Setting up a large party tent properly and using the right securing methods is the best way to ensure an amazing event and outdoor venue space, no matter what kind of event, market, or gathering you are planning. While it might seem intimidating to set up a large event tent, it’s actually quite simple when you understand the basics.
Here at American Tent, we are proud to help our customers with every part of their event tent ordering and use, and in this guide, we will break down the basic steps on how to set up any style of a large party tent. If you are looking for a specific set-up guide, refer to our resources here. From setting up and securing your event tent, to tear down, storage, and ensuring your tent will last for years to come, here’s all the information you need!
Every event tent style requires a slightly different set-up and tear-down process that can be very simple or require multiple helpers to set up the tent. We will enumerate how to set up a party tent, including frame tents, pole tents, and pop-up canopies, but in the meantime, here are a few overall guidelines that are true for every event tent.
Tip: Always be sure to call Diggers Hotline (8-1-1) well in advance of your set up. We recommend at least a week. It’s very dangerous and a huge risk when you stake into the unidentified ground. Make sure you know where gas, electrical, water, and cable lines are before you start.
The set-up time required to properly secure your event tent will depend on the size and style of your specific tent. A small, 10x10 pop-up tent is made to be extremely easy to set up and transport, and can easily be set up with just one to two people in a matter of minutes. Even smaller-sized frame tents can be set up quickly with a crew who knows what they’re doing.
Mid-sized and larger tents are, of course, going to require proper planning as they take a bit longer to set up. American Tent products are made with high-quality, intuitively designed materials to be set up and torn down as simply as possible while still being secure in harsh weather conditions.
So, while a large event tent will take more time to set up, everything has been engineered with you in mind, making the process as simple as possible. Something like a mid-sized 20x30 frame tent can be set up in less than an hour with our recommended six-person crew to help out and properly secure the tent.
In the case that you are planning a large outdoor event and are setting up a large event tent, you will need ample time and a proper set-up crew to set up your frame or pole tent. A large tent can take multiple hours to properly set up and secure with the right weights.
Tip: First time using your event tent? Our American Tent experts highly recommend you lay out your tent and do a test run to see how the setup process goes. This is especially important for large tents that are going to require proper planning and forethought on your entire setup crew’s part to ensure your tent is set up properly and on time. This can help you figure out the process and see where you might be going wrong so that you and your crew can iron out all the kinks before the day of your event.
There are various tools you can use to set up your event tent. Not all are required, but everything on our list makes helpful additions for your event tent setup crew, whether you’ve got a team of 20 or just yourself.
If you are setting up a small to a medium-sized tent, you can likely set it up easily in a short amount of time, and simply need the basics to set it up. But if you’re setting up a large-scale outdoor venue with a large event tent, you might want to look into some helpful tools.
Not every tent will be able to be held down with the same amount of weight. The recommended amount tends to be 40 lbs on every corner of your tent, but this is only for smaller-sized, personal outdoor tents. If you have a large event tent that more easily becomes airborne in high winds and has more surface area to hold down, you’ll want to use more weights. Need more info on properly weighting your tent? Read our full guide here.
While this guide is all about setting up your event tent, taking down and storing your event tent is just as important to hosting an amazing outdoor gathering and keeping your guests comfortable and happy with a gorgeous, high-quality event tent.
The key to a great-looking tent is ensuring you’re taking proper care of the canopy and frame both in the set up and tear down process, as well as when you clean and store your event tent. Upon disassembling your tent, our American Tent experts highly recommend you properly clean off your tent before storing it.
Yes, even if your event tent stays clean and free of stains, dirt, mud, and other debris, it is still a good idea to lightly clean off your event tent. This can be done simply by brushing off your tent and then using a cloth damp with water and dish soap to wipe down the canopy.
After rinsing your tent, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to check your event tent for any small rips, tears, or holes that may have been too difficult to spot before, because air bubbles will form around the water in any of these spots.
Once your tent is properly cleaned, always make sure it is entirely dry before folding and storing. Even though American Tent products are waterproof and resistant to mildew and rust, mold can still form on your tent and water damage will impair the overall look and quality of your tent.
When it comes to setting up specific event tents, frame tents are luckily some of the most simple tents to set up. Here’s a simple, condensed version of our guide on how to assemble a frame tent.
With so many necessary parts, you’ll want to start out your tent setup by layout out your entire frame on the ground before you start putting anything together. This way, you’ll be able to envision where everything goes and how it will all work together when you’re setting up, and you’ll be positive you have every part you need to get started.
