National Barbie Day: When It Is & How To Celebrate (2024)

Did you know that National Barbie Day is an actual holiday you can celebrate? It’s true! When the Barbie movie was released in July of 2023, many news outlets declared it the “Summer of Barbie,” as people of all ages flocked to theaters to enjoy this hilarious and nostalgic film with a feminist message. Not only did Barbie undergo a renaissance with adults as well as kids, but the famous and popular toy also kickstarted a renewed love for the color pink. In fact, it became a trend to wear bright pink outfits when watching the film, and this appreciation for pink carried over to remain popular in the fashion world for quite a while. 

It seems like the love for Barbie and for all things pink isn’t going away anytime soon, which means that the upcoming National Barbie Day is sure to be especially well-observed! If you’d like to participate, read on for Peerspace’s detailed guide to this holiday as well as a wide variety of suggestions for how to celebrate. 

When is National Barbie Day?

Barbie herself dates back to 1959 when Ruth Handler first created the doll and Mattel began to manufacture it. They debuted the Barbie doll at the New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959, and in honor of this important anniversary, National Barbie Day also falls on March 9th in the United States! The most recent Barbie milestone was her 60th “birthday” on March 9, 2019, when many people celebrated National Barbie Day.

Here are some fun ways to celebrate National Barbie Day

Ready to celebrate National Barbie Day in style? Make March 9th the most festive, pink-filled day imaginable by following any of the following celebration tips:

Dress up like Barbie

One of the features that defines Barbie is her feminine fashion, which features lots of pink and other bright colors. Take a page from her book and take National Barbie Day as an opportunity to dress up in a Barbie-inspired outfit/costume! 

For some specific dress-up ideas, here are ten fabulous outfits from the Barbie movie that you might want to recreate, from sporty Barbie in her highlighter yellow rollerblades to disco Barbie, sailor Barbie, weird Barbie, and more!

After you’ve nabbed your Barbie costume, check out our sweet Barbie photoshoot ideas to help you capture every awesome moment!

Learn more about the history of Barbie

Barbie has a fascinating history dating all the way back to the 1950s, and one of the best ways to celebrate the legacy of this doll is by gaining a better understanding of her historical significance.

Barbie was groundbreaking when she was released because rather than the usual baby dolls, she represented an adult woman. She modeled careers for young girls with a host of different Barbies with different jobs—and if you don’t believe us, here’s a list of all 119 jobs Barbie has ever had, from Nurse Barbie, Astronaut Barbie, and Flight Attendant Barbie in the 1960s, to Fashion Boutique Owner Barbie and Volleyball Player Barbie in 2023.

Despite the controversies surrounding Barbie’s ultra-thin figure, Barbie has also been credited with helping to break feminist barriers: “Many women who played with the doll credit Barbie with providing an alternative to restrictive 1950s gender roles. Unlike baby dolls, Barbie did not teach nurturing. Outfitted with career paraphernalia, the doll was a model for financial self-sufficiency.” 

On National Barbie Day, learn more about her history by reading an informative book like Barbie Forever, or by poring over The Story of Barbie and the Woman Who Created Her with any Barbie-loving kids in your life!

Gift a Barbie doll to a Barbie-loving kid in your life

A heartwarming way to celebrate National Barbie Day is by gifting a Barbie doll to a child in your life, whether it’s your own kid, a relative such as a cousin or niece, or the child of a friend. When you give a Barbie doll as a gift, you provide the giftee with exciting avenues for imaginative play and creative expression. Consider choosing a doll with a career that you know the child receiving the doll is interested in—for instance, if you know that your daughter wants to be an astronaut in the future, give her a Barbie Space Discovery Astronaut Doll! 

If you’re unsure which Barbie doll would be most appreciated, consider going to a toy store in person together and allowing the child to choose their favorite Barbie doll for themselves! Offering the option to choose their favorite demonstrates that you value and respect their preferences, and it means they’ll likely be even more excited about whichever doll they end up selecting.

