Celebrate the beauty of autumn by opening your home and inviting friends and family to a fall-theme backyard get-together. Use gourds, pumpkins, apples and sweet potatoes for inspiration. These ideas for food, decorating and activities will infuse your gathering with the fall spirit and spotlight not just your hospitality—but your home’s beautiful backyard and property, too.
Celebrate fall with a harvest party. Use the bounty of the season in decorating your home and yard. Plan a few autumn-themed activities, invite some guests (young and old will enjoy this party) and get ready to toast the beauty of fall.
Create a Pumpkin-Styled Greeting
Fill a wheelbarrow with an assortment of pumpkins and gourds. Use a paint pen to write a welcoming greeting on one of the larger pumpkins. Set up the fanciful fall display in your home’s front yard to usher guests into the party.
Add Decorative Touches to Your Walkway
Decorate your home’s walkway with stacks of pumpkins in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. If you’re planning a party at dusk or in the evening, be sure to illuminate the path with candles set inside canning jars.
Tip: Don’t leave lit candles unattended. If you cannot monitor the candles, use LED votives instead.
Provide a Bountiful Buffet
Infuse your home’s fall party with fall flavors and serve up recipes using the season’s bounty. If you plan on hosting a potluck, ask guests to bring their favorite autumnal dishes to share.
Ideas for Fall Produce
From apples to sweet potatoes, autumn brings out the best in both sweet and savory flavors. Look for recipes showcasing these traditional fall foods.
Yummy Fruit Desserts
Many fruits are at their peak during the fall months. Take advantage of the fresh produce and launch it into a starring role for the dessert course. Apple crumble, pear torte and persimmon bread are just a few ideas to pursue.
Make a Pumpkin Punch Bowl
Refresh parched guests with cider served in fall style. Hollow out a pumpkin, scraping the sides well and removing all the seeds and pulp before filling it with apple cider. Add apple slices and cinnamon sticks for garnish and serve in canning-jar glasses.
Set a Festive Fall Table
Set up a table outside so guests can eat in the crisp autumn air. Top a table with a burlap tablecloth. (Try making your own by purchasing a length of burlap to fit your table and fraying the edges.) Dress up the table top with a cozy runner, miniature gourds and pumpkins, and candles inside large glass hurricanes.
Prepare Pretty Place Cards
For easy-to-make place cards, write guests’ names on small pumpkins using paint pens. Tuck the finished pumpkins inside a bowl at each place setting along with a napkin and a few decorative leaves.
Create Colorful Jack-o'-Lanterns
Add extra glow to your table with carved jack-o’-lanterns. Use different-colored pumpkins, such as gray and green, for a variation on the classic carved orange pumpkin.
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