Ready to get your groove on? Amp up the flower power, throw up a peace sign and follow our guide for everything you need to plan a 1960s-themed party for all of your free-loving, hippie friends.
Invitations
Set the mood for your party with a totally tubular Evite invitation, like this free invitation below. Or, try out this colorful sunglasses invitation or premium “Love and Happiness” invitation.
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Decorations
Let there be light! Lighting will play a crucial role in setting the stage for your ’60s theme party. Stock up on colored bulbs to give the place a groovy glow. If you can get your hands on some strobe lights or lava lamps, you’ll be able to create an instant psychedelic vibe. Love beads, flower garlands and yellow smiley faces scream 60s style, and should be easy to find online or at your party store.
Don’t forget, the ’60s weren’t just about peace and love. They were also a celebration of modernist furniture, pop art, Vespa scooters and the British Invasion. So there are plenty of creative ways to decorate for this theme. Place Campbell’s tomato soup cans around the house, hang round paper lanterns or British flags, or throw it back to the space-age with moons, rockets and silver accessories.
Costumes
Make your ’60s party come alive by modeling your look after famous icons from the era. From the early ’60s, channel your inner Twiggy, The Beatles (complete with the bowl haircuts), Sonny and Cher or Elvis Presley. From the late ’60s, go for Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Truman Capote or Diana Rigg.
You don’t have to revive a specific ’60s icon to play dress up! For a general ’60s costume, look for any of the following fun clothing and accessories:
- Miniskirts
- Big, round sunglasses
- Go-go boots
- Bouffant hairdos, afros or long hair parted down the middle
- Beads, peace signs
- Bell-bottoms
- Tapered pants and skinny ties
- Shag hairdos
- Nehru jackets
- Headbands
Activities
Dancing was the “it” thing to do in the ’60s. So push those couches against the wall and make room for a dance floor. Popular dances from the ’60s almost always begin with the word “the” — The Twist, The Pony, The Bird, The Mashed Potato, The Watusi, The Ska, The Monkey, The Tighten Up. Purchase an instructional dance video and play it in the background so guests can mimic the steps.
Nothing says “peace, love and understanding” quite like a brightly colored flower or peace sign on the cheek. Face painting is a festive way for people to get in the spirit of the ’60s. Look for an all-inclusive kit that contains washable, non-toxic paints made for skin, lots of brushes and a variety of stencils. Be sure to have plenty of paper towels on hand for easy clean-up.
Food
This decade was the start of the health food craze. To that end, try these easy-to-serve dishes: vegetarian chili, guacamole with chips, zucchini bread, lemon bars, carrot cake and, of course, granola.
For a fun dessert, bake round sugar cookies and use icing to draw a peace sign or yellow smiley face on each cookie.
Drinks
The Emma Peel
- 1 ounce cherry brandy
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- Prosecco
Mix first two ingredients into a mixing glass with ice to chill. Strain into a Prosecco glass and fill with Prosecco. Garnish with a long spiral of lemon peel.
For a non-alcoholic alternative, stock up on Gatorade, Cola and Slurpees!
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