How to Host a Spooktacular Halloween Party!

Double, double, toil, and trouble: dust off your cauldron and prepare to host a spooktacular Halloween bash. All Hallows Eve offers a once a year chance to throw an entertaining party full of food designed to gross out your guests, creative decorations, and tons of games. Ultimately it’s all about putting smiles on faces. We spoke with Ian Tomkins of Jokers’ Masquerade, Sharon McGrill of the Betty Brigade, and Greg Jenkins of Bravo Productions to find out how to do just that.

PLANNING

Budget: First things first, McRill, Tomkins, and Jenkins all say: set a budget. It will help determine the type of party you’re having, how many people to invite, and what kinds of food and drinks you’ll be serving. And remember, you don’t have spend a year’s salary to throw a totally creepy party. “Sometimes the most limited of budgets can inspire some of the best creativity and ingenuity,” Jenkins said.

Theme: After you’ve got the budget down, decide if you’re having a theme. For Halloween, keep it classic with themes like horror movie characters or monster costumes, said Tompkins. (Think witches, werewolves, and vampires, oh my!) “It’s just an effort to help people make a costume choice quicker and easier,” Tompkins said.

Guest List/Invitations: Next up, guest list and invitations. In this technologically advanced world, they may seem outdated but they’re always appreciated, for guests and for yourself. Guests will appreciate having all the relevant information (who, what, when, where, how) at hand, said Tompkins, and you’ll be able to keep track of how many guests will be arriving. Also, if you want your guests to help out with the food, now’s the time to tell them what to bring.

Next, decor and food… [pagebreak]

DECORATIONS

Before you raid your local party supply store, ask yourself some simple questions.

“Think about the overall or bigger vision for your decorations,” Jenkins said. “More specifically, what is it you want people to say about your decorations? Is it ‘Wow?’ Is it ‘Scary?’ Is it ‘Funny?’ Is it ‘Clever?’ Is it traditional ‘orange and black’ or ‘Orange is the New Black?’ The point is 
to think creatively.”

And keep it simple. McGrill suggests putting a tablecloth in a fall or neutral color on the dining room table and using candles and a group of small pumpkins or gourds as a centerpiece. (Bonus, you can use non-Halloween themed items for Thanksgiving). Or gather some colorful leaves from the yard and spread them out on the table.

Another place to find decorations is your home. Incorporate things that you already have around the house into your party and re-work them. Go through your closet, garage and storage areas to find things to use. And don’t be afraid to get crafty: old vases can be spray painted orange and black; melted candles make a spooky centerpiece; broken mirrors add a touch of fun house whimsy.

FOOD

Menu: If you’re not going the potluck route think of simple easy to make dishes. Remember people might have a hard time juggling a big plate in their costume so small bites are key. Mix up an array of salsa and chips and serve them out of coffin shaped bowls; for the kids dish out mummified hot dogs and homemade potato chips in Halloween-themed goodie bags; and for the grown ups, make up big batches of chili ladled into mini cauldrons.

Drinks: Make sure to have a dedicated drinks station with a kid-height table stocked with agua frescas, juice boxes, and mini bottle waters. And for the adults, a bar over dry ice (hello smoke!) with themed drinks like candy apple and candy corn margaritas!

Sweets: And don’t forget the candy! Mix up big batches of candy corn and peanut butter cups and set up a candy apple station with spooky toppings like dirt (crushed Oreos) and worms (the gummy kind, of course).

Next, how to keep your party entertained… [pagebreak]

ENTERTAINMENT

Mood: Set the mood by playing spooky music or even putting a scary video on in the background of your gathering. 

Games/Contests: If your guests are the fun-loving game type there are plenty of options. The simplest of which is a costume contest. Have your guests vote on the best adult contest, the best kid costume, or vote on categories such as most creative, funniest, scariest. Other games you can play are a zombie walk contest where guests win for scariest walk, most creative, best zombie. McRill suggests a sort of 20 questions game for adults and/or kids.

“The perfect game for adults or kids is “Halloween Who Am I?” On each guest’s back, place a sticker with the name of a different famous monster or scary character,” McRill said. “The guest must ask only yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are.”

Candy Collecting: Lastly, schedule some time for trick or treating! With so many adults at the party, take turns taking groups of kids around the neighborhood – it’s built in baby sitting and a fun activity for youngsters itching to fill their candy bags.