Hospitality Hints is a monthly feature on our blog with some helpful tips for being hospitable in everyday life. Our hints may involve inviting people over, but not always! Most of the time, they will be about having a posture of hospitality—welcoming others into our lives.
October means crisp weather, warm bonfires, and PUMPKIN EVERYTHING! Show some hospitality to your friends, family, and neighbors by hosting a pumpkin carving party.
Each year I attend my dear friend Tammi’s annual pumpkin carving party. This thing is epic. I always meet someone new and get to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while (sometimes since the last party!). This a great get together for kids and adults of all ages.
PRE PARTY
- Start with some fall decor. Hay bales, corn stalks, pumpkins, and mums can all be picked up at your local farmers’ market or Home Depot.
- Enlist judges ahead of time.
- Decide on a few categories for judging: Best Kid’s Pumpkin, Most Creative, Best Overall.
- Pick up fun prizes to bestow on the winners like movie gift cards, a cozy scarf that looks good on anyone, and a bag of coffee from a local shop.
- Tell guests to bring their own pumpkins to carve, but you provide pumpkin carving tool kits and templates to make masterpieces easier to craft.
DAY OF
- Simmer a pot of mulled apple cider on the stove to set the mood and offer guests a festive drink as they arrive.
- Set up a kid zone with games, coloring, and treats.
- Lay out a few sturdy black trash bags to collect pumpkin guts and make clean up easier.
- Have on hand unscented tealight candles and a lighter with a handle for easy display.
- Keep the food simple. A pot of chili, a few easy snacks like chips and dip, and you’re done. Let friends bring food to help out as well.
- If you have a fire pit, strike up a bonfire and finish the night with a s’mores bar.
Larissa Arnault Roach is the marketing strategist for Lifeway Women. She loves cooking (and eating!) pumpkin soup, pumpkin sage stuff shells, and pumpkin roll with cream cheese.