# When is your party?



## Witchie Woman (Sep 25, 2008)

On Halloween, the Sat. before or after? I wanted to have it on Halloween but everyone said they wanted to trick or treat. So we decided on 11/1 but now I am wondering if we should do it on 10/25, everyone could test drive their costumes, etc. Would it be anticlimatic on 11/1 being the holiday was the day before? HELP!?!?


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## Wolfbeard (Sep 22, 2008)

We're doing ours on 11/1. We get about 300+ trick or treaters on Halloween, so that's out. I am also a co-chair for our Lions Club Haunted Hayride, which always runs the two weekends before Halloween. We did the party the Saturday after Halloween last year and still had a great turnout.

Haunt it and they will come... 

Eric
________
R5


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

I was supposed to have my party on 10/18, but now am playing with the idea of either canceling or moving it to 11/1.

I take Halloween off anyway, so if we did the party on the first, then I could take the 3rd (that Monday off) as well to recover. (and I am going to need it if we do go ahead!)

It would actually be sort of a good thing for those that don't do costumes... as they could go out the day of the party and hit the Halloween clearances and pick up a costume on the cheap!

(oh, crap. That's going cause a seriously busy day - as I HAVE to hit the stores for clearance shopping... and then rush home and finish setting up the party stuff...hmmm)


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## B Scary (Sep 8, 2007)

We always have our party the Saturday before Halloween but this year we are having it on Nov. 1st. I struggled with the decision, poled my guests and 11/1 won. I am hoping to have everything together and have time to hit the clearance sales in the morning but that remains to be seen. 
I know you are dealing with hurricane clean up and if I had a choice between cancelling and having it on the Nov.1 I would go for the party. I bet your guests that look forward to the party all year would think the 1st was a great idea too.


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## Val (Feb 19, 2008)

I am having mine on October 25th. I was debating on the 31st . But we are having an Adult party. I didn't want guest to have to trick or treat and rush kids to babysitters. Plus seeing as Halloween is on a Friday I am sure kids will be out later than usual this year.


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## Halloween_Queen (Sep 20, 2008)

I'm having it on halloween. I'm a teenager, everyone whos coming is one. lol It starts at 8 and lasts until whenever. I've already got a few coming late bc they have to work, but i think it's all gonna work out. I think it'll be going on half the night anyways sooo. yep lol =) And also I live in the country, and hardly ever get trick or treaters, maybe one or two a year, if that. =)


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## selz (Oct 19, 2007)

We always place ours on the weekend between halloween and Guy Fawkes night (Nov 5th). We normally combine mandatory costume with fireworks display. Last year we spent over £300 on semi-professional fireworks (gotta love knowing the people with the appropriate licences!), spit-roast a lamb (we've built a fire-pit and spit in the garden), and saw through to sunrise with a bonfire. We tend to follow this theme every year, and it's become something of a legend amongst our friends - many of them are in the habit of booking time off work for it as early as May, because they all know from checking a calendar when we'll be hosting it 

This years a bit different though, budget won't allow fireworks. Got another lamb though, am sure more people will enjoy a belly full of meat than a 10 minute fireworks display. 

Oh, I'm getting excited now! I've been scheduling everything today, and searching for fresh ideas for decoration. Got some cracking ideas off people, I just need a few hours to trial them!


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## MHooch (Jun 15, 2007)

Whenever I have a chance to have the party actually _ON_ Halloween night (whenever it falls on Fri/Sat) I do. So ours is the 31st. We'll all take turns answering the door for TOTers!  Nerdy, I know, but there is something extra magical about Halloween night...


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## onemorebeerman (Sep 1, 2008)

The 25th! Gives me a week to recoup before the real deal!


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## stev1955 (Sep 26, 2008)

I don't have one myself but I go to a friend's who has been having them for over 20 years. Seems the first of November is the popular date this year.


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## bbshop (Nov 2, 2006)

We usually have ours in the middle of the month (seems like it usually falls on Columbus Day Weekend), there never usually is a conflict with anyone except a few campers who travel for the holiday. This year it will be on the 10th. We moved the party to a Friday night (used to be Sat.) so that we have two days to clean up and recover. Last year we had 59 attendees - if this gets any bigger than we might have to move it to a hall!!!!


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## ChrisW (Sep 19, 2006)

Ours is on the 25th. I like the idea of having all of the decorations indoors and out up and ready to go, and enjoying the holiday throughout the week. Also, good friends of ours were married on Halloween. and they always have an open house that night, so we go there after the ToTers are finished.


