Grab your Santa necktie and reindeer socks, it’s holiday party season! The holidays are a great time to gather with people close to you to celebrate, relax, and have fun together. For many groups and organizations, the holiday party is the event of the year!
So how can you throw a holiday party that is classic but not cliché? You just need some creative ideas that put new spins on cherished holiday traditions. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites that are sure to make the season bright.
Forget the eggnog, this is not your grandmother’s holiday party! Spice things up this year with these fun holiday party ideas!
Strut Your Stuff
Holiday parties are a great opportunity to get all gussied up, but you can get more creative with your dress code. All it takes is a good theme.
Try a “Santa’s on vacation” party, and invite your guests to dress for Christmas in Hawaii. Take a hint from “A Christmas Story” and watch your guests stroll around in their 1940s or 1950s best. For something really off the wall, imagine what a party inspired by “The Nightmare Before Christmas” would look like...
If all else fails, ugly Christmas sweater parties are popular for a reason: everybody’s got one and they all look ridiculous.
Game On
Sorry to break it to you, but white elephant is over. At the very least, there are other ways to do fun holiday gift exchanges. Try a Secret Santa gift opening race, but don’t forget the big, ridiculous oven mitts!
Holiday trivia is another fun way to get guests interacting. Trivia could involve topics like holiday traditions around the world, classic Christmas movies, holiday song lyrics, and so much more. You could even create a custom trivia game just for your group!
And The Winner Is
Who doesn’t love a good contest? The holidays are made for healthy competition.. and giving and loving and all that too.
How proud would you be to win an ugly fruit cake bake-off? Or a Christmas cookie bake-off? Or an ugly Christmas sweater contest?
Are you a Seinfeld fan? Maybe you want to go full Festivus and wrestle the head of the household to the ground. To each their own!
Share That Holiday Spirit
The season of joy is the season of giving. Get your group together and give back to your local community. Everyone will be better for it!
Consider organizing a group volunteering trip to a soup kitchen or nursing home. You could also organize a gift or donation drive at your event. There are plenty of ways to help those in need during the holiday season, so get to giving!
A Trip Down Memory Lane
The end of the year is a time for reflection. Why not give your guests the opportunity to reflect and remember together?
Invite your attendees to contribute to a big graffiti mural. Write a question in the center that asks what they’re grateful for, what their favorite memory is, or what they’re looking forward to. Give your guests the tools and space they need to add their answers to the mural in creative and colorful ways. Watch what unfolds!
Don’t forget to give your guests a memory of the party! Set up a selfie station or photobooth to capture the moment. Bonus points for hilarious holiday props.
Carve The Roast Beast
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for eating delicious food! Yes, sweater season conveniently lines up with holiday party season. It’s like the universe wants you to attack that carbolicious comfort food like it’s Christmas morning!
The best approach is to try new spins on traditional favorites. Our holiday menu features mouth-watering dishes like smoked pit ham, oven roasted turkey, yukon mashed potatoes, and dried cranberry and walnut salads.
Don’t forget dessert! Treat yourself to classic bread pudding, brown butter carrot cake, tarts, pie, custards galore! Afterall, you’ve been good this year.
Forget The Eggnogg
Unless of course you like eggnog, then by all means! But there are so many amazing holiday cocktails to try!
Check out our special holiday drink menu, and get ready to discover new seasonal favorites like the Dirty Snowball, the Poinsettia, or the Grinch.
We’ll drink to that!
Rain (Snow?) Check
December is full of holiday parties, get-togethers, gift exchanges, and oh so many obligations. Are you exhausted yet? Have you ever thought about hitting snooze until January?
Hear us out! Year-end parties don’t have to be in December. That’s just so… obvious. Why not hold your big event in January? Call it a new year’s party or a kick off party or a holiday party for procrastinators.
It’s your party, you can schedule it unconventionally if you want to.
Merry Little Elves
Want to have the best holiday party ever? You’ve come to the right place! The experts at The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club are masters in the art and science of holiday parties.
Imagine all the holiday ambiance created for you to your exact preferences: holiday centerpieces, linens, beautifully appointed trees, decorated food displays, and so much more.
Let’s make some holiday magic together. We can help bring all your best holiday party ideas to life. Learn more about our holiday party options and get in touch with us today!