Written by Cassidy Leighty

Graphic by Mikayla Buneta

Although it’s frightening to think that October is already here and midterms are lurking in the dark corner of the room ready to jump-scare us any second now, this month also symbolizes the best part of fall. The weather is starting to hit that perfect temperature, and the anticipation for Halloween is almost unbearable. If you’re anything like me, you know that Halloween is the best holiday. It’s the only time of the year you can dress up with your friends, be completely unhinged, and participate in spooky, scary activities such as watching movies about the undead–as well as attempting to contact the dead. If you are trying to get your own coven of witches together on Halloween this year, here is the guide to planning the perfect Halloween party.

Dress Code

If this is a true Halloween party, of course your guests will be expected to wear costumes. That being said, it’s up to you if you want to have a general theme for the costumes. For example, if this spooky social gathering is just going to be you and a small group of friends, you could have everyone aim for a similar vibe, like “witch”, “vampire”, or “clown.” This will make for some great group photos of you and your cult of followers. If you are planning on having a bigger party, you could have everyone dress in a funny costume or come in a couples/best friends costume. Setting parameters for the dress code might also take the stress off of your guests when trying to come up with an original costume. 

Decorations

To save some money on decorations, try hitting up local thrift stores before going to Spirit Halloween (I know it’s tempting, but it will give your wallet a good scare). The essentials are creepy lighting and fake spiderwebs. Try switching your light bulbs out for black lights or fun-colored light bulbs, and consider buying a strobe light to take things to the next level. Anything jack-o’-lantern or skeleton related will be a perfect addition, but you don’t need to get crazy with the decor. You just need enough to put people in a spooky state of mind.

Food and Beverages

You want to treat your guests to plenty of drinks and snacks (this will also keep the zombies and vampires from getting the munchies). Halloween candy is a must, duh! You can find so many Halloween themed snack ideas on Pinterest. Just to name a few, mummy jalapeno poppers, spider web pretzels, and candy corn shaped rice krispies are sure to be a hit. As for drinks, you want to offer a spooky punch option. First, pick your drink of choice, then I would suggest adding food coloring to make the punch an unexpected color such as purple, green, or black, and dry ice is a must for dramatic effect. 

Music

Songs from popular Halloween movies such as “Hocus Pocus” and “Rocky Horror Picture Show” tend to be crowd-pleasers. You can find so many Halloween themed playlists on Spotify that include creepy classics such as “Thriller,” “Monster Mash,” and “Ghostbusters.” No matter what direction you want to take your Halloween playlist, make sure it’s at least 3-4 hours long to keep the ghosts of playlists’ past from haunting you!

Activities

Since the temperature starts to drop significantly around the night of Halloween, a bonfire would be perfect for your Halloween party. If you do plan to entertain your ghostly guests outdoors, be sure to provide enough chairs and blankets, or tell people to bring their own. If a bonfire is not an option, you could have a scary movie marathon and show all the classic slasher flicks. Be sure to include films such as “Candy Man” and “Friday the 13th” to give your guests a good scare. If your ghoulish crowd is down to play some games, you could play a Halloween version of “Who am I?” where you write down a bunch of Halloween characters on Post-it notes and stick them on your foreheads. Then, take turns asking questions about your character until someone guesses right. If your crowd is into darker things, you could play with a Ouija board or take turns reading each other’s Tarot cards. 

Hopefully, this guide gets you in the Halloween spirit. You can take your Halloween party in so many different directions, so be creative with it! And just remember to have fun, because Halloween is a time to let loose and release your inner freak!