Looking for some cozy fall party ideas? From pumpkin carving to bonfires and outdoor movie nights, I have 15+ amazing ideas to inspire your gathering.
15+ Cozy Fall Party Ideas for This Holiday Season
1. Pumpkin Carving Party
It doesn’t get much cozier than a pumpkin carving party. First, set the scene with cozy fairy lights and flickering lanterns. Light candles that smell like cinnamon or your favorite fall scent (make sure they’re in a safe place and don’t leave them unattended).
Decorate the rest of your space with fall decor, like stacked pumpkins or leaf garland.
Set up a table at the center of the room that’s big enough for everyone to work on.
You can either have everyone bring their own pumpkins or supply them. Make sure everyone has their own set of carving tools, and you can even offer stencils for everyone to use.
Serve tasty snacks, set up a hot cocoa bar and create a spooky playlist to set the mood.
2. Outdoor Movie Night
If the weather permits, host an outdoor movie night. Set up your outdoor space with cozy blankets to sit on, outdoor pillows and extra blankets to keep warm.
Get a projector and screen – or project the movie onto the side of your house if you have the option. Add some ambient lighting, like outdoor string lights and LED lanterns.
You can serve movie snacks, like popcorn and candy. Or you can go all-out and order some pizzas.
You don’t necessarily have to watch scary movies. You can pick whatever genre you want.
3. Outdoor Table Inspo
Planning an outdoor party? Set up a big dining table to create a cozy and intimate atmosphere. To keep with the fall theme, layer your table with a black tablecloth and orange throw blankets for each guest.
At the center of the table, add black candles and an arrangement of pumpkins. The orange and white colors will contrast nicely against the black tablecloth.
Serve warm dishes and wine to keep everyone cozy while you converse and enjoy some laughs.
4. Fall Cheese Board
Here’s one of my favorite fall party ideas: a fall cheese board. This spread is stacked with sliced apples, sugared cranberries, crusty bread, jam and a tasty pumpkin baked brie at the center.
You can customize your board however you want. You can add more sliced cheeses – sharp cheddar pairs well with tart apple slices. Or you can add different fruits. Nuts would also make a great addition.
Get as creative as you want and add items that you know your guests will love.
5. Cider and Hot Chocolate Bar
You can’t have a fall party without hot cider and hot chocolate. Set up a little bar to serve both. You can do this outside or inside.
Decorate the table with scattered fall leaves, LED candles and decorative pumpkins. Set out mugs for your guests and two hot beverage dispensers: one for hot water and one for hot cider. Add packets of hot chocolate, marshmallows and disposable spoons to your setup to ensure everyone has everything they need.
6. Pumpkin Bowling
Here’s a fun activity you can do at your cozy party if you plan on hosting it outdoors. You’ll need about a dozen hay bales, some outdoor bowling pins and some pumpkins for this activity. Have your guests roll pumpkins on their sides towards the pins to see how many they can knock down.
Give the winner a prize and celebrate with some hot chocolate afterward.
7. Soup Bar
Not sure what to serve at your party? Why not set up a soup bar? You can offer four or five different soups and set up bowls of toppings to add, like crackers and cheese.
You can use Sterno fuel cans to keep the soup hot while everyone helps themselves.
Pumpkin and potato soup are classic options, but you can also serve tomato soup or other flavors that you love.
Be sure to decorate the space with faux leaf garland, candles and other fun fall decor items.
8. S’mores at the Fire Pit
Make your cozy party warm and inviting by having your guests make s’mores over the fire pit. Set up hay bales to sit on and pack warm blankets, so everyone stays cozy.
You can even serve other snacks, like caramel apples and popcorn.
Have your guests share scary stories or sing songs by the fire.
9. Fall Charcuterie
Who doesn’t love fall party ideas like this one? These fall charcuterie board ideas are perfect for cozy gatherings.
