4 Tips for Hosting A Frightfully Fun Halloween Party

Oct 12, 2022

Halloween is a great time to get friends together for a night full of ghost stories, costumes, spooky games and music and scary-good food! But hosting a Halloween gathering can feel like a lot of pressure—and you want to ensure your guests have fun while you stay as stress-free as possible.

To ensure your monster mash is spook-tacular for your guests and runs without a hitch, check out these 4 tips for hosting your next Halloween party.

Pick the Right Décor For Your Venue

Are you hosting at your home or outside? Or are you going big and renting out a space? Once you’ve decided on a place, it’s easier to find Halloween party decorations to match your location. Flickering orange lights, fake spiderwebs and pumpkin candles are all great options for any spot, but other decorations—like Halloween tableware and drinkware—may be dependent on where you’re hosting.

You may not want to use glassware, for example, at outdoor locations or at a rented space, since these items will be harder to travel with and could easily break. At these venues, disposable or lightweight decorations will be easier to put up (and take down). Consider using a paper or felt table runner or hanging lightweight decorations on the walls.

If you’re hosting at your home, it’s much easier to go all out on tableware. From fun cocktail glasses to Halloween-inspired appetizer plates, you can get creative with items you’ll be able to use year after year.

Choose Party-Friendly Finger Foods

You can’t have a party without food! For easier cleanup and to ensure people have something to graze on all night, try cooking up some utensil-free appetizers that guests can help themselves to.

If you’re looking for Halloween party food ideas, consider making a charcuterie board or platter filled with creamy cheeses, salami, nuts, jams, olives and fruit. We love this Fall-Inspired Cheese Board for inspiration. You could even add a Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus on the side, complete with finger foods like pretzels, pita crackers, carrots or celery sticks.

Need more spooky inspo? Check out our family-friendly Halloween-themed cooking class for new treats to delight all your ghoulish guests.

Prepare Refreshments for A Crowd

For a Halloween party cocktail, consider getting the ingredients for a classic Manhattan—a mix of bourbon or rye, sweet vermouth, a dash of aromatic bitters and a cherry for garnish (which would look extra spooky with Sur La Table Skull Cocktail Picks). The red hue gives this drink a vampire-worthy vibe and is relatively quick and simple to make for guests on the fly. You could also make this in a larger batch, but just be sure to chill the cocktail mix beforehand or set your punch bowl in ice, as you don’t want ice to melt in the drink itself and water it down.

Another great choice for a Halloween party drink is a Spiced Negroni, which boasts transitional fall flavors like chai tea, cinnamon and orange peel mixed with gin, Campari and sweet vermouth.

For a non-alcoholic Halloween drink option, we also love a hot Mulled Cider. Featuring warm flavors like apple, maple syrup, cinnamon and cloves, this hot beverage would be perfect bubbling in a pumpkin Dutch oven or black stockpot (also known, on October 31^st, as a cauldron) over the stove.

Delight With A Themed Dessert

While you can always put out a bowl of candy for a sweet treat at your party, there are tons of Halloween desserts that are sure to thrill your guests and add a fun element to your overall Halloween décor. At your next monster mash, consider using a Halloween-themed cake mold or cookie cutter to make a spooky shape or frightfully fun design with your favorite recipe.

Get the little ones involved with these sweet treats from our Halloween-themed baking classes!

For Halloween recipe inspiration, check out these Dark Chocolate Skull Cakes, which boast rich and decadent dark chocolate with a hint of citrus. Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes are another delicious Halloween dessert. You could even set up a decorating station and let guests decorate their own cupcakes with garnishes like sprinkles, gummy worms, candy corns and other fun toppings.