Fall is my favourite time of year. Not only due to the fall foliage, sweater weather, and delicious comfort food, but it also kicks off the holiday season. This goes for “unofficial” holidays too, like Friendsgiving. Friendsgiving is a large Thanksgiving-inspired feast eaten with friends around the same time as Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving is often spent with family, Friendsgiving gives you the opportunity to come together with friends and acknowledge how much you mean to each other. If you’re throwing a Friendsgiving party this year, and want to host more than just a dinner, here are 6 of the best Friendsgiving theme ideas for adults.
What Is Friendsgiving?
Friendsgiving is essentially a day to celebrate your best friends. It’s a gathering thrown during the fall season, with food, drink, and fun, and the point is to express gratitude for your friends over a delicious meal. The meal can be a typical Thanksgiving meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, or you can put a spin on it and create a theme of your own!
How to Plan an Epic Friendsgiving Party
1. Create a Signature Fall Cocktail
You don’t necessarily need to provide alcohol for the whole party, but a signature cocktail is always a good idea. Make a big batch of a fun fall cocktail like apple cider margaritas or mulled wine and ask your guests to bring whatever else they’d like to drink, be it wine, beer or spritzes. It’s also a good idea to make a mocktail version of your cocktail for those who aren’t drinking!
2. Incorporate Organic, Fall Elements
Organic elements like fall flowers, greenery and berries will give your Friendsgiving party a warm, cozy feel. Scatter fall arrangements around your space to make your home look nice and festive. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg, either. Flowers from the grocery store are much more cost effective than getting them at a floral shop and they still look great!
3. Make it a Potluck
It can definitely be overwhelming to host a holiday party, especially when you have to provide all the food. For something as extravagant as a Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving meal, a potluck may be your best bet. Ask each of your friends to bring either an appetizer, main, side or dessert. This will ensure you have all your bases covered and that you don’t have to spend all your time in the kitchen Friendsgiving day!
4. A Tablescape to Remember
Get creative with your Friendsgiving tablescape. It doesn’t need to be super formal, but small details can go a long way. Light tall candles to create a cozy atmosphere, line the centre of the table with small pumpkins and gourds, and have fall-inspired name tags at each setting. You can keep the colour palette minimal and neutral, or throw in bright colours through table chargers, glassware, and a table runner.
6 Best Friendsgiving Theme Ideas for Adults
1. Murder Mystery Friendsgiving
A murder mystery party is fitting for the fall season and is the perfect accompaniment to Friendsgiving. Once you’ve chosen your murder mystery theme, you can assign your guests their character and ask everyone to dress the part. For a murder mystery party, a buffet-style set up typically works best so everyone can mix and mingle while they eat. Don’t forget to have a spooky signature drink for all your guests to enjoy!
2. Manifestation Party
Fall is the perfect time for manifestation. It has big “fresh start” energy given that school always starts in September, plus it’s witchy and mystical thanks to holidays like Halloween. Fall also represents the harvest time of year and is a season of change, reflection, and gratitude. Tap into this by having a manifestation-themed Friendsgiving. Set cozy, candlelit vibes throughout dinner and beyond. After you’re done eating, start vision boarding, journaling, or even do a tarot card reading. Let your friends know to bring all the supplies they need, and get ready for a magical night of manifesting!
3. Friendsgiving Brunch
It can be a struggle to get everyone together for dinner, especially around Thanksgiving. If this is the case in your friend group, why not host a Friendsgiving brunch? It’s a more casual option, but will still be tons of fun, and brunch food and drink are insanely tasty! Think: cranberry pecan baked brie with crackers, mushroom and spinach quiche, cheddar and chive breakfast biscuits, pumpkin spice scones, and cranberry apple bake.
4. Pie Party
Pies are a quintessential part of Thanksgiving, so why not base your Friendsgiving party around them? The only rule is: every friend who comes has to bring a pie of their choice. Make sure there are enough savoury and sweet pies so you have lots to choose from. For savoury, think: chicken pot pie, Shepards pie, and ham and pea pie. For sweet: pumpkin, pecan, or blueberry. Consider having a little contest as well, where the pies are all judged and the best pie-maker wins a gift!
5. Friendsgiving Paint and Sip
Paint and sip parties are always a hit and you can lean into the Friendsgiving theme by painting pumpkins, an autumn walk or anything fall-themed. Supply a mini easel and paint canvas for each guest as well as enough paints and brushes to go around. Allow your friends to paint whatever they want, or have a painting they can replicate. While you can have a sit-down dinner before the painting starts, another option is to have a more app-style dinner where people can eat as they go. Think: sausage rolls, cranberry BBQ meatballs, bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts, and baked spinach dip with nachos.
6. Romcom Friendsgiving
Everyone loves a good movie night. What could be more perfect than indulging in a delicious feast followed by watching a classic romcom? Set your living room up with plenty of comfy seating and blankets, and offer elevated movie snacks like white chocolate popcorn and pumpkin spice chex mix. It will be the perfect end to a wonderful night.
If you’re planning to throw a Friendsgiving party, we hope you love these theme ideas!
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