Over the Hill Party Ideas
Those Fabulous Fifties
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OVER THE HILL PARTY THEME:
This is a great party to give for someone who's celebrating a 50th birthday or for a group of people in their 50's. The twist is that it's not about being 50, it's about the decade 1950-1959.
This theme will entertain most any age group as we remember together.
PARTY DECORATION IDEAS:
Model your 50's party on the kinds of gatherings that were held during that decade. And nothing says "Those Fabulous Fifties" like a
FIFTIES DRESS UP PARTY.
For 50's atmosphere, string up a set of Chinese lanterns. Keep the lights low, and scatter some candles around the room. Those frilly toothpicks and cocktail napkins should be everywhere. Think bright '50s colors -- lime green, pink and silver streamers that will add some retro style to your living room or entryway.
Ask your guests to "dress up" a little. In 50's fashion, men should wear sport coats and ties, and ladies would wear "cocktail dresses."
Or if you choose to go for a "younger look" - go with bobby
socks, rolled up blue jeans and penny loafers. Your guests will become part of your décor!
Even though your guests are geezers, remove most of the chairs. A party lives or dies on whether the guests "mingle," so you don't want people to grab a seat and stay there throughout the evening. On the other hand, as Elvis would say, "Don't be cruel." Make sure that anyone who needs a seat can find one.
But, it is hard to have a 'sock-hop" with too many chairs around!
For the bar area, simply drape a dining or kitchen table with a white cloth and accent it with a small lamp to help set the right mood. Set out an ice bucket with tongs and glasses in a few different sizes.
PARTY MUSIC IDEAS:
Music from the 1950's is rich, varied, and can really liven up your party. Make
sure you've got a nice mix of up-tempo tunes, music for "slow dancing," and instrumentals that can serve as background music.
For some real fun, look for recordings of 1950's "novelty songs" like Purple People Eater and My Friend the Witch Doctor. Rhino Records has a lot of 50's compilations including one called "Cocktail Mix," or look for the "Ultra Lounge" series of CD's. Perfect! If you have an old-fashioned record player and vinyl records, you can be really authentic and "spin some platters."
PARTY INVITATION IDEAS:
Invitations can cost a fortune to buy and mail, but POSTCARDS are a great alternative. Use a postcard with Elvis, Marilyn, the Rat Pack, or any 50's icon to get your guests in the mood before they ever arrive.
GEEZER PROPS:
The Geezer's bedpan serving tray is a great addition to any party, perfect for crackers, chips, dips, and veggies.
Balloons are always fun, too, and the Geezer's have some great ones.
OVER THE HILL GIFT SUGGESTIONS:
I love the Birthday Chronicle that's offered here at Gifts for Geezers. Everyone loves to reminisce and the Chronicle is a great way to remember "the way we were."
This thing could be the center of a whole party! Even if your party isn't commemorating someone's natal day, you can still order the Chronicle. Just order a copy with the month and day of your party from any year in the 50's. It's a great memento of the evening
OVER THE HILL PARTY SCENARIO:
A cocktail party is fairly unstructured and usually held from 6-9PM. Guests arrive, mingle, eat and drink. When the energy gets going, people will start dancing and you can play party games. When the energy wanes…it's time to
call it a night.
PARTY RECIPE IDEAS:
The malt shop was "top of the pops" in the 50's and even
today, everyone loves ice cream treats. To keep the drinks in
keeping with your "cocktail party" theme, buy inexpensive
cocktail glasses -- highballs, martini glasses, etc. -- to serve
in. In addition to keeping your cocktail party atmosphere
intact, it's a great way to limit portion size for geezers who can't
drink like those crazy teenagers at the malt shop!
Be sure to
garnish the "cocktails" with fresh fruit for a really
sophisticated look. Drinks
that were tops at malt shops and are sure to be a hit with YOUR guests
include:
Strawberry
Milkshakes (use fresh frozen strawberries blended into low-fat frozen
yogurt for a healthier-for-geezers version)
Root
Beer
Float (the key is to get a great tasting diet root beer -- like
Stewarts)
Egg
Creams (everyone loves this tasty soda shop favorite with a misleading
name -- made with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup, 1/3 cup skim milk,
and 2/3 cup cold seltzer, there's no cholesterol for geezers to worry
about!)
Don't forget the nibblers:
"You Dog You" Cocktail Wieners
Swedish Massage Meatballs
Cheese and fruit trays
Guacamole
Boiled shrimp
Or make up a huge platter of "finger sandwiches," removing the crusts, cutting them into quarters and arranging them artistically. Pre-made mini quiches (available in the frozen section of the supermarket) are filling and require little to no preparation. Add a couple of platters of sliced cold cuts and some baskets of sliced buttered bread, and you're "In Like Flynn."
GAMES OR GUEST INTERACTION:
If your guest list is modest, you can play a lively game of Trivial
Pursuit - 50's Version. Charades and 20 Questions were also popular during the
era.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:
What's great about this party is that you can easily adapt it to fit any age or any decade -- Salute to the 60's, Swinging in the 70's, The Elegant 80's, etc. Even non-geezers can get in on the act with a Roaring 20's
party!
OUR PARTY DESIGNER: Debbie Feldstein spent ten years as Executive Director of the New York office of the Emmy Awards where, in addition to other duties, she was responsible for creating presentation ceremonies, press conferences, nomination announcement ceremonies, and a broad spectrum of activities from ultra-luxe to plain-and-simple. This "party girl" has turned her creative talents to
help us old timers provide theme parties for GiftsForGeezers.com.
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Updated 5/16/2008
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