It’s officially fall, and that means Halloween is right around the corner. Though trick-or-treating and haunted houses are all the rage this season, throwing a backyard Halloween party with your friends and family can be a wonderful way to show off your incredible outdoor space and enjoy the crisp fall weather. For an unforgettable and ghoulish experience, continue reading below as we share our expert tips for throwing a spooktacular Halloween extravaganza right in your own backyard.
Choose a Theme & Decorate
To start off your party planning, narrow down your theme. Maybe you want to do a classic haunted house, a spooky carnival, or simply a black and orange theme. Make sure you carry the theme through your entire party from decorations to the menu you select.
Once you’ve chosen your theme, you can start gathering decorations to adorn your backyard area. You can place pumpkins and gourds around your outdoor space for a more natural and organic look. Or, consider hanging ghostly figures from trees, scattering tombstones around the yard, draping fake cobwebs, or placing creepy silhouettes on your windows.
A fog machine is always a good idea for a backyard Halloween party, as it can add some drama and an eerie ambiance to your space. Plus, a great finishing touch for the day of the party is to have a creepy playlist of spooky sounds and music playing from a speaker throughout the backyard area.
Plan Activities
Consider planning some activities for your party. You don’t have to go overboard with a strict minute-by-minute schedule, but it can be a good idea to have some Halloween-themed activities to entertain your guests.
One idea is to throw a costume contest. Make sure you inform your guests ahead of time so they can prepare with their best garb, but this is something that everyone can participate in and stays within the spirit of Halloween. Nominate some judges to determine the winning costume of the night, and have a prize available for the winner.
Some other ideas include having an outdoor movie night with a projector and a sheet to view a scary flick. Or, you may consider planning a classic activity like bobbing for apples or a pumpkin carving contest. Whichever activity you choose, make sure you prepare the proper materials, and inform guests of any additional items they may need to bring themselves.
Create a Menu
If you have an outdoor kitchen, throwing a backyard Halloween party gives you the perfect opportunity to show it off by preparing themed treats. Get creative with your menu, and make sure you label each dish so your guests know the spooky name for each item. You can even add dry ice around the kitchen area for some extra spooky ambiance.
There are tons of playful and delicious recipes you can try out for your Halloween party, like serving ‘Mummy Dogs’, which are hot dogs wrapped in biscuit dough to look like mummies. Or, maybe you can prepare some rice cereal treats with Halloween-themed sprinkles, or create a ‘Witch’s Brew’ punch with gummy eyeballs and worms floating around for extra drama.
Make sure you have tablecloths, cutlery, and plates that match your theme for additional detail that your guests will appreciate.