Our recent article gave you some ideas on throwing a spooky party themed around Halloween. In this piece, we’ll give you more ideas for another type of party.
With inflation continuously on the rise, people are adjusting accordingly and making wiser spending decisions. Instead of going out to restaurants where things can be expensive, dinner parties are now a popular alternative, as staying in is the new going out. Dinner parties can bring people together and be very entertaining, especially if they’re well-planned out with an exciting theme. Themes are add-ons to an already enjoyable event and make for fun amusement among guests, as our Halloween post showed.
We’ve put together some themes so the next time you invite friends over, you can go all in to make it even more memorable!
1. Wild West
A Wild West theme is an all-time favorite as it encompasses the history, folklore, and culture of the American frontier. Tell your guests to come dressed up as a sheriff, bandit, cowboy or cowgirl. They can wear classic cowboy hats, jeans, boots, and red bandanas. Be sure to double down on the décor and set your place up just like a wild western saloon with barn door coves, hay stack props, and wanted reward photo holders with your friend’s photos in them.
For the games, set up some dart boards and have teams of bandits play against the sheriffs or cowboys versus cowgirls. It’s not a wild western saloon without poker, so set up a wooden poker table for your guests to raise the stakes or call a bluff. If you don’t have a wooden table, you can use a wood-style plastic table cover – this option is much cheaper than buying a real one. For the classic western food, light up the grill and throw some hotdogs and burgers on them, and some sides of sweet potato hash and biscuits to complete the meal.
2. Casino Night
Everyone enjoys getting dressed up for a casino night, especially for a themed party. Tell the gentlemen to come in James Bond-style tuxedos and be Dressed to Kill in a black suit. The ladies can pull out a cocktail dress and glam up. Keep it classy and serve your guests finger foods like chicken fingers, cheese sticks, and mushroom caps.
You may wish to have some casino games, of course, and roulette might be a challenge as it’s such a large piece of furniture, so perhaps poker might fit well. To make it feel like you’re playing poker in a casino, ensure you have proper poker chips and maybe even a green felt table to complete the aesthetic. If you don’t want to invest in chips, blackjack is an option, as it’s an easy game to learn and is a great form of fast-paced entertainment. Remember, your goal is to make it memorable for your guests, and great games are a must!
3. 80’s America
America has had many great decades, and the ’80s is definitely one of them, filled with pop culture, fashion, styles and games. Tell your guests to get into their favorite 80’s attire and come dressed in broad shoulder pads, ripped-knee jeans, legwarmers, and spandex. You can have a best 80’s hairstyle contest– the biggest perm for the ladies and the longest mullets for the men. Try and get a hold of classic 80’s video games, like Pac-Man, Mario Bros, and Duck Hunt. The game consoles may be difficult to come by, so as a backup, you can have Mr Potato Head, Etch-A-Sketch, and a pogo ball available for entertainment.
The 80s was a memorable time of classic foods, so be sure to bring back the memories. You can serve your guests Cool Ranch Doritos, gigantic jawbreakers, and of course, sloppy joes! People will get a kick out of dressing up and eating the good stuff from the good old days.
Getting together with friends doesn’t mean you must go out to expensive places and spend lots of money. You can have a great dinner party with them right at home! Try out these theme ideas and give your friends a memorable night to enjoy.
