The holiday season will be here before you know it, bringing with it plenty of parties, but let’s be honest: You certainly don’t need a grand occasion to throw a memorable gathering. If you’re itching to entertain and are looking to make the average Friday night feel a little more festive, I’m here to help. A themed event is just what you need to spice up your weekend plans, and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money to organize one. Read on for five super simple yet creative “just because” party themes you can try starting this weekend!
Midnight madness
Swifties, this one is for you. If you, like me, are counting down the minutes until Taylor releases her latest album, Midnights, then of course you need to throw a little get together to celebrate! Even if you can’t take a day off this Friday to listen to the album all day (although, to be honest, I’m betting some people will do exactly that), plan on having a group of friends over once the clock strikes 5. p. listen up In the spirit of the album’s name, dress in your chicest black outfit, pop some champagne, and whip up your favorite midnight snacks (pizza, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies, and the like). Seriously, can you think of a better way to spend the night?
Post-Halloween Sugar Rush
Between football games, fall trips, October weddings, and all sorts of other events, this season can be busy. If you’ve been having trouble finding a date for all your friends to get together before Halloween, there’s still time to dress up and celebrate as a group. As you probably know by now, November 1st is a great day to host a post-Halloween get-together, as bags of candy will be on sale. Head to your local CVS or Target and stock up on goodies galore, then listen to that Halloween playlist (or Hocus Pocus 2) just one more time for a night of dress-up and conversation with your crew. The spooky season doesn’t have to end yet!
Fall Fashion & Accessories Swap
This party idea is not new: basically, you and each of your guests will go through your cupboards and bring back some items that you no longer use to trade with the rest of the group. For a fun twist, we like the idea of making this party specifically focused on accessories and skipping the clothes. After all, jewelry and bags are great one-size-fits-all pieces, and we tend to rotate ours on a regular basis. You could even structure this a bit like a White Elephant party, where guests draw numbers from a hat to determine “shopping” order and a certain amount of “stealing” is allowed.
Party to make a new friend
Sure, parties with the same group of five to 10 people have a certain level of comfort to them. But why not expand your social circle a bit by throwing a party where each guest can bring a friend that the rest of the group doesn’t know? Who knows, maybe your best friend’s coworker shares your interest in starting a book club, or your roommate’s cousin follows the same trail you like to take on Saturday mornings. There’s a whole world of not-so-strangers who could end up becoming great friends, and they can become regulars in your social circle after this!
Takeout Tasting Party
The other day while ordering my usual UberEats (chicken pad thai), I realized how many places around me offer this exact same dish. If only there was some way to form an official ranking of the best version of the city… Well, there may be! Poll your friends on a dish you’re itching to rank (maybe it’s spaghetti carbonara, pepperoni pizza, or chicken and broccoli) and coordinate who will order at each restaurant. When all the orders come in, everyone can take part in an official taste test and share their preferences at the end of the night. Be sure to stock up on a variety of beverages and plenty of utensils to make this gathering easy and fun!