Open House Style Parties

[sent]

I'm having this desire to host things, rekindle friendships, and make new friends. But everyone is so busy these days that an open house style party sounds like a good idea. I've never hosted one. Tell me about hosting, the good, the bad, and some menu suggestions that would work well. 

[wanderingback]

I’m not sure the exact definition of open house style party but me and my friends are pretty casual. Usually we invite people over and have a few bottles of wine, some snacks from Trader Joe’s and some music playing. Nothing too fancy! Sometimes we have takeout like a few big rice dishes from a Thai or Indian place. We usually just text people a few days before we’re having a get together to let them know we’re having people over for a little get together/party. I’ve never done any formal invites or anything like that.

[cricketwife]

My experience with open house parties is when you expect a lot of people but can’t accommodate everyone at once. I’m not sure if that’s really what you’re going for? I would just invite people for whenever works for you and whoever can come can come. It can be very casual without being an open house (at least what “open house” means to me #regional).

[rosiebear]

We had an open house housewarming party years ago and friends of ours host an open house Christmas party every year. I love them.

Platters and charcuterie and drinks: be prepared for a lot of people to bring a bottle of wine. Have coolers or iced containers for soft drinks and white wine, keep on top of refreshing/replacing food $ drinks, put on some music that matches the vibe you want, and that’s it! Very simple and fun.

There will probably be a steady stream of people coming and going, with maybe a few lulls throughout. 3-4 open hours, max.

[ellipses84]

I take “open house” to mean there’s a really wide range of times and you can come for a short amount of time within that. So instead of saying, my bday party is from 6-9pm, say stop by anytime between 12-9pm. IDK if my introvert self could handle that, but everything about hosting stresses me out 😆 it does kind of relieve the pressure about whether a crowd will show up and make it seem like a happening party but I think I’d be mentally exhausted. I know someone who has random dinners on weeknights which include kids and it’s literally no prep, no expectation, don’t expect my house to be immaculate, just come as you are, people can bring / eat leftovers, kids can eat cereal, etc. Basically like, we are all too busy and exhausted, but let’s make time to be together and support each other.

[turbo]

Due to our house location (on the lake) we host several open house backyard parties every summer. We will have anywhere from 60-100+ people come through. Outside of that, I host a lot of smaller events (like 10-25 people). So this is what works for me:

First off - know that when you’re hosting, you won’t have as much time to connect with people in any meaningful way. You’ll be asked every question (toilet paper is out; where can I find ice; do you have a bandaid?). So just make sure that you determine whether or not this will actually help you achieve your goals.

Second - make it so easy for you. I live in a city where composting service is offered, so literally every party is hosted with disposable compostable plates, napkins, and silverware. It makes clean up a breeze and is better for the environment. I don’t worry about impressing people with fancy arrangements and pretty flatware - if you’re coming over to my house, you know what you’re getting into.

Third - plan ahead and do as much labeling / prep work as you can. Since we host so often I literally have laminated signs I tape up around my house - “Bathroom” and “Go around to the backyard” and “Please close gate” and “Extra plates and napkins here” and “Drinks in the garage” (we have a drink fridge in our garage). Whatever it is that you think people will need, putting a sign up can help save you from fielding repeat questions over and over and over again.

Fourth - put out cleaning supplies, wine away spray, etc. Put a small first aid kit (bandaids, neosporin, etc.) out on the counter. Then if you need any of that, it’s easy to access.

Fifth - if you can swing it in your budget, see if you can hire some local high school kids to help with it. Have them go around and pick up empty plates or restock the non-alcoholic drink section or monitor the food / snack area. This will allow you more time to socialize.

Sixth - you can pre-stock as well. Stack rolls of TP on the back of toilets in guest bathrooms. Make sure hand towels are clean and put extra out if they’ll be needed. Fill coolers and place them around your party. Get disposable party-size dishes for chips, dips, etc., so you can put a lot out and not need to constantly restock.

Seventh - for invites, evite is free or paperless post flyers (I like that more than evite) are free to send via a link. It’s nice to have a rough head count, but know usually that 10-20% of people who say yes will end up not showing (at least from my experience).

Those are my thoughts. Have fun!