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## HeatherEve1234 (Sep 5, 2008)

Last year we did a Friday and people felt rushed coming home from work and getting ready, and I took the whole day off work to prepare. This year we're trying Sat the 1st.


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## TribalBellydancer (Sep 26, 2008)

We're having ours on the 31st. We thought about having it on Nov. 1st but the idea of having it the day after Halloween just didn't seem to have the same Halloween feel to us as having it on the actual night.


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## missmolyneux (Sep 25, 2008)

Having mine on the 31st - we all have school that day but the party's not starting til 7.30, I'm doing decor a couple of days beforehand and all the food that'll keep, the night before.


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## colmmoo (Jul 23, 2005)

We're having ours on Halloween night. I usually have it the weekend before and get a lot of people to go but some in-laws of mine who are coming from abroad booked tickets for the following week. Argh! I was going to have it on November 1 but figured we could go sightseeing. Some people live farther out and are thinking twice about rushing home, getting dressed then driving all the way here. If I can go back in time I would change to November 1 (I suppose that I still can but I already booked an entertainer for Halloween night which is hard to get in their books).


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## Haunty (May 31, 2006)

Typically we have it the last Saturday before Halloween. (this year Oct. 25th)
The reason why is that we build a haunted maze, & it takes 40-50 hrs to build. Another 25 plus hrs to tear down.


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## Tish (Aug 5, 2008)

Ours is Nov. 1. It'll be too hard to coordinate a party on Halloween night with all the TOTs and stuff. Frankie's Girl brought up a good point. How am I going to get to the clearance sales and do the party in the same day?? Hrm. Nothing stops me from shopping, so I will darn well come up with something  Already thought about making the food ahead of time and freezing it. Maybe I could put my skeleton makeup on early and just go out shopping like that. That'll save time.


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## greenmother (Sep 13, 2008)

We always have our party 2 Saturdays before Halloween, so we're the 18th this year. That way there's less conflicts with other parties. Plus I like extending the Halloween season.  

We've only been holding Halloween parties for a couple years (since we bought our house.) This is the third year, but people are getting used to when the party will be and start asking a month or two out.


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## runswithvampires (Aug 12, 2008)

were doing it 10/25 since we has the same problem people wanted to trick or treat and others would be getting out of work so we figured the sat. before.


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## OctBDaysRtheBest (Sep 27, 2008)

Mine will be the 18th because I didn't want to do it on Halloween since that's my friend's brithday. And the 26th is my birthday and I'm going out of town....so the 18th.


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## rnrkid (Jun 3, 2008)

Mine's the 31st...and 1st


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## Ryadread (Oct 24, 2006)

It's tradition for us now, always the Saturday before Halloween. We have children so we always take them ToT'ing on Halloween night. That's their night!! We also do a children's Halloween party separate from the Adult Halloween party. Normally on a Friday 1 week before the Adult party. (This year it will be Friday the 17th for the kids and Saturday the 25th for the Adults). 

Sometimes I think the children appreciate the work that we put into our Halloween parties and decor more than our adult friends!! haha It's so much fun!


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## Witchie Woman (Sep 25, 2008)

OP'er here  Thanks for all your replies. We've decided to have our party on the 1st, after we hit all the sales of course! We are going to use our projector to play Halloween movies outside..."Halloween Under the Stars" is our theme. I hope the weather is good.


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## halloweenscreamqueen (Jul 23, 2007)

Ours will be on the First this year... We usually have 300+ TOTers, so I thought maybe that would be toooooo much to try to do both. Plus, we're cooking a hog this year and inviting the neighbors (yes, even the nasty ones!), so it should be a BIG bash!

Check out the invite... And let me know what you think!!

MySpaceTV Videos: Hillbilly Halloween by Kelly


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## OMGDan (Sep 28, 2006)

25th. Can't do it the night, i like to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere on the day itself, running the haunt for the TOT's, watching scary movies in the dark.

And although it may work for others theres no way i could get into the mood after the holiday. Once it's november halloween is sadly dead imo.


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## ChrisW (Sep 19, 2006)

Halloweenscreamqueen, great invite!


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## TheGothicPrincess (Sep 7, 2007)

we are doing 3 parties for 2 different groups of friends. 

One if on the 18th at 7 pm, the 30th at 8pm for a group of kids and the main attraction is on the 31st at 7pm until.


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## Magickbean (Dec 6, 2007)

I'm doing mine on Halloween as I am fully taking advantage of it being a Friday night!!!


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## JamieMT (Sep 29, 2008)

I'm new here - interesting how many people are having thier parties on the 1st. Hubby and I had ours the first weekend in Nov. one year due to his traveling for work, and had the worst attendance ever that year. We always have ours the Saturday before Halloween (25th this year), and everyone knows and looks forward to that. Gives us a week after to just enjoy the holiday spirit too (and make up treat bags for trick-or-treaters).


