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22 Fun Ideas for the Ultimate 80s Halloween Party

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Step back in time and relive childhood with these unique ideas for an unforgettable 80s Halloween Party. Learn how to create themed food, drinks, and décor that will transport your guests back in time and leave them craving more 80s nostalgia.

80s halloween party table with food and decor

If you love a good 80s Party…why not kick it up a notch this year and throw an 80s Halloween Party? Dressing up like our favorite 80s characters for Halloween is fun and all, but immersing yourself in 80s Halloween nostalgia is the ultimate experience.

Come scroll a while and get inspired with tips and tricks that will take you back in time.

80s Halloween Party Invites

80s halloween party invite

1. Create an 80s Theme Invite

Get your guests excited by sending out invitations that will set the mood for some 80s Halloween nostalgia. You can create a design for free using Canva or source something pre-made on Etsy.

Halloween Party Food Ideas

slimer pizza bagels

2. Ghostbusters Pizza Bagels

Ghostbusters is the epitome of 80s Halloween. We’ve been busting ghosts with homemade proton packs and dancing to “I ain’t afraid of no ghost” for the last four decades…why not serve up everyone’s favorite 80s snack from the freezer section with a Ghostbusters twist? These Slimer Pizza Bagels are loaded with hot dogs, chips, and green slime cheese.

audrey 2 veggie platter

3. Little Shop of Horrors Crudité

Grandiose crudité trays have been a staple of parties for decades…and what better way to serve up some veggies than with Audrey II luring in unsuspecting guests? Serve it up with some Cilantro Garlic Dip to ward off Vampires.

monster cereal caramel corn

4. Monster Cereal Caramel Corn

Count Dracula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry are doing the Monster mash…this time with some caramel corn. With salted peanuts and crunchy pretzels this Monster Cereal Caramel Corn is a sweet snack guests of all ages will devour like there’s no tomorrow.

monster cereal buffet

5. Halloween Cereal Bar

Or if you like your monsters in their original state, set up a cereal bar for guests. If you grew up in the 80s you know that sugary cereals were a main food group, and these 80s Halloween cereals were a must-have breakfast during the month of October.

monster cereal buffet

6. Jello Cups & Pudding Cups

For some easy snacks that require little to no effort, set out a bowl of Chocolate Pudding cups and Orange Jello cups. These were a hit at the party and the Halloween colors are tied in perfectly.

jello cups, pudding cups and pumpkin cookies

Spooky & Nostalgic Halloween Drinks

poltergeist cocktails in front of glowing tv

7. Glowing Poltergeist Cocktail

Entice your guests to go into the light with an eery Poltergeist-themed cocktail. Create a stencil of Carol Anne’s signature line “They’re Here” and stencil the iconic phrase with neon blue blacklight paint onto your glasses. A simple Rum and Horchata cocktail is the perfect backdrop to make the lettering “pop” under blacklight.

Make It

Fill your glass with ice. Add 2oz. of light Rum. Top off with Horchata. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Enjoy!

slimer ecto cooler drink with mini donuts

8. Slimer’s Ecto Cooler Cocktail & Mocktail

Lure in Slimer with an Adult (and kid-friendly) Ecto Cooler drink topped with mini frosted donuts. This sweet-tart drink is refreshing and fun with a bright Slimer green color. We used this interactive Slimer Toy as a decoration and prop that guests could have fun with.

bowl of coors beer and halloween decor

9. E.T.’s Beer of Choice

For a little nod to E.T. set out some classic Coors Banquet Beer cans in a neon orange bowl. You can accent the beer station with a Speak & Spell for added entertainment.

Candy Candy Candy

vintage halloween decor and candy display

10. A Candy Bar that Would Make Garfield Jealous

And the best part of Halloween…Candy. Garfield knows what he’s talking about. Set up a nostalgic candy bar with Halloween favorites like Reese’s Cups, Snickers, and Sour Patch Kids and the classics like Whoppers, Reese’s Pieces, Candy Corn, and Milk Duds.

vintage halloween decor and candy display

Do you remember Mr. Bones puzzle candy? Relive the fun with a reproduction Skeleton candy that will have you in pieces. The kids will especially love this treat.

And if you are nostalgic for some Kool-Aid Ghoul-Aid try the Ghoul-Aid popping candy, a Halloween twist on the classic Pop-Rocks candy of the 80s.

vintage halloween decor and candy display

Halloween Party Photo Op

elvira standee with blow molds as a photo op

11. Invite the Mistress of the Dark

It’s not Halloween without watching a few campy B movies and nobody knows them better than the Mistress of the Dark herself, Elvira. Elvira’s Movie Macabre is an experience everyone should try at least once. And if you are a super fan, you need an Elvira standee to bring the experience to life.  Not only does she look great as a décor piece next to your Halloween bar, but she also provides a “fun pic” opportunity your guests will love.

Be sure to tuck in some vintage or new blow molds to round out the photo. This 22″ Pumpkin and 31″ Ghost are great options to add to your collection.

80s Halloween Party Décor

80s halloween party table with food and decor

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12. Neon Everything

Go beyond the traditional black and orange color scheme and add some bright neon colors to the mix. Consider neon green bowls, neon cups, and neon cutlery that look great in daylight and under blacklight.

vintage halloween decor and the drink table

13. Vintage Halloween Props

Use genuine vintage Halloween décor when possible. I’ve been collecting vintage Halloween décor for a while now…typically acquired through eBay or garage sales (my favorite source). Vintage blow mold treat buckets are typically the easiest to find and create a big impact when grouped together on a shelf.