[expectantsteelerfan]

IMO, open house parties are usually given for a reason. You are flexible on the time because you want everyone to be able to come celebrate if a short block of time doesn't work for their schedules. And I don't know if it's just my experience/area, but they also seem to be outside moreso than inside. Like, I could see you saying 'the weather is supposed to be so nice on x day, we're going to be outside grilling all afternoon/evening, feel free to stop by and join us.' Or maybe an evening bonfire/fire pit with s'mores? But when I've gone to those types of things, they've been more neighborhood activities and not really friends.

[momof2]

We host stuff a lot. If people hear the word “open house” many of them will have no clue what you mean. They might think you are trying to sell them your house. If you mean “stop by any time” just say that in your invite.

Honestly, I’m good with BYOB style. For example, we invite as many as 80 people to game night at our house. I do ask for RSVPs just to have a sense of whether it will be 10 people or 40, I also make clear that a last minute decision to join is fine. I’m fine setting up folding tables and chairs in the garage, living room, etc. I also tell people to bring an app or dessert to share. And then I generally provide a taco bar.

A few families in our neighborhood get together and throw a big annual pig pickin and invite the whole neighborhood. They provide the pig and ask you to bring a dessert or drink to share. It goes on for probably six hours and people float in and out.

Whenever you have a longer party, people generally know they don’t have to be there the whole time. This is true for a short party as well.

Yesterday, my kid had invited about 25 kids to her birthday party that lasted five hours. We do it that long so kids can float in and out around swim, dance, soccer, etc. It works great and she has higher attendance that way.

The only stuff we have really set times for are movie night we host. I always make clear that “we will start the movie at 7.” But if someone was like “hey, I can come to eat but can’t stay for the movie”, that would be fine.

[heygrey]

Our friend group does the open ended party where it’s a casual invite “come anytime after 4pm, we’ll have burgers around 6”. The expectation is that everyone brings a snack or dish to share and their own drinks. The host also has snacks and extra beer/wine/pop. We bring lawn chairs if it’s warm enough to sit outside.

Summer is easy to do burgers and hot dogs if you have someone to do the grilling. Salads and sides can be prepped ahead. I also love a taco bar because it can be prepped ahead (warm stuff in crockpots, everything else ready to pull out of the fridge) and it accommodates a variety of allergies and food preferences.

Our kids find their own fun, usually outside, but it doesn’t hurt to have some options available or completely put away anything you don’t want them to touch. (Are video games an option? How many controllers do you have? Can anyone bring extras?)

Just pick a date and wing it! You’ll learn what works in your house and how your friend group responds. Then it’s easier to plan for the next party.

[minzy]

This is perhaps overkill on the academics for a simple house party but was an interesting read a few years ago, she basically encourages you to be intentional to get the most out of a party you host:
bookshop.org/p/books/the-art-of-gathering-how-we-meet-and-why-it-matters-priya-parker/588739?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16243514117&gbraid=0AAAAACfld42C0DSGyUaRDVxZ8qd-DATSn&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqbBBhCAARIsAJSfZkY8YrQ0bncqpx-nDLzAFV5EWrn9ARxSyLNPp1OHotYfogyMPtJLGI4aApNfEALw_wcB

I like hosting and mine are almost always kid friendly. I try to think of things for kids to do/“stations” or places for them to be, then throw food at them, and get out of their way. We’ve done mostly birthdays, cookie decorating, eclipse, and Olympics themed parties. I think I’ve had about 75-80 people three or four times. I try to set food and drinks and desserts in slightly different areas to encourage flow/mingling rather than create “traffic jams.” Stock the bathroom, prep the food or bring some in (I’ve been using a charcuterie lady lately), get pizza… ample drinks (those don’t go bad if you get too much so no reason to skimp). You will likely not have deep conversations with many people if it’s a really big one because you’ll be playing host but hopefully it will still be enjoyable!

[Roc A Bee]

I think if you want to reconnect with folks or make new friends, I’d start off with smaller groups at your house. I don’t really like mixing different friend groups, and hosting a big party will mean no real time for you to talk to your guests.