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## itsjustme0770 (Jul 21, 2008)

Ours is on the 31st. We get about 5000 TOTs (I'm not kidding), so we have everyone bring 2 bags of candy as the 'price of admission' and everyone has to take 10 minutes handing out candy to the TOTs. We have a huge front porch and front foyer/lving room, so folks hang out on the porch or inside, but the door stays open. Our whole street goes pretty nuts on Halloween, we even have the cops directing traffic, etc. So its pretty crazy, but I can't imagine having it on any other day.


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## Witch Hazel (Sep 6, 2008)

Ours is on the 18th this year. We try to have it as close to Halloween as possible. But all of our friends (and us) have children and go trick-or-treating the night of Halloween. Now, a lot of subdivisions and churches are having trick-or-treat the weekend before Halloween (this year the 25th). We don't want everyone to have to choose between our party or their kids cause I know we will lose. It really sucks to have the party so far from Halloween but at least it's still October. This party is adults only. I thought about having it on the 1st but my son's birthday is the day before Halloween so we are letting him have a kids party to celebrate his birthday on the 1st and letting it be a Halloween theme. So, technically we get to celebrate it at 2 parties!!!


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## Glass 'eye' (Jul 22, 2007)

Our party will be the Saturday before Halloween. We will try a How to host a murder mystery?


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## halloweenscreamqueen (Jul 23, 2007)

itsjustme0770 said:


> Ours is on the 31st. We get about 5000 TOTs (I'm not kidding), so we have everyone bring 2 bags of candy as the 'price of admission' and everyone has to take 10 minutes handing out candy to the TOTs. We have a huge front porch and front foyer/lving room, so folks hang out on the porch or inside, but the door stays open. Our whole street goes pretty nuts on Halloween, we even have the cops directing traffic, etc. So its pretty crazy, but I can't imagine having it on any other day.


Good grief Charlie Brown! Where do you live?? I want to come over to help you hand out treats!!


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## itsjustme0770 (Jul 21, 2008)

Its on a historic street near downtown Dallas. We have a pretty strong halloween tradition. Its lots of fun. But candy for 5000 gets expensive, hence the party.


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## llondra (Sep 29, 2004)

We usually have our party on a Saturday before Halloween, but this year we're doing the 31st. This is the first year we are combining the adults and kids into one party. We invited those who want to come out early (7pm) for trick or treating and then the party begins at the house at 8pm.


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## Spirit_In_The_Night (Aug 8, 2008)

Our adult party is coming up this Saturday. Then next Sunday is my daughters birthday / Halloween party for the kids. It's our first Halloween party, and I am getting somewhat nervous that the whole thing will fall apart. My neighbors downstairs of us, are also having a Halloween party, so we decided just to throw open our doors, and let the two parties merge into one big one.


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## VeeCat (Sep 17, 2006)

I guess I'm the only one doing mine on the 24th? Haha!


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## chaos_thorn (Aug 14, 2008)

I'm having mine on the 18th as well. It should be a solid time. I just hope we have enough booze...


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## Gothikren (Aug 17, 2008)

I'm having my party also on the 24th VeeCat. It's for my cubscout pack and their families. I am hoping to have about 30- 40 people, but not sure if they will all show or not. I had thought about doing it on the 25th (Saturday), but we are also going as a pack to the local pumpkin farm that morning. It should be a fun weekend fingers crossed.


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## The Auditor (Apr 2, 2006)

Our first party is this Saturday. Then we'll have another party on the 25th. These are both family parties (hers and mine), we always keep 'em separated. This will be the last year we do things this way, though, cooking up something else for 2009


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## darkness (Sep 1, 2005)

I'm having my adult party the 18th and the kids' party the 25th. I can't wait!!!!!


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## HallowSkeen (Jul 25, 2006)

My party is this Saturday (the 18th). So much to do, so little time! Wish me luck!!!


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## bozz (Sep 22, 2006)

HallowSkeen said:


> My party is this Saturday (the 18th). So much to do, so little time! Wish me luck!!!


Yeah me too, 70 kids...yikes, I only gave out 30 invites. We are doing a trail and movie in the garage. Got to mow the grass, and a few other things before Sat.


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## daveo1101 (Oct 12, 2005)

11/1 - my b-day  small group but still should be fun, I'll move the amnitronics to back yard and hopefully high fences will improve fog quality


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## Nicci (Oct 14, 2008)

Ours is November 1st. It's a Halloween party and a birthday party.


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