Crowns at the peaks of your tent canopy will hold the pins in place, which you can put together by fitting the pins in correctly. This is the first step in the process of fitting your frame together.
You will need to follow a thorough step-by-step guide for your specific tent that will diagram how to put your tent together. You will build your frame top by connecting tent fittings and tubing and building up your frame top to create a strong and secure base for your tent. This will also include securing ratchet straps to the tent frame, and other securing steps like this.
Using a drop cloth or tarp to ensure you don’t dirty or damage your tent top, roll out the canopy top and align the lace side with the grommet side. After lacing these sections of the canopy together, make sure you close the rain flap and ensure everything is secure before cutting the lace line and repeating for your entire tent canopy.
Pull your tent top over the frame center the tent top on the frame. Once your tent top is properly situated on your frame, fasten the alligator straps to each of the tent's corners and attach the base plates to the legs of your tent.
Finish securing your tent by adhering ratchet clamps to stakes in the ground around the perimeter of your tent, as well as going through and tightening the rest of the straps around the inside of the tent. Even if you are expecting good weather conditions, properly securing your tent with stakes or weights is essential. Even in low winds, your tent can go airborne if you don’t properly secure it before your event.
Pole tents are similar in style and set-up requirements as frame tents, though they do tend to be slightly more technical to set up with the large central pole, peaks, and more.
One of the biggest differences between a frame tent and a pole tent is that frame tents can be set up on concrete, grass, and just about any other flat surface, since they don’t require being staked into the ground. Because pole tents utilize stakes to secure their canopy tops, they are best suited for setups on soft surfaces such as grass, dirt, gravel, etc. Here are the basic steps required when setting up your beautiful, outdoor pole tent!
Want to know how to put up a tent as easily and efficiently as possible? Invest in the right tools to help you in your tent setup. Here are the essential tools needed for your pole tent installation:
Large tarp - for spreading your tent canopy on instead of the ground and/or dirt
Tent stakes - to properly secure your tent canopy
Stake driver - to efficiently drive stakes with less effort
Center pole puller - to raise the center pole with less time and effort
Like a frame tent, you can start your party tent assembly by layout out your pole tent top, as well as the poles and materials you’ll be using, so you can get a good sense of where everything will go and if you have all the proper tools before you get to work.
Tip: American Tent always recommends using a drop cloth, tarp, or other protective material on the ground during this step so your tent canvas is protected from dirt, rocks, and other grime that can keep your tent from looking its best.
Stakes are how the canopy of your pole tent will stay secure. A stake driver will make the process of installing your stakes easier, but it isn’t absolutely necessary.
To properly install your tent stakes, position them about 5’ from the edge of your tent at each grommet. Your stakes should be driven 36" into the ground, leaving the top out. This is what you will use to attach the canopy to by tying the corresponding ropes to the stakes.
Tip: Ensure you keep the ropes loose during this part of your canopy tent installation process. This will ensure your tent can move easily as you erect the poles and canopy.
Begin to create the shape of your tent by inserting side poles into their corner slots, leaving the bottom of the side poles slanting to the center of your tent.
The central pole is what makes the magic happen in your pole tent! At this step, it’s time to inert the central pole into the center grommet of your pole tent.
Tip: Central poles can be difficult to set up because of their large size and weight, especially if you are setting up your pole tent with a small crew. This is a great opportunity to utilize a center pole puller, as mentioned above, which can help you make this step a breeze.
Once your central pole is set up, you’re only a few steps away from having your pole tent set up and ready for your amazing event! Inset the remaining side poles around your tent and tighten them to an upright position. Congrats-- now your pole tent is raised!
Once everything is in its proper upright position, you’ll want to tighten your rope and make sure it is taught. Everything should be upright, tight, and properly secured with no slack in your tent rope.
Tip: Can’t get your tent rope to pull taught and secure? Don’t worry - you don’t have to start the process over entirely. Takedown and slant your tent poles toward the center of the tent again and retie your rope, tighter this time. When you erect your tent again, the rope should be taught and secure.
With the importance of properly securing your event tent, you might be wondering if you need weights for a pole tent. Because this style of tent is already staked into the ground, you have actually already secured your tent against high winds and rain!
Pole tent stakes should be secure and set up properly in the beginning, as they offer the security and support your pole tent needs to keep your guests dry, comfortable, and having the time of their lives inside your gorgeous event tent!
How to set up a pole tent on concrete? If your venue doesn’t include a grassy spot, it is technically possible to get your pole tent set up. However, this process includes drilling down into the concrete or asphalt where you are setting up a party tent to properly secure your tent. It’s noisy, messy, and damages the material you’re drilling into, which can end in costly repairs and fees.