If this is about building relationships and not celebrating a milestone, I wouldn’t do an open house party. I’d keep it casual and invite a handful of friends at a time.

[waverly]

We do open houses for graduation parties so it was something like stop by anytime between 2pm-7 pm something like that. Food for that party was made beforehand although I can’t remember what was served exactly but left out on ice or less perishable type buffet.

I did invite people to a block party. I had to pay to attend the party so I considered myself a host as a neighbor (chairs, tent, band). The hours were 2-9 so I texted people that they could come after 3 ish. I wasn’t technically hosting so could spend time with guests. I’ll probably narrow the guest list next year. One family acted super weird so I’ll cut them out. My mom made some weird comments so she’s out too lol.

[mcppalmbeach]

I love all you hostesses with the mostestes…lol! But my skin is crawling with the very thought of all this!

[MrsAxilla]

May 18, 2025 18:24:48 GMT -5 mcppalmbeach said:

I love all you hostesses with the mostestes…lol! But my skin is crawling with the very thought of all this!

I had the exact same reaction!  I want to be friends with them, though.  Sounds like fun!

[beerlover]

Most of our friend parties are the "come anytime after 4pm, we'll eat at 6pm" type of thing like HorseGirl mentioned. The host provides the main dish and people bring sides/apps and BYOB. We don't really call it an open house I guess, but times are flexible.

We tried to proclaim my 40th birthday party as an open house style party at a (very small) brewery, and everyone still came when it started and at one point we had like 50 people in the small place, lol. Whoops.

[glw]

We do two big parties a year. MH loves to cook, so he makes all the food and I handle logistics. We provide all the food and drinks, so we figure on 1 full plate of food and 1 drink per hour per person and that evens it out. Ours are 6:30 - ? and we always have a few people who crash overninght. We invite ~125 people, around 60 come and the crowd is always different. I love to see the natural groups that form, and seeing family mixing with former coworkers mixing with neighbors mixing with college friends.
I would be really clear about the food and drink situation. It's totally fine to do potluck or BYOB I'd just make it clear what you will be providing and what you're asking guests to bring.

[lilac05]

When we throw big parties, I usually say, “We will be ready around 5PM. Come when you can, leave when you must.”

If it’s TOO open, and you invite too many people, you’re more likely to have a situation where you invite 150 people and 8 show up. People want to know that THEY are wanted, not just anyone you’ve ever met…especially if it’s a “just because” party.

[meanie]

The ones I have gone to hire help for food and cleanup - just a couple people to keep things filled, passed, and to collect trash. Everything should be disposable and schedule cleaners to come the next day to make your life easier.

Buy more ice, paper towels, and trash bags than you think you will need!

[heygrey]

sent, since you’ve gotten a wide response of replies here, how many people are you thinking of inviting and what kind of parties have you attended in your social circles? I would keep the initial invite list to 20 or less (3-4 families?) and copy what you’ve seen done successfully. Keep tweaking it to suit your personality and home as you host more.

[DotAndBuzz]

May 18, 2025 13:58:57 GMT -5 Roc A Bee said:

I think if you want to reconnect with folks or make new friends, I’d start off with smaller groups at your house. I don’t really like mixing different friend groups, and hosting a big party will mean no real time for you to talk to your guests.

If this is about building relationships and not celebrating a milestone, I wouldn’t do an open house party. I’d keep it casual and invite a handful of friends at a time.

definitely be mindful of WHO you invite, because 100% ditto that friend groups dont' always mix well. Not that they mix poorly, but that it can be awkward, because people won't necessarily mingle with a new group if their own comfortable friends are already there. 

The book "The Art of Gathering," by Priya Parker, really helped me re-think how I host any sort of gathering. There are different kinds, different intentions, all that. 

As others have said, to reconnect with people it may be easier to accomplish that if you have just a few people over within the same circle (gym friends, school friends, neighborhood, etc). for me, that would be a max of 3 other couples, for a total of 8, unless I'm really close with someone in there who could assist with the hostessing logistics, and who knows my house and could help out. 

Keep food/drink simple. charcuterie, easy to eat fruit/veggie (please no gigantic florets of broccoli, lol), sparkling water, pop, beer/wine. I'd have it as an evening event, maybe at 7, so there's no dinner expectation, and people will leave likely in 3 hours. Small groups are less likely to stay super long, unless you REALLY hit it off, and are having a great time, and then....great! mission accomplished!

[shauni27]

I always think this is such a good idea and invite a million people and then...I am not able to sit and visit with anyone and I feel like I miss all the good stuff! lol. So if you want genuine connections at the party, then I would suggest more than one, and broken into smaller groups so you can actually visit with people.

[dexteroni]

Friends of ours have an open house every summer and it’s one of the most fun parties we go to all year. They have a pool, so that’s the main activity, but there are usually also yard games. It starts at like 2:00 and goes until late at night. You probably don’t want your first one to run that long. So people with kids might go at 2 and swim and eat the snacky foods that they have out, stay until dinner when they fire up the grill, and then go home. Adults with older kids or no kids might come later for dinner and stay through the evening, which is more of a grownup party with less food and more drinks. 

However - if your goal is to meet new people and catch up with people you haven’t seen in a long time, IMO an open house is not a great way to do that. Your guests will have the opportunity to meet each other - I think I meet someone new each year at the party I described above - but you’ll most likely be too busy to really get to chat with any one person for a length of time. I think it would be better to start with smaller group get togethers at a time that works for everyone. Then once you feel you know more people, and have an idea of what groups would work well together at a larger party, go for the bigger event.

[dexteroni]

turbo those are great tips! I love the directional signage idea.

[sent]

May 19, 2025 10:28:50 GMT -5 heygrey said:

sent , since you’ve gotten a wide response of replies here, how many people are you thinking of inviting and what kind of parties have you attended in your social circles? I would keep the initial invite list to 20 or less (3-4 families?) and copy what you’ve seen done successfully. Keep tweaking it to suit your personality and home as you host more.

Now that I think about it, the Christmas party we usually attend at the cousin's place was open house style in the past when she used to invite a lot of people. I forgot about that until now but it's probably why the idea was hiding in the back of my head. 

I'm envisioning having a large-ish outdoor party for the neighborhood and another separate outdoor party for colleagues I've met over the years who are my age or who have kids same age as mine but we never get a chance to hang outside of professional settings. That way everyone at the party has something in common even if we're not all great friends (yet!). Invite like 50 to 60 people with the hope that 20 to 30-ish say yes for the dinner part and another 10 - 15 stop by but not commit to the whole thing because they have another thing. I've been thinking to keep the menu simple for these first time parties with like hot dogs and burgers on the grill and go a little more heavy on the sides. I didn't think of the backyard games thing to give people something to do so that's a good suggestion. I like to just talk and trade stories at parties, I always hate being forced to do some kind of grownup craft or play a game and taking away from the time available to chat. I'd really like to be more friendly with our neighbors and this seems like a very casual way to have them get to know us as approachable people (well at least me and the kids.) Also the kids really want to host parties so this would be good to help their social development too.

I like the small parties of 3 - 4 families also, but I would feel a lot more pressure to be a really good host in those scenarios with like a pristine house and a thoughtful menu. I'm not ready for that at the moment. 

[mrsukyankee]

This is pretty much every party we have - we say that the party will be going from X time to Y time and you are welcome any time and to bring any friends or family that they'd like to include (that way singles can bring a friend or two, or family members). We let them know to not bring anything unless they want a specific food or drink for themselves. We provide snacky foods, usually hefty salads and a cheese/meat plate (all of which can be topped up) as well as wine, beer, soda/fruit juices and perhaps a few bottles of bourbon/gin/etc. Thanks for the reminder as we haven't done this for ages.

[jennistarr1]

I think what you're planning sounds great

My advice on food is divide every thing into smaller batches. For example, potato salad...instead of putting out one bowl of potato salad for all day, have 3 bowls ready to go. When its time for the refresh, throw the first bowl away (or you can refrigerate it for your own leftovers if it's been just 2 hours) and put out a fresh bowl. Grill three different times. Condiments and chips and stuff like that is fine for all day

you might encourage people to bring their own chairs

And you might say something like "party starts at 3 and will wrap up around 9, feel free to come any time you are available