attendees the materials needed beforehand and help them to get creative.
2. Beauty masterclass
Host an online class with hair and makeup tips for mothers of all ages.
3. Fashion tips
Invite local businesses or personalities to give fashion advice and tips on the latest trends. Livestream a fashion show, and your virtual guests will feel like they have a front-row seat.
4. Flower fun
Deliver your fresh floral kits to participants’ doors just before the event so they can create the perfect bouquet at home.
5. Virtual crafting for kids
Get the kids involved with a virtual crafting event where they make cards or gifts for the important women in their lives.
6. Vegan cookery class
Hold a vegan or vegetarian cooking class where participants can create unique, healthy dishes with their families.
Planning a Mother’s Day event?
Mother’s Day is a special time for families to celebrate. Sign up to Eventbrite and let us help you to plan and promote a memorable Mother’s Day event.