Have a Barbie movie marathon

Another excellent way to immerse yourself in the whimsical yet empowering world of Barbie is by watching the eponymous “Barbie,” the 2023 film that sparked a global Barbie renaissance (the “Barbiessaince,” if you will). Get together with your Barbie-loving friends and family members and watch Barbie navigate the challenges of modern life both hilariously and poignantly. The film earned tons of accolades for a reason, and even if you’ve already seen it, by the next March 9th you’re probably due for a rewatch.

In addition, if you’re a Barbie fan, you probably already know that there are many more Barbie movies beyond the one that was released in 2023! In fact, there are 43 Barbie movies in total, going back to “Barbie in the Nutcracker” in 2001. Here’s a list of every single one of the Barbie movies—pick and choose your favorites for your movie marathon, and then settle in with some popcorn, grab your favorite Barbie doll for company, and enjoy hours and hours of pink-tastic adventures. 

Plus, if you’re looking for a space for your movie marathon, it’s easy to find movie theater venues for rent near you via Peerspace, the internet’s largest marketplace for hourly venue rentals. In the United States alone, the site offers thousands of theater spaces to choose from, and that’s not including all the other Peerspaces located in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Europe, and beyond!

From this beautiful movie theater and screening room in Chicago (pictured above) to this downtown lounge with a movie theater in Tacoma, Washington, there are options available across the country for a range of budgets, group sizes, and other key criteria for your movie marathon.

Throw a Barbie-themed party to celebrate all things Barbie

What better way to celebrate National Barbie Day than with an unforgettable, Barbie-themed extravaganza? There are so many directions you can take this idea, so get creative. For instance, use plenty of pink and Barbie-themed decorations (like these from Party City) to cultivate the perfect festive atmosphere. Create a photo booth with Barbie props to take photos that capture your party memories for posterity. And offer your guests pink snacks and drinks, like cotton candy cocktails and Barbie-shaped cookies. 

Plus, keep your guests engaged with Barbie-related games and activities like Barbie trivia, Barbie doll runway shows, and even a costume contest. (The activities you incorporate into your party will, of course, vary significantly depending on the age range of those in attendance.) Be sure to put on a suitable playlist—perhaps featuring songs from the official movie soundtrack (AKA “Barbie the Album”), such as Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and Lizzo’s “Pink”—to further cultivate the right vibe at your gathering.

Check out our guide on pink food ideas to serve at your next party to delight your guests!

Book a Barbie-party-perfect event venue through Peerspace

And again, if you’d prefer to rent a venue for your Barbie party rather than hosting it at home, it’s just as easy to find party venues near you on Peerspace as it is to find movie theater venues in your area. There are tons of all-pink, feminine venues listed on the site that would be an ideal choice for a Barbie party.

Here are a few examples of the kinds of spaces we’re talking about across a variety of locations:

• This Pink Posh Place in St. Louis, MO (pictured above)
• This Baddie Barbie Dreamland apartment with cotton candy cloud decor in Los Angeles, CA
• Barbie’s Pink Garden, a unique outdoor venue that’s also in Los Angeles
• This Boss Barbie’s Dreamhouse in Chicago, IL
• And many more

Ready to search Peerspace for yourself? You’ll find that filtering your search is an incredibly intuitive and straightforward process.

You can narrow your search results based on a host of optional criteria:

• The hourly price
• Number of attendees
• Planned date and time of your event
• Keywords
• Indoor and outdoor spaces
• Style/aesthetic of the space
• Instant booking availability
• Space type
• Amenities
• And more

Limiting your search results to listings that suit your specific needs is a great way to save time and energy as you seek out the perfect venue.

Next, you’ll want to browse through individual listings to choose your favorite. To make this decision as easy and informed as possible, each Peerspace listing has high-quality photos and detailed written descriptions courtesy of the host. In addition, quite a few listings come with star ratings and reviews from those who’ve rented the space before, and contacting the host directly is as simple as clicking the “Message Host” button toward the top of the listing page.

Find unique Barbie party venues on Peerspace