Fall Harvest

Fall Harvest Hoedown Planning Ideas

Whether you hearken from the hills of Appalachia or the wild Western plains, autumn festival customs of outdoor food and fun are at the core of keeping good company.

Recreate the spirit of the old-fashioned harvest feast in your own backyard with nature-inspired decorations, seasonal country food, and dancing to traditional country hoedown tunes.

Create an autumn season walkway lined with pumpkins and an archway of vines and fall leaves.
Fill a weathered wheelbarrow, wooden crates, and/or baskets with autumn gourds, squashes, pumpkins, berries, apples and corn stalks for a show of seasonal bounty.

Lay out cords, wiring & outlets first to minimize their impact
Set up a flat, hard surface as the dance floor so guests won’t lose their footing on uneven ground.
Decorate with festive lighting including electric string lights, hanging lanterns, and flameless votive candles.
Accent barn rafters, railings and tents with fall-colored sashes in orange, olive, plum, cream, scarlet, toffee and/or mustard.
Arrange outdoor stations for food, drinks, and other activities to form a circle with tent and activity area entrances facing inward.
Build draped hay bale seating around the periphery so revelers can take a breath without losing momentum.
At the center of the outdoor area, construct more bench seating out of hay bales draped with red gingham cloth or plaid blankets

Include fall-themed throw pillows as accents.
Use free-standing barrels, cross-sectional logs, or wooden crates as side tables.
Erect a rustic wooden directional sign pointing the way to key party areas.
Position a friendly scarecrow holding a chalkboard “Welcome” sign announcing food, drink, and activity selections.

Add accent lighting with sand-weighted mason jars holding flickering votive candles (battery-powered recommended).
Decorate food areas with red gingham tablecloths and sumptuous bouquets of fall-colored blooms.
Group pillar candlesticks and candy dishes of different heights with pumpkins instead of candles to create a unique fall table centerpiece.
Build a mini maze of hay bales.
Fill rusty pails with chrysanthemums, and place carved or painted pumpkins atop hay bales.

Dress the part!

Invite men to wear trousers with suspenders or overalls
Suggest overalls, gingham and/or square-dancing dresses for women
Also, cowboy & cowgirl attire makes a cute alternative

Some food ideas include:

Crockpot stew and chili
Roasted squash or corn
Pork roast
Ham
Casseroles: potato, sweet potato, green bean
Quiche
Deviled eggs

And, don't forget the sweets:

Pies: pumpkin, pecan, chess, apple
Banana pudding
Rum cake
Pound cake
Peanut butter brittle
Caramel apples
Peppermint bark

Signature Drinks:

Washington Apple
Spiced tea
Spiced apple cider
Hot chocolate

Repeat items, symbols & icons associated with the season:
- Fall leaves
- Scarecrows
- Fall flowers
- Gourds & pumpkins
- Cotton stalks
- Hay bales
- Crows
- Rustic décor
- Fall corn stalks
- Red gingham
- Cowboy hats & boots
- Tractors
- Farm animals
- Barn & silo
- Wagons & wheels
- Milk cans
- Moonshine jugs
- Windmills

Music & Dancing

Square-dancing songs

Turkey In The Straw
Virginia Reel
Ozark Rag

Barn Dance Medley
Cotton Eyed Joe
El Paso City (Marty Robbins)
Sugarfoot Rag (Red Foley)
Back In Baby’s Arms (Patsy Cline)
Walking After Midnight (Patsy Cline)
Cold Cold Heart (Hank Williams)
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)

Line-dancing songs

Cha Cha Slide (Casper)
Electric Slide (Marcia Griffiths)
Shout (Blues Brothers)
Apache (Sugarhill Gang)
Footloose (Blake Shelton)
Honky Tonk Badonkadonk (Trace Adkins)
Watermelon Crawl (Tracy Byrd)
Good Time (Alan Jackson)

Bluegrass songs

Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Flatt & Scruggs)
Blue Moon of Kentucky (Flatt & Scruggs)
Rocky Top (Everly Brothers)
Orange Blossom Special (Johnny Cash)
I Wonder How the Old Folks are at Home (Carter Family)
Appalachian Mountain Girl (Alan Jackson)
Trouble in Mind (The Boxcars)
Buttermilk Road (Claire Lynch)
Letter from Down the Road (Della Mae)
And...anything by Frank Solivan & the Dirty Kitchen