10 Ideas for the Perfect Halloween Party (for Adults!)

Kids Halloween parties are a cinch: simply provide candy, candy, more candy, and a few spooky decorations. While those parties from childhood were a blast, hosting the perfect grown-up Halloween party takes a little more finesse.

Here are ten ideas to plan the perfect Halloween party for adults.

1. Provide Mysteriously Delicious Dips

Unless you are going for a truly fancy soiree, most guests expect a spread of easy to eat finger foods and appetizers at a Halloween party. There’s no need to skimp on quality and taste factor, however. Lay out a spread of great dips and provide a variety of dunkable snacks for guests to choose from.

For example, line up small bowls of guacamole, hummus, white bean dip, spinach artichoke dip and queso, then lay out a spread of Riceworks crisps, pretzels, flatbread, crackers and veggies. Guests can mix and match dips and dunkers and choose their favorite mysteriously delicious combo.

2. Host a Carving Party

You may think that carving pumpkins is for kids, but this pastime can be the perfect opportunity for friends to get together, socialize and express their artistic side. Provide wine and pumpkin themed appetizers, then spread out a few layers of newspaper and get to work. Have a friend or two prepare the discarded seeds for roasting while guests carve, then send home goodie bags of freshly roasted seeds with your guests.

3. Make This “Bloody” Drink

Who says punch is only for kids or church potlucks? Spookify this punch by combining deeply red (and deeply delicious) blood oranges, orange soda and lime juice. Keep it as is, or spice it up with your favorite mixer for a truly grown-up twist.

4. Choose a Color Scheme Beyond Black and Orange

While black and orange is a fun Halloween combo for kids, black and white, black and purple, or even a monochromatic color scheme can add a little sophistication to your tablescape and decorations. As an added bonus, leftover cups, plates and streamers can be incorporated into other parties throughout the year without screaming “October.”

5. Give Your Guests a Costume Theme

Spark creativity in your guests by giving them a loose costume theme to adhere to for your party. “Dead Celebrities, ”Let it All Fang Out,” “Villains and Heroes” or even a simple “Black and White” theme ensures that your guests will arrive in costume, and will likely surprise you with their choices. Up the ante by offering prizes for Best Costume, Most Creative Costume, or Funniest Costume.

6. Host a Murder Mystery Dinner

Murder mystery dinner parties are no longer the purview of venues with the space and money to hire a troupe of actors and a kitchen staff. With websites like mymysteryparty.com and nightofmystery.com, you can easily host a party right in your own home with the click of a button. Tell guests to come with their sleuthing hats on and appetites ready to go.

7. Make This Scary-Good Appetizer

Show your guests that you’ve thought beyond kids’ Halloween fare with these grown up Shrimp and Crab Cakes featuring Riceworks Sweet Chili Crisps. Packing the savory sweet flavors of shrimp and crab with a kick of nutty spice from the crisps shows guests that this party is anything but childlike.

8. Bob For
These Wicked Apples

While a Halloween party for adults may be a touch more sophisticated than one for kids, there’s no reason to completely neglect those traditions from the past. For example, re-imagine the old game, Bobbing for Apples. Adult guests likely won’t want to dunk their heads into a bucket of water, but they probably won’t mind a clever twist on the game with these grown-up apple ideas.

9. Go Trick or Treating, Grown-up Style

Don’t want to host an all-nighter at your place? Gather four or five of your friends, and plan a “Trick or Treat” progressive dinner. Start with cocktails and appetizers at one house, end with desserts at another. That way, each host is only responsible for one part of the evening, and guests get to remember a little bit of what it’s like to re-experience a childhood tradition.

10. Prepare a Sophisticated Candy “Bar”

For a more mature take on pillowcases and plastic pumpkins full of the good stuff, lay out a self-serve candy bar for your guests. Leave small bags at the start of the bar, the provide dishes of sweets and small scoops for friends to customize their perfect candy bag. Malt balls, gum drops and candy corn are great basics for your bar, while chocolate covered pretzels, marshmallows or even potato chips pump up the sophistication a notch.

Have other creative grown-up Halloween ideas? Tell us in the comments, or let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

Image Credits:
Little Dipper Pumpkin Pie Dip
Murder Mystery Dinner