The House of Hood has so many different ideas for inspiration, but my favorite has caramel popcorn, grapes, berries, candies, cheese and other fall-colored foods.
You can add whatever you want to your board, or even transform it into a dessert board with cookies, wafers, chocolate and more. They even suggest a pie board with mini and large fall pies, along with fruits and cookies.
The combinations are endless, and your guests will devour every last bite, whether you go with classic charcuterie or something sweeter.
10. Backyard Bonfire Party
A cozy backyard bonfire party is the perfect way to celebrate the season with your friends or family.
If you haven’t already, set up a fire pit and chairs. Add warm blankets and pillows for each seat, so everyone will be comfortable outside. Hang string lights to make the space feel warm and inviting.
Add some musical instruments to the setup, like a tambourine, guitar and hand drum, for a spontaneous music session.
If you don’t have any musicians in your group, then bring out a Bluetooth speaker and play some relaxing acoustic guitar music.
Stargazing could be another fun activity. Bring a portable telescope and use a star constellation guide to make identification easier.
You can serve snacks and even set up a s’mores bar. If you want something more formal, you can set up a dining table nearby to serve dinner near the fire pit.
11. Popcorn Bar
Popcorn is a great addition to fall party ideas. You can fill wooden barrels or buckets with both popcorn and candy corns.
12. Witch’s Hat Ring Toss
I’m shocked I haven’t seen this game more often at fall parties. If you’ve played ring toss before, it’s the same concept but with witch hats. You’ll need to go to your local hardware store or Home Depot and purchase plywood for the base.
On top of the wood, you’ll nail or glue witch hats, like these.
And then you’ll buy rings to toss on them and can play with your friends. Ring toss is an easy game. Assign number values to each hat, allow players to toss their rings to try and land on a hat, and tally up each player’s total score.
You may have players throw 5 rings a round and choose any number of rounds you wish.
Don’t want to make your own ring toss from scratch? Here’s an affordable option using inflatable witch hats.
13. Magical Pumpkin Pasties
Pumpkin pasties with powdered sugar sprinkled on top are delicious, and even the idea of it right now is making me hungry. Harry Potter inspired this dish, which uses pumpkin filling, pie crusts, cream cheese, brown sugar, cornstarch, canned pumpkin puree, egg yolks, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and heavy cream.
And for the egg wash, you’ll need:
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Turbinado sugar
- Pumpkin pie spice
From start to finish, you’ll spend about 50 minutes making these pasties.
14. Autumn Fog Tea Latte
I love how in this Pin, they have cute Halloween mugs to hold their delish autumn fog latte. For the actual latte itself, you’ll bring a kettle to a boil and then add loose-leaf tea to your infuser. While your tea is steeping, you’ll mix the following in a large metal mixing bowl:
- Milk
- Vanilla syrup
Froth your milk, and if it’s not frothing, add in sugar and vanilla syrup. Autumnal flavored tea works well for this recipe, along with cinnamon because, well, it’s the best fall spice there is, right?
While the author recommends almond milk, you can try other versions if you like.
15. Fall Afternoon Tea
Want one of the coziest fall party ideas? Try afternoon tea. You can take this idea to the next level with the help of quick snacks, such as:
- Apple spice scones
- Cream scones
- Pumpkin bundt cake
- Maple spice sandwich cookies
For the tea, you can choose anything you like. Black tea pairs well with all of the food ideas above, but so does Earl Grey tea.
Can’t choose?
You can try a tea bundle that gives you the opportunity to try multiple teas to see which flavor you like best.
16. Spooky Entryway
Fall is one of my favorite times of year, and walking into your home should remind you of that. You can recreate this entryway with freshly carved pumpkins on either side of your doorway or gate doors.
Add hanging fall garland, like this one, and outdoor crow or raven decorations.
A note on the garland. You may not need it if you have the right landscaping, but if you do plan on buying some, be sure it’s an outdoor product. Otherwise, one rainstorm will ruin your decorations.
