Want to put on your dancing shoes, your platform shoes with the swimming fish, that is? Have a desire to slip on that tie die t-shirt and bell bottom jeans and jam to Boogie Fever? Are you feeling a little nostalgic for the days of Pet Rocks and Choco’Lite candy bars (oh boy, do I MISS those!!) Then grab your mood rings and hop into your Gremlin, and take a trip to Retro Ville, by throwing a 1970’s style party. Sounds groovy, you say, but you don’t know where to begin? Well let’s start with a little history of the 70’s. While a lot of political and social unrest took place at that time, the 70’s was a culture of fun, excess, wild colors, and the disco craze, especially towards the end of the decade. Tie-died shirts, Afros, pet rocks and disco balls were the craze, as well as music from the Bee Gees and Donna Summer. The early 1970’s are somewhat blended in with the 1960’s, the time of peace, love, psychedelic drugs, and the evolution of the Hippie movement. The mid and latter 70’s, saw gas shortages, and leisure suits, as well as a revival of nostalgia for the 1950’s with movies like “Grease”, “American Graffiti, and shows like Happy Days. Hopefully, this history flashback jogged your memory enough to get you started on planning your theme, whether the disco era, or the love/peace era. If not here are some tips to help you along the way.
Food- In the seventies, party foods were pretty simple. Cocktail weenies, deviled eggs, crackers with “Cheese Wiz”, and Hamburger Helper were some of the foods served then. One of the most popular was the fondue set, which came with a pot that you could heat chocolate, cheese or other sauce. It came with skewers in which you could place fruit or bread on, and dip into the heated sauce. Quiche, Chex Mix, submarine sandwiches, and the infamous Jell-O mold, also made their way to the party table back then.
Clothing-The clothing in the seventies ranged from bell bottom pants and sneakers with t-shirts, or the more formal leisure suit for men and long skirts for women. Also, don’t forget the platform shoes, headbands, or Afro wigs. Halter tops, Dr. Scholl’s, and Earth Shoes were the in thing as well. Most of these items can be found in a second hand store for a more authentic feel and look, online on EBay, or you and your guests can purchase these items from a costume store.
Decorations and party favors-To me, the decorations and favors are what really bring out the ambiance of a party. Remember the beads hanging from the doorway, and lava lamps? These can be purchased online at many nostalgia sites