Our experts at American Tent highly recommend you invest in a frame tent if you know you won’t be able to easily stake into the ground at your venue. While it’s possible to drill down into the concrete and secure your tent, it obviously includes structural damage to the concrete and is extremely time attentive and physically challenging. In most cases, a frame tent can do the job perfectly.
Canopy tents, also known as pop-up tents, are as simple to set up as their name suggests. These smaller-sized tents are perfect for small or spread-out events and markets and feature folding frames that are a breeze to set up. For more detailed instructions on how to install a canopy tent, keep reading!
Prop the frame of your pop-up tent upright in the standing position, but not pulled apart yet. While the frame is still closed together like this, take your tent canopy and pull it over the frame. Set up your canopy and make sure to align the peak of the tent top with the center of the frame, getting the fit right before getting your frame ready to pull out and pop up.
Once your tent canopy is aligned and in place, set up your pop-up event tent simply by pulling apart the legs. For a small canopy tent, this can be done with two people going around the tent and pulling apart opposite leg corners. With a larger tent, enlist multiple helpers to grab the frame legs and pull the frame apart, popping up the inner mechanism.
You will pull your tent frame apart until the frame clicks into place. Once your frame is in place, ensure every pin has been secured in its pinhole, or you might face problems with your tent coming undone or getting blown away later in the day.
Every leg of your canopy tent will have adjustable pin holes and pins that you can push in and then slide up or down to adjust the overall height of your event tent. Ensuring that every leg is set to the same height, click your legs into place and your frame will be ready to go.
Once your entire canopy tent frame is set up and the canopy top has been loosely secured, you’ll go around and secure it further. Thread the velcro straps through the holders on the frames, pulling through and tightening before fastening to the other side of the velcro strip. Tightening the straps along with the interior of your tent and ensuring everything is secure.
Once your canopy top is secure and your tent has been properly weighted or staked down, your canopy tent is ready to go!
If your party tent setup includes multiple tents, you can create the oversized, multi-tent venue of your dreams, or even create one large mega-tent! But how do you connect two party tents?
Connecting tents can be quite simple if your tents are the same size; simply connect frames and eliminate sidewalls on any passway through tents.
You can also get creative by putting smaller canopy tents inside a larger frame or pole tents to create different sections within your venue, or even create canopy/tarp ‘hallways’ between tents of different sizes and styles that don’t fit easily together.
As we touched on briefly above, the time it takes to set up an event tent varies on many things, including the size and style of tent, as well as how many people you have to help you set up your tent. In general, a small pop-up tent can be set up in minutes, whereas larger tents can take up to hours to properly set up and secure an event tent.
The minimum amount of weight you’ll need to properly secure an event tent is around 40 lbs at each corner. However, this amount does not suffice for larger event tents. There is a simple method to determine how much weight you need for your event tent, as well as various methods to secure your tent. Learn more about properly weighting your tent in our full guide here.
As you can imagine, the time required to take down your event tent is far less than setting it up. Of course, like anything, the time required will depend on a variety of factors including the size and style of your tent, the weather conditions you’re taking down in, and how many people are in your tear-down crew. Even a large tent can be taken down in an hour or two, but cleaning, drying, and storing it will add to that time.
If you want your tent to last as long as possible and stay looking great for years of outdoor use, storing your tent properly is vital. Our biggest tips are to always clean your event tent after each use, checking for tears, holes, and other damage. Before you store your tent, fully dry it to ensure no mildew or rust will form. Learn more about storing your event tent with our full guide.
Your party tent assembly doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult! We hope this guide and our insider tips help give you a comprehensive look at setting up any kind of event tent. If you have further questions about setting up, tearing down, or caring for your event tent, or you have any other questions about ordering and owning an event tent, our customer support team here at American Tent is here to help! Contact us today to find the perfect tent for your event!
Tony's entrepreneurial spirit is woven into the fabric of American Tent (an Inc 5000 company), shaped by his experience running a successful event venue & tent rental service. His recognition as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 is a testament to his impact & dedication to his community. As the Co-founder and CEO of Renegade Plastics, Tony is leading initiatives in the tent industry to integrate eco-friendly, recyclable materials. Contributing as a board member for the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) & the Green Bay Area Public Schools Foundation and being featured by Entrepreneur, Oracle, & Modern Weddings, Tony plays a pivotal role in enhancing the growth and success of the textile industry.
