For many people, hosting a fall festival at your house, local park, or other outdoor venue is as scary as walking through a graveyard on Halloween night. But it doesn’t have to be! So, if you are on the fence, let me encourage you with these five tips for hosting a fall festival.
Fall is, well, almost in the air! If you are like me, you usher in the fall vibe well before the weather gets the memo; it’s time for crisp mornings, cool afternoons, and chilly nights cuddled up by the fire. Even though I may be sweating while indulging in my pumpkin spice latte, the calendar has turned to October, so I am officially jumping into fall. One of my favorite ways to celebrate fall is by hosting a fall festival.
Often, churches, communities, and towns will organize various fall gatherings; I find it fun to carve out some time (pun intended) to celebrate with friends and family. For many people, hosting a fall festival at your house, local park, or other outdoor venue is as scary as walking through a graveyard on Halloween night. But it doesn’t have to be! So, if you are on the fence, let me encourage you with these five tips for hosting a fall festival.
1. Consider the Weather in Your Area
I know; I just complained about it still being in the 80s in the South for most of October, but if you are experiencing cooler temperatures, that will play a significant role in your planning. If you have the luxury of warmer temperatures, plan to be outside. This will reduce pre- and post-cleaning and offer more room for guests.
Fear not if the temperatures are already dropping; you can still host a fall festival outdoors, assuming it’s not snowing (it’s happened); just plan around the warmest part of the day. Most party-goers will plan to stay for two hours, maybe less if small children are invited, so even if it is more relaxed, being outside should be okay for a short period.
2. Book the Venue
If you can, host in your backyard. Are you friendly with your neighbors? Ask if people can park in front of their house. They might even be okay with your setting up games or tabes in their front yard; it never hurts to ask. Do you have an aunt that lives on a couple of acres? A friend who has a connection to a small farm or wooded area?
Ask if they would be open to co-hosting or allowing you to host a fall festival at their place. If hosting at a house isn’t an option, contact public parks, churches, or community centers to see if they rent out their spaces. Most public parks don’t charge a fee for people to enter the park, but there is a rental fee if you plan to use tables, a shed, or other dedicated party space.
3. Make the Guest List
This is the hardest part because I want to invite everyone I know, from my BFF to the woman at the cashier; I don’t want to exclude anyone. But we only have so much physical space and room in the budget that we must consider our guest list. Think about what type of festival you would like to have. Do you want to provide an opportunity for families to get together? Would you like to use this to get to know a few couples better? Are you explicitly hosting this festival for your children or for the enjoyment of certain family members?
As you answer these questions, you can narrow down the guest list. Think about your venue, how many you can fit around a table, or how many cars there will be, and go from there.
4. Plan the Menu
Once you know your venue and your guest list, you can get started on the menu. Pro tip: scheduling a festival between 10-12 p.m. or 2-4 p.m. eliminates the need to serve a meal. Unless you want to show off your culinary skills, by all means, provide lunch or dinner, but if the idea of feeding a full meal takes your anxiety sky high, providing snacks will do! Again, your guest list will influence the type of food you provide.
If you have primarily kids, keep it simple. Head over to Pinterest and pick out a party punch, make a fruit tray, throw some chips and dip together, and load up on the sweets, and you are all set. Conversely, you can head to your neighborhood grocery store and stock up on their pre-made seasonal goodies, whatever floats your boat.
Mostly adults? Fruits and vegetable trays are always a good staple, but a few pick-ups, such as mini hotdogs, sliders, and some dips, are perfect. Adults have sweet tooths, too, so don’t forget a little something on the side, but maybe bypass the candy salad.
5. Enlist Help
No one said you have to go this alone. My gift to my friend group is the willingness to host and plan an event, but paying for everything every time can be expensive. And while the organizing and execution isn’t most people's thing, they are more than happy to contribute.
Many online invitation services allow people to sign up to bring things to the event, or you can create a list of items. Side note: using e-vites is a great way to simplify keeping up with whose company, repeating the details, and letting everyone know what to bring; I am all about streamlining the process!
There’s always the worry of not having enough food and the fear of having piles left over, so use a party planning calculator to determine how much you need based on the number of people coming. Allow people to sign up for more than just food; remember to include paper products, utensils, and decorations or supplies for games and crafts.
This is not an exhaustive list of recommendations for hosting a fall festival, but they are an excellent place to start. And this list can carry over to other events you would want to host as we enter the holidays. Keep in mind that it’s not about the location, food, or decorations; instead, the focus is on bringing people together. Your plan will have hiccups, and everything may not go as smoothly as you hoped. But, provide a place for people to gather, laugh, and enjoy just being in each other’s presence; I promise that’s what will be remembered, not how clean your baseboards were.
So grab your calendar, pick a date, send out some invites, and plan a great fall festival!
Also by Laura Bailey: 5 Inexpensive Fall Family Activities
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/SolStock
LISTEN: How to Calm the Chaos & Have Your Most Fulfilling Fall Ever
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