A vintage Halloween Garfield plush or Gizmo are great options to place on tables or tuck into shelf spaces. You can also pick up a replica Beetlejuice “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” journal for guests to leave notes.

For a warm glow, I used vintage 80s-era glass votives from Indiana Glass. I love the graphics on these candle holders, especially the “Trick or Treat” version. You can also use these to hold toothpicks, stir sticks, or candy corn.

Some other vintage 80s Halloween décor items you could include would be those squishy Crazy Face Jack-O-Lanterns by Russ, McDonalds Halloween McNugget Buddies (and the vintage Boo Buckets), and the old school Pumpkin Safety Lights that needed two “D” batteries to make them work.

80s halloween party table with food and decor

14. Glowing Fringe Backdrop

For a dynamic backdrop, combine metallic orange foil fringe and layer matte neon orange fringe on top to mimic an iridescent shimmer. The neon orange fringe will also glow under blacklight.

Tips For Hanging Foil Fringe Curtains

  • Plan on having a minimum of 2 layers to cover your wall properly.
  • For darker colors against a light wall (and vice versa), I recommend 3 layers of fringe. This will adequately cover the wall and you’ll have fewer white spots showing through.
  • Trim the bottom of the fringe to just hit the floor. If it is too long it won’t hang straight and create gaps.
  • If you don’t want to use the adhesive on your walls (this can ruin paint when removing) I recommend adding a piece of duct tape to the back and adhering with clear push pins. The duct tape will keep the pin from ripping through the foil.

15. Retro Halloween Cardboard Cutouts

Beistle is the way to go for these retro decorations. The company still produces Halloween cutouts in many different styles. I used Honeycomb Spiders throughout the party. These spiders originated in 1975 and were popular throughout the 80s. They even glow under blacklight!

80s halloween party table with food and decor

16. Vintage Paper Treat Bags

You can use vintage paper treat bags with colorful 80s designs for guests to fill up with candy, popcorn, or caramel corn. Etsy or eBay are great sources for some nostalgic designs.

vintage halloween decor and candy display

Larger paper treat bags can be used as props and backdrops for other Halloween decorations or food displays.

vintage halloween garfield and napkins with candy corn filled mug

Vintage Halloween Table Settings

vintage ET plates and treat bags with cutlery

17. 80s Halloween Paper Products

Whether you are serving guests buffet style or a sit-down dinner party, you’ll need the appropriate 80s Halloween party gear to set the scene. Staying true to the 80s you’ll want to use paper plates and napkins. You can find vintage old stock plates and matching napkins on eBay or Etsy. These Ghostbusters plates are also a great option.

Vintage paper treat bags also work great to corral plastic cutlery and napkins that can be placed at each table setting or in a bucket for buffet style service.

18. Fun Table Settings

Plastic lunch trays are a fun option for a kids table to anchor everything. Use vintage paper cups or vintage Halloween mugs that can be used for water, juice, or milk at the table. Use a Halloween McNugget buddy next to each place setting as a place card and assign each guest with their McNugget buddy.

A classic pumpkin orange tablecloth is a must-have for the dinner table, but I recommend using a plain black or black sequin tablecloth for the food tables to make the food stand out.

PARTY TIP: Use a white tablecloth under a black sequin tablecloth. It will glow through with blacklight giving it a fun purple hue.

vintage ET plates and treat bags with cutlery

Halloween Party Lighting

poltergeist cocktails on a tray

19. Blacklight Makes it All Pop!

Blacklight is a great option for any Halloween party, but especially ideal for an 80s Halloween party. It will bring the neon colors to life and create a fun mood throughout the space. You may find that you need a combination of blacklights to achieve the effect you are after. I used blacklight A-lamp bulbs for table lamps and spotlights to create a glow at low levels and blacklight flood lights for a wide surface effect across walls. Blacklight Strip can also be useful if you have a place to hide it (e.g. behind bookshelves, TVs, furniture, etc.)

vintage halloween decor on shelves

20. Blow Molds

Blow molds are essential for an 80s Halloween party. Not only are they iconic of the era, but also provide that warm glow of orange light that makes the space feel cozy and nostalgic. Luckily manufacturers are starting to make these again as they have gained popularity over the years. My orange Jack-O-Lantern and Ghost blow mold by Union Products are just like the old ones and very well made.

halloween blow molds

21. RGB Accent Lighting

You may also want to layer in some color to flush out the space. I really like using magenta/pink as an accent color to the blacklight and incandescent lighting. The rosy hue has a flattering effect your guests will love and also plays well with the neon 80s colors. I use RGB light bulbs and RGB LED strip and tune them to the perfect pink hue.

80s Halloween Party Favors

chinese take out boxes with vampire teeth toy

22. They’re Only Noodles Michael

Send guests on their way with a Chinese takeout box “Lost Boys” style. These are perfect little containers to stuff with more Halloween candy (just in case they didn’t get enough) and some fun toys. Neon Vampire teeth that glow under blacklight are a great option that both kids and adults can have fun with.

chinese take out boxes with vampire teeth toy

I hope you’ve found some inspiration to create your own throwback 80s Halloween party.

Good Night Bloodsuckers!

-Jessica

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