1St Birthday Ideas?

A.,
In my family we have always viewed the 1st birthday as a big one! I invite EVERYONE that knows my child! All family gets invited and friends too. Obviously we don't play games because a one year old will not have a clue! We just open presents and eat cake. It's quick, simple and fun. The only downside is that having a lot of people around can overwhelm the baby. But, you only have a 1st birthday once!
As far as cake, Costco always has yummy cakes, but you can't get them decorated special and they are HUGE. I have started going to Albertson's! Their cakes are so good, especially with the whip cream frosting! And they are not that expensive and I have even called the day before and been able to get a cake done by noon the next day! Oops! At a store like that you get to choose the design from their little book, or, I took in the invitations I used for my babies 1st birthday last year and asked if they could replicate it to the best of their abilities. They told me they couldn't copy it because of copyright laws but they would do something similar. As far as I could tell, it was identical! My 4 year old had a Winnie the Pooh cake. Simple yet sweet!
For places you could have the party here in Salem (yep, I'm from here too!), you could do NW Kids Club. Have you been there? Their prices aren't cheap but if you're willing then it's a great place for a party, especially if there will be other kids coming to the party. Chuckie Cheese is a little bit old for a 1st birthday. Other than that, I would just say use your own home. It's familiar to your baby so that if you do invite a lot of people there will at least be the comfort of home!
Good luck and have a great day. And seriously, if you haven't been to NW Kids Club, GO! If you want more info you can send me an email at ____@____.com or just visit their website (I can't think what the site is now... nwkidsclub.com?).
M.

My recommendation is to invite just a handful of people. People he'd recognize (family in town, or willing to travel?). If there are people there that he would consider to be strangers, he might be put on edge.

I have a neighbor who does cupcakes for bdays. Grab a cake mix at the store, and you're halfway there! To me, a one year party is absolutely more for the adults and therefore less is better than more. Have fun with it, and with your kids!

I think a first birthday celebration is more for you, the parents, than for the child. Your son is really too young to understand much about birthday parties. And he won't remember this one for long! I'd recommend celebrating at Riverfront Park unless there is a big fair going on there that weekend. The carousel is fun for young kids, but your son may be too young. There's a playground, walking paths, and you can watch the river go by. It's a great place for a family celebration, and your friends and relatives should like it.