It’s officially autumn! If you live in a corner of the world with four seasons, your leaves are starting to change colors, the air is starting to cool, and the days are getting shorter. But once October hits, Halloween officially takes over. Costume parties, pumpkin carving parties, spooky movies, giant skeletons, and, of course, fun-sized candy.
But Halloween doesn’t have to get all the attention. There are plenty of reasons to celebrate fall, from enjoying the last few weeks of comfortable outdoor weather to fully embracing the return of comfort foods. So give the costumes and candy a rest. Here are seven fall party ideas that have nothing to do with Halloween.
Turn a Bonfire Into a Cookout
A bonfire is already a good way to get people together. But instead of making it a cozy detail, make it part of dinner. Build your menu around foods guests can actually cook over the fire. Hot dogs and sausages are easy options, but you can also make foil packets of vegetables, campfire nachos, baked potatoes, mountain pies, or even baked apples for dessert. We highly recommend investing in a Pie Iron to open up some more food options. And of course, don’t skip classic s’mores.
Set out roasting sticks, foil, seasonings, sauces, and toppings, then let everyone make their own meal. You can also turn it into a potluck by asking each guest to bring something that can be cooked, warmed, or toasted over the fire. Just make sure you have some backups that don’t require the fire.
Bring Back Field Day
Remember elementary school Field Day? For one glorious day, the regular school day stopped, and everyone went outside to play games, have a little treat, and maybe even leave early. Well, there’s no reason we can’t do this as adults.
Divide guests into teams, pick team colors or mascots, and set up a lineup of games. Three-legged races, egg-and-spoon relays, water balloon tosses, cornhole, sack races, horseshoes…even tug-of-war. Keep score throughout the day and have some prizes ready for the winning team. Most of these games don’t require anyone to be particularly athletic. Mix physical games with activities that rely more on luck than skill so everyone has a chance to contribute.
For a larger group, look for a park, field, or outdoor event venue with enough room to spread out. Wrap up the party with some traditional cookout nosh, a popsicle, or some ice cream to bring the nostalgia.
Host a Soup Swap
You’ve heard of a cookie swap around the holiday season. But what about a soup swap as we transition into the chillier months?
Ask your guests to make a big batch of their favorite soup, stew, or chili and bring enough to share. Instead of eating everything at the party, divide it up so each guest goes home with a few different soups to stash in the fridge or freezer.
Create a spreadsheet to send out where everyone can list what they’re going to bring ahead of time. That way you don’t end up with five crockpots of white bean chicken chili. You can also have guests note any dietary restrictions and extra toppings or sides they’ll bring. Decide if you want to have guests bring their own takeaway containers or provide those for them.
As for the party itself, keep everything simple. Serve bread, cheese, some drinks, and a few of the soups for dinner. By the end of the night, everyone will head home with full bellies and several ready-to-reheat meals for the next chilly day.
Host a Pie Bake-Off
Fall is pie season. Sweet, savory, and everything in between, there are plenty of options to put your friends’ baking skills to the test with a pie bake-off.
Ask everyone to bring their best homemade pie and then set up a tasting table with small slices so everyone can sample each pie. Stick with the classic fall flavors like apple, pumpkin, and pecan, or leave the rules wide open to fruit pies, cream pies, pot pies, hand pies, or anything else your friends want to bring to the table.
Come up with some categories for everyone to vote on like Best Overall, Best Crust, Most Creative, and Best-Looking. For a fair competition, keep the bakers anonymous until after the votes are tallied. Of course, not every piece of pie is going to be eaten, so make sure to have some takeaway containers ready to divide up what’s left.
Host a Fall Clothing Swap
When the seasons change, so do the clothes. Before you pack away your t-shirts, shorts, and sandals to make room for sweaters, jackets, and boots, invite your friends over for a clothing swap. Ask everyone to clean out their closets and bring anything they no longer wear, from clothes and shoes to bags and jewelry. Set everything out by type and then create a changing area where your guests can try things on. Make sure there is plenty of lighting, some mirrors, and a little privacy.
Ask your guests to bring a reusable shopping bag to take home their new finds or provide them yourself as a useful party favor. Keep the rest of the party casual with light snacks, drinks, and a good playlist. At the end of the night, anything left over can be donated.
Put on a Porch Concert
Turn your front porch into a stage for the afternoon and invite everyone over for some live music. Ask a local band, musician, or a few talented friends to jam while guests bring lawn chairs and blankets and settle into the yard. Set up some string lights to soften the porch lighting and grab some heavy-duty extension cords to plug in any equipment.
Keep it casual by making the party BYO: bring your own beverages, food, coolers, and chairs. Invite the neighbors to wander over and make room for passersby who may be curious about what’s going on. Pick a day when the weather is still comfortable and enjoy one of the last chances to spend a few hours outside before winter arrives.
Plan a Progressive Dinner
Take your dinner party on the road with a progressive dinner. Gather up your neighbors, choose a few houses, and spend your evening eating your way from one house to the next. Meet at the first for drinks and appetizers, walk to the next for the main course, and make one last stop for dessert.
Nobody has to host the entire party and you get to spend the evening eating, drinking, and making your way around the neighborhood together. Plus, those walks between courses give you a little extra time to enjoy the fall weather before everyone starts spending the next few months avoiding the outdoors.
Conclusion
With Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the December holidays all within three months of each other, fall can start to feel like one long countdown until the next big occasion. But you don’t need a holiday, birthday, or other milestone to give everyone a reason to get together. Sometimes the best parties are the ones you throw just because everyone has a free Saturday and it sounds like fun.
So call your friends, pick an idea, and put something on the calendar. Take advantage of the fall weather while you still can, try something you haven’t done before, and don’t worry about turning it into a major production. Winter and all those holidays will be here soon enough, so enjoy the slower days of fall while they last.
Kadi McDonald is a freelance writer, marketing strategist, and proud Cleveland sports fan.
