The weather is getting cooler and autumn is approaching. Now that we’re back from vacation, the kids are back at school, and life is getting back to its normal pace, we’re going to socialize more. Once again, it’s cozy fall food, football games, and starry nights. It’s also the time to start thinking about hosting fall parties. Autumn is my favorite season of the year because there are so many fun things to do.
Now that life has returned to its normal pace, it’s time to think about gathering with family and friends.
Here are some creative ideas to make your next party a success.
1. Autumn decorations
Decorating your home for fall is always fun, so why not make it a party? Invite friends over to help decorate the inside and outside of your home, serve snacks or have a potluck, and everyone can bring something together. If possible, the invited group can rotate weekends and help others decorate their homes as well.
You can divide your friends into two groups and one person can help decorate the inside and the other person can help decorate the outside. If you have a friend who loves landscaping, they’ll love helping you make your home and garden look its best. It’s mommy and pumpkin season after all!
2. Apple or Pumpkin Party
Apples are always a fall favorite, and there are so many things you can do for an apple party. Children can hunt for apples, make caramel apples, draw apples, and eat cinnamon sugar apple chips. Anyone can bring their own apple dessert. You can invite your friends over and make homemade apple pie, dumplings, fritters, applesauce, cider donuts, and more. You can buy a lot of different apples, do apple tasting, and drink apple cider.
Pumpkins are also popular this time of year. You can make all kinds of pumpkin-themed foods. Invite friends over for pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin chili, or creamy pumpkin soup. You can make all kinds of desserts like cupcakes, pumpkin spice cake, pumpkin rolls, and even pumpkin dessert enchiladas.
There are also various activities you can do with pumpkins. You and your friends can make pumpkin rolls, paint pumpkins for your porch, make pumpkin centerpieces, or paint pumpkins to hang on your wall. Children can play with fall-colored playdough and slime, draw on pumpkins with markers, and adults can also paint pumpkin faces and finger paint in fall colors.
If you’re itching to get everyone out of the house, head to your local apple orchard or pumpkin patch to get in the festive spirit!
3. Chili Cook-off
Gather your friends and enjoy some chili food. You can also hold contests based on the number of people and give prizes for the best mild, the spiciest, the spiciest, the best vegetarian, etc. If there are not many people coming, you can also serve chili peppers in different ways. For example, spaghetti, plain, or with toppings like cheese, jalapenos, or sour cream. Don’t forget the tortilla chips, croutons, and cornbread.
After eating, it’s time to watch soccer!
4. Hayride Fun
If you have a large property, such as a farm or a tractor with a wagon attached to it, why not invite some friends over for a hayride? Take them for a drive around the property, then bring everyone home for a cookout or a snack. Then, everyone can make their own scarecrow and take it home to place in the garden, or decorate it with pumpkins and place it on the balcony.
This time of year, everyone is looking for fun ways to spend time outdoors until winter forces us indoors. Enjoy the beautiful and refreshing evening to the fullest.
5. Desert Night
Invite your friends over for a dessert party. Make a few desserts like pies, cookies, cake/cheesecake, etc., or ask your friends to bring their favorite desserts and recipes to share. You can also choose a few different desserts and bake them with your friends.
6. Autumn Potluck
Invite the girls to a fall potluck of cozy food and hot desserts. Have them put on sweats or pajamas, then settle in and watch a movie. You can also choose a theme for your potluck, such as a fall casserole, fall soup, or fall chicken dish. The same goes for dessert. You can create categories for warm and cozy desserts (like apple cobbler), creamy and cool desserts (like pumpkin pudding trifle), and chewy desserts (like snickerdoodle cookies and pumpkin whoopie pie).
7. A cozy soup gathering
Invite your friends to a soup party. Have each person bring their favorite soup and 2-3 containers. This way, everyone can eat it and take it home for lunch the next day. You can also spread out different soups with your friends. For example, Stacey brings creamy soup, Liz brings soup-based soup, and Kelly brings her favorite chili. There are so many delicious fall soups to choose from, including chicken tortilla soup, potsticker soup, stuffed pepper soup, and creamy chicken and rice. Don’t forget to buy some crackers or bakery bread to go with this delicious meal.
8. Craft Day
Invite everyone and have a craft party. Choose some fun fall crafts to make with your friends, including fall-colored jewelry, fall centerpieces, and fall crafts that can be hung and displayed like wreaths. If you are not very handy, but your friends are, ask for their expertise in choosing a project and teaching everyone how to do it, such as knitting or crocheting. Scrapbooking or creating a book with Shutterfly is another option for this type of party. Serve snacks while you have fun and learn something new together.
9. Coffee bar
Invite your friends to our fun coffee bar featuring seasonal favorites like homemade pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider, and pumpkin pie coffee. Bring your favorite dessert and share it with a delicious drink. who knows? You might find a way to beat your local coffee shop’s fall specials.
10. Fall movies or football games.
Invite your friends to a fall-themed movie party. Ask everyone to bring their favorite fall movies or create a list in advance to see if they’re available to stream. We are big Hallmark fans in our house, and some of our favorite fall movies include Falling for Vermont, Sweet Autumn, October Kisses, and Autumn in the Vineyard.
Do you and your friends like sports? Have a party to watch the game? Have a friend dress up in team attire, and if your child has a toy pom-pom, borrow one to cheer on the team. Or if you were a cheerleader in high school and still have those pom poms, dig them out and enjoy them. Decorate your home with enemy team decorations to make it even more festive. In the meantime, grab some cornhole boards for some extra outdoor competition.
You can serve a light dinner like a sub, chips, and a drink, or simply offer a fall-themed trail mix, a few dips with chips, a fall-flavored dessert, and a drink. If you’re hosting a sports party, serve wings, dips, drinks, and a football-shaped cake or cupcakes decorated to look like football or the sport you’re watching.
Autumn is the perfect season to get together with friends. The weather is crisp, the air is at the perfect temperature, and everyone is excited for the new season. Combine all kinds of activities, cozy food, and delicious fall desserts and you’re sure to have a great time.
Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Natalia Malkova
Carrie Laurence is a freelance writer and author. Her work has been featured in Crosswalk, iBelieve, Huffington Post, and The Penny Hoarder. She is also the author of three children’s books, three pretty romance books, one romance novel, three poetry collections, and one nonfiction book. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, baking, reading, and spending time with her husband and cute cat, Cupcake. For more information about Carrie and her writing, please visit www.carrielowrance.com.
