Five Fall Themes for Your Autumn Event
As cool mornings return, leaves take on vibrant, warm hues and pumpkin patches pop up, you can be sure of one thing — fall is here! With Thanksgiving on the horizon and holiday parties around the corner, this season is also a time for planning catered family or workplace get-togethers.
No sweater-weather shindig is complete without the unique, in-season foods and decor that make fall stand out from other seasons. To give your guests an autumn gathering they won’t soon forget, consider one of these five fresh and festive fall themes to elevate any of your catered events during the harvest season!
1. Cozy Campfire
The crisp autumn evenings can evoke memories of huddling near a crackling campfire and roasting s’mores into the night. When hosting your next catered event, you can bring this nostalgic memory to new heights for your guests with a professional, elegant touch.
For your event’s food, work with your caterer to select campfire-inspired, flame-grilled offerings. For main dishes, consider steak kabobs, smoked turkey breast, grilled barbeque chicken or pulled pork sliders to give your entrees a smoky and satisfying flavor. Themed sides could include a smoked brisket macaroni and cheese or smoked gouda mashed potatoes. Your desserts should, naturally, include a build-your-own s’mores bar or a twist on the classic treat, such as s’mores tartlets or s’mores cookie bars. Other campfire-style sweets could include apple pies or torched crème brûlées.
For a cozy campfire event design, lanterns, string lights or LED candles could bring warm, ambient lighting to your venue. Lean into checkered or plaid tablecloths with warm fall colors for your tables and consider using pinecones, cinnamon, pumpkins and logs in the room decor or in centerpieces for a rustic touch. Between the toasty food offerings and the earthy design, your guests may just leave your catered event with warmed hearts, reminded of childhood campfires.
2. Down-Home Delight
To provide a relaxed seasonal setting for your guests, you can craft a catered event focused on crowd-pleasing comforts. Remind your guests, whether in an intimate party or large corporate gathering, of Mom’s home-cooked holiday favorites for an unforgettable event.
For this farm-to-table fare, have your caterer focus on combining elegance and comfort foods. Consider dishes like chicken pot pie, fried chicken, braised short rib or meatloaf for the main course. Sweet cornbread, deviled eggs, cheddar grits and sweet potato casserole could accompany the meats. As a sweet finish, decadent desserts like banana pudding, pecan pie or peach cobbler could serve as consoling treats.
When designing a down-home delight event, select farmhouse-inspired elements. Use earthy tones, mason jars with wildflowers or herbs, picnic-style table linens and wooden crates to add to the farm charm of your catered event. The slower pace evoked by this casual and comforting theme should help put guests at ease at your event, especially during the hustle of the holidays in autumn’s later months.
3. Pumpkin Patch
Nothing says “fall” quite like a perfect patch of pumpkins. To throw a catered event with bold seasonal nods, try embracing the orange side of autumn and carve up a gourd-eous event to match the time of year.
Surprise your guests by partnering with your event caterer for a pumpkin and gourd-inspired menu. Begin with a pumpkin soup, butternut squash bisque or a kale salad with pumpkin seeds. For main dishes, check with your caterer to see if they can craft a pumpkin curry, butternut-squash-filled or pumpkin-filled ravioli or a spaghetti squash pasta bake. Less adventurous guests may prefer heartier, but still heartwarming, entrees like pot roast, hot chili or roasted turkey to provide a break from the plant-based offerings. Sides could include sweet potatoes, green beans or other roasted vegetables. The sweeter side of the pumpkin patch might include pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cheesecake.
To design a venue for this catered event, don’t shy away from showcasing various pumpkins, whether real or artificial, when decorating the room. Scarecrows, lanterns, hay bales and earthy tones could help accentuate your pumpkin patch aesthetic. This whimsical event can be as subtle or striking as you prefer, but your guests are bound to feel the fall inspiration in the air amid your pumpkin paradise.
4. Oktoberfest
For a lively autumn atmosphere, you can embrace the German custom of Oktoberfest when planning a September or October gathering. Oktoberfest originated in Germany in October of 1810 and is held annually in Munich, Germany. Smaller celebrations are held throughout the United States and feature traditional German food alongside an abundance of beer. Whether or not your event includes alcohol, you can bring your guests an energizing event with cultural delicacies that complement the festivities.
As appetizers, you can serve Bavarian-style soft pretzels with beer cheese or Kasbrettl, a Bavarian cheese board for guests to snack on. For main dishes, keep the theme with meat-heavy options to delight your guests. Bratwurst (German-style link sausage), Schweinshaxe (pork shank) or roast chicken all make for hearty meals. Pair Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes), sauerkraut, red cabbage or Brussels sprouts with the meats for an authentic cultural experience. Desserts could include German chocolate cakes and Bavarian cream puffs.
To design an Oktoberfest event, use checkered tablecloths with blue and white to evoke the event’s traditional table coverings color scheme. Use beer steins, lanterns and wood in centerpiece designs. Hanging banners with Bavarian crests and decorating the room with barrels and sunflowers can further add to a festival feel for guests. The upbeat German-inspired atmosphere combined with the exciting cultural dishes can add a boost of energy and revelry to your next autumn event.
5. Thanksgiving, Elevated
A highlight of any American fall season is the Thanksgiving holiday. To create an elegant catered event that serves up traditional fall fare with a superior twist, consider a reimagined, elevated Thanksgiving feast. This type of theme can be perfect for more formal business gatherings, fundraising galas and important executive meetings.
To stuff culinary excellence into your Thanksgiving-inspired corporate event or intimate party, work with your caterer to serve unique takes on classic holiday foods. For example, you can offer an herb-roasted turkey breast, but also give guests an option for braised short ribs, maple-glazed salmon or filet mignon as your budget permits. Pair the main course with sides of truffle mashed potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, roasted squash and quinoa, cornbread stuffing and rye dinner rolls. Finish the meal with pecan tartlets, cranberry-fudge pie, chocolate peanut butter pie or fruit tarts. Talk with your caterer about other creative ways their chefs can enhance traditional Thanksgiving dishes and impress your guests.
To decorate your venue for this upscale event, opt for elegant touches like golden chargers, fine dishware, seasonal flowers and LED candles in golden holders. Use garlands, autumnal wreaths and fall foliage to decorate tables and the venue. Though the food and motifs of your elevated Thanksgiving event may be familiar to guests, the overall experience will almost certainly leave them surprised and delighted by the classy twists.
Make Your Autumn Event Vision a Reality
Organizing an autumn event amid the holiday rush can be overwhelming. Take the stress out of planning your next catered event with Cotton Culinary. The skilled culinary artists with Cotton can help translate your event vision into a reality, whether for holiday parties, company gatherings, private events, reunions and more. With exceptional service and top-rate food services, Cotton Culinary can be your partner in creating an event your guests will have to talk about over Thanksgiving dinner. Visit our website today to see how we can help add festive flavors to your themed autumn event!
