Halloween is right around the corner and with this spooky holiday comes a great excuse to gather up your friends and throw an over-the-top themed party! Afterall, who doesn’t love a chance to plan out a fun costume.
Sometimes the idea of hosting a holiday gathering can seem a bit daunting, especially when deciding between so many unique themes and activities. We’ve done a round up of 20 of our favorite themes and party ideas below to help you choose the perfect idea for your friend group.
Pick Your Poison
1. Scary-oke Party
A halloween-themed karaoke party is guaranteed to be a memorable night. Order a karaoke machine and make sure to offer a few ghoulishly good cocktail and mocktail options to get your guests loosened up and ready to sing.
2. A Star-Studded Affair: Hollywood
As an adult, there aren’t always a lot of reasons to dress up outside of a wedding, so hosting a hollywood themed affair will give your friends a chance to sport their finest attire and enjoy a classy night out. Roll out the red carpet (literally) and hire a mobile bar or cocktail server to elevate the occasion.
3. Barbie
If there’s one thing that’s absolutely taken over 2023 it’s the Barbie craze. We’re sure there will be many Barbie and Ken’s out and about this Halloween, so get ahead of it and host a Barbie Land Bash. Think all things pink and have your friends come dressed as their favorite childhood barbie dolls! DIY a Barbie-box photo op complete with props and a polaroid camera to capture the occasion.
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
4. Vampire's Ball
Another great theme if you want a dressy dinner party is to rent out an event space and host a ‘Vampire’s Ball.’ For the dress code: think black, red and anything that inspires a dark and romantic feel. Oh yeah, and fangs are required! Make red cocktails to complete the theme, but keep it upscale with music and dancing!
5. Bob Ross Paint Party
What could possibly be more endearing than a room full of Bob Ross’s. You got that right – have every guest come dressed as Bob. Not only will the photo op be hilarious, but you’ll enjoy seeing all your friends’ slightly different interpretations of the famous painter.
Order a bulk package of canvases and acrylic paint in a variety of colors for supplies. You can even get fancy and order easels and wooden palettes for your friends so it feels authentic. Then, take your pick at a theme and have a fun paint night with snacks, drinks and music! Everyone will have an item to take home and we guarantee it will be memorable.
Photo by JACQUELINE BRANDWAYN on Unsplash
6. Murder Mystery Dinner Party
We love a murder mystery party because everything is organized and the story is set from the start! You can choose from a variety of themes/scripts online and everything you need will be delivered right to your door. Make sure to encourage your guests to lean into their characters and come dressed for the part! It’s always more fun when everyone is giving it their best with participation.
7. Wild in Wonderland Party
If you and your friends are on the wilder side, a quirky ‘Wild in Wonderland’ themed party can be a great time. Lean into inspiration from the classic Alice in Wonderland storyline with out of the box characters like The Mad Hatter, The White Rabbit and the mystical Cheshire Cat.
This can be a costume contest where awards are given to the most abstract and colorful DIY costumes! Plus, this theme lends itself so well to whimsical decor and adorable tea party-inspired finger foods and cocktails!
Photo by Meghan Hessler on Unsplash
8. Bridgerton
The Bridgerton craze just keeps going, thanks to the upcoming Season 3 release of this raunchy and historical romance show. If you’ve watched it or read the series it's based on, you likely know why it would be an incredibly fun party theme. With lavish dresses and wigs, your party will be a royal throwdown.
9. 70’s Disco Dance Party
A 70’s costume is easy to whip together on the fly and gives guests a chance to truly express themselves in a colorful and loud way that they may not be able to explore during their everyday lives. Pump up the tunes, or better yet, hire a DJ and dance the night away to some classic disco music.
Photo by Aleksandr Popov on Unsplash
10. Wild Wild West Party
Pull out your cowboy boots and get ready for a wild time! Hire a dance instructor to come teach the group a few popular line dances and set up activities like a rope toss and cowboy hat decorating station. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little extra in the name of a good time.
11. Halloween Masquerade
This classic theme is always a good time because you can have people come already donning lavish masquerade masks, and attempt to guess who is who. You can also host a two-part party for your closest friends. The first night can be a mask decorating party with all kinds of adornments like glitter, sequins, paint and feathers, and the second night can be for dressing up and enjoying cocktails with the group.
Photo by Black Iris Visuals on Unsplash
12. Audrey & Elvis
We admit, this idea was borrowed from one of our favorite shows – Big Little Lies – where all the local parents attend an Audrey and Elvis themed bash as a fundraiser for their kids’ school. We love this unique take on emulating some of our Hollywood favorites. Want to widen the theme? Throw in beautiful and incredibly talented Marilyn Monroe and between the three stars, you’ll have quite a few iconic costumes to choose from.
13. Childhood Favorites: Cartoons
We all love reminiscing on the good days of our youth. Host a costume party where guests are encouraged to dress up as a character from one of their favorite childhood cartoons! Scooby-Doo, Rugrats, Jimmy Neutron – the options are endless! Meeting new people at a party that enjoyed the same shows as we did can be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Photo by Jay R on Unsplash
14. Favorite Disney Character
Similar to the above theme, but much more niche is a Disney Character party! As an avid Disney fan myself, I think this would be a great way to learn more about your friends and which characters they like the best. Plus – the Disney universe is huge! You have a wide pool of costumes and characters to choose from, whether you enjoy the classics, the princesses or some of the new Disney character purchases like Marvel or Lucas Films.
15. Decades Night
Throw on a poodle skirt and twirl the night away or go even further back with a flapper dress and shiny shoes. Decades night guarantees a wide mix of costumes and a chance for everyone attending to get creative! If you want to take this party to the next level, consider planning a snack/drink option for each of the decades and a bumping playlist of all sorts of musical eras.
Photo by Carrie Borden on Unsplash
16. Fairytale Night
Cottage Core is all the rage these days, so why not make an evening out of it! Lean into your playful side with a fairytale night! Come dressed as a princess, a knight, a fairy or really anything you might imagine seeing as a local renaissance fair. If you’re the one hosting, be sure to supply lots of mead for your guests to drink!
17. A Groovy Night Out
Flowers, peace signs, smiley faces – that’s right, a groovy/bohemian themed night out where you can come dressed as a hippie in your most colorful attire. Order tie-dye kits and bead supplies to make friendship bracelets so all your guests can leave with a token to remember the night!
18. Midnight in Vegas
A casino themed party is always a recipe for a fun night! Nominate a few people to be the dealers and have everyone roll up in their finest attire, ready for a night of drinks and games. If there’s a large group coming, have everyone pay a ‘cover’ and contribute it to a grand party pot, for the ultimate winner of the casino games to take home at the end of the night!
Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash
19. Great Pumpkin: Carving Party
Hosting friends for a pumpkin carving party is a classic halloween celebration. Choose a theme and have everyone carve their own pumpkin based on it or print out stencils and provide supplies for them to create their own masterpieces. We recommend simple snacks and using a projector outside to stream ‘It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown’, for a nostalgic feel.
20. TV Show Characters
This can be a funny opportunity to share your personality a bit and tell everyone what shows you like to watch. Maybe you’re a fan of the spooky energy of the show ‘Wednesday’, or perhaps your house loves to gush over the lush costumes of Bridgerton. Whether you come dressed as Jim from the office or Grogu from the Mandalorian, everyone will surely love the effort of dressing up!
Photo by Michael Discenza on Unsplash
Be The Ghostest With The Mostest
Our blog offers so many recipe, drink and decor ideas to help you feel ultra-prepped for hosting your frightfully fun gathering. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and tag us in your party photos for a chance to be featured on our page!
