Halloween Party Ideas: Ghost Stories in the Backyard

Halloween Party Ideas

I wanted to create an outdoor activity that involved spending an evening outside in the crisp fall air, combined with a little bit of a spooky All Hallows Eve feel to it– an outdoor Halloween party, in other words. So, I came up with the idea to host my first Ghost Story Telling Party!

For this get-together, I invited our close friends to an evening of s’mores and ghost stories by firelight. We huddled around a creative fireplace DIY, roasted marshmallows, and told ghost stories while the sun set and the moon rose high in the sky. It was the perfect evening—we plan on making this Halloween party a yearly event!

Here’s how I put this fun evening together, with the help of The Home Depot.

First things first: snacks! We needed to pack some easy snacks that would last the entire evening, and were easy to eat by hand. I created a small fall tablescape that fit the theme of the event, and was the go-to for the evening.

Apples, macaroons, and grapes were placed on the table for the guests to munch on throughout the evening.

I also popped some popcorn and poured it into paper lunch sacks for sharing around the fire!

Now, for the “bonfire” and seating area. Since I live in Washington, DC, it’s difficult to find a place that will let you have an open flame in the city, so I had to come up with a more creative solution.

I created a “bonfire” by layering pillar candles in a galvanized metal tub. The tub kept the fire contained, and the shiny finish reflected the light, making it brighter and more like a real bonfire.

For the seating area, I layered rugs, woven blankets, and large pillows around the fire.

I strung up a few solar LED “lightbulbs” from The Home Depot with some twine and wooden posts to frame out our seating area. As the sun set, the lights came on, adding an eerie glow to our campfire spot!

We poured drinks into copper mugs and toasted to a beautiful evening.

As the sun went down and the fire got brighter, we gathered around and roasted some marshmallows on our roasting sticks.

Be sure to use unscented candles when cooking anything over a candle!

Make sure to provide warm scarves and blankets for your guests so that they stay warm outside in the chill. The candles provide light, but only so much warmth!

We snacked on popcorn as we sat around the fire, and the LED lightbulbs got brighter.

It was a beautiful evening, and we were so grateful for the firelight. It was the perfect night to sit around a fire and tell ghost stories!

So, this Halloween, get outside with your friends, pop some popcorn and bring the marshmallows, and share your scariest ghost stories!

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