If you’ve always considered Halloween a holiday that’s just for kids, think again. Grownups enjoy a spooky, scary get-together just as much as children do and they can stay up until the wee hours to make the most of it. This year, plan a fun, funky Halloween party for the adults in your life and once the trick-or-treaters have gone home, let the games begin.
Dazzling Décor
To properly set the mood, it’s crucial that you decorate your party venue by incorporating Halloween colors and objects. Opt for a theme of all black with accents of orange to convey that Halloween feeling. String faux cobwebs on the wall or drape them across a black tablecloth for a dramatic effect. Place skulls of varying sizes in strategic locations around the room and add an array of jack-o-lanterns in dark corners where their flicking candlelight will create an eerie atmosphere. Hang strands of fairy lights to complete the mystical, magical atmosphere without making the room too bright.
Tantalizing Treats
When you’re having guests over for Halloween, make sure you have plenty of naughty noshes on hand with which to feed them, especially when alcohol is being served. The treats will soak up the booze and keep your guests from becoming tipsy from drinking on an empty stomach. While handfuls of candy are fine for the kids, adults prefer heartier party fare. Form a cheese ball into the shape of a pumpkin, use a short length of a pretzel stick for the stem and provide an assortment of flavorful crackers on the plate surrounding the cheese ball. Create deviled eggs that resemble eyeballs by coloring the filling made from yolks green and placing a slice of black olive in the center to look like a pupil. Serve blackened, barbecued ribs on the bone for a macabre treat. Make sugar cookies shaped like pumpkins, ghosts and skulls and ice them in the appropriate colors for a sugary treat to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.
Cunning Costumes
Adults often get a bigger kick out of dressing up for Halloween than children do. Ensure that you alert guests to the fact that you party is a costume party when you send your invitations. Invite everyone to dress as their alter ego when they come. Expect your guests to show up in costumes that range from superheroes to movie or literary characters to scary witches, warlocks and vampires. Maybe you’ll even see a serial killer or two at your soiree. Choose a flashy costume for yourself that sets you head and shoulders above everyone else and sets the tone for your guests to follow.
Diabolical Drinks
When everyone’s cutting loose at a Halloween party, they’ll probably enjoy partaking of a couple of Halloween-themed drinks. Incorporate the juice from blood oranges into a variety of mixed drinks to create a red glow that will send chills up and down the spines of your guests. Alternatively, serve Bloody Marys with a celery stick for an orange appearance that keeps with the holiday theme.
Exciting Entertainment
While some parties swing into full gear without any help, you may want to ensure that you provide entertainment for your guests. Plan fun Halloween-themed games and award prizes to the winners. Hold a costume contest to judge whose costume was the most original, scariest, sexiest and/or funniest. Incorporate music into your party by playing Halloween favorites like “Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” “Ghostbusters” and other spooky songs.
Even if you have obligations to the little ones during the early hours of Halloween, you can always hold your party on the weekend before beggar’s night or in the hours after trick-or-treating is done. The important thing is that you add touches to your Halloween party that appeal to the adults, even when they’re simply kids at heart.
For more Halloween ideas, party supplies and servingware, visit Blackhawk’s Housewares department.
