Fall Harvest

• 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
  • Horses
  • Cows
  • Pigs
  • Chickens
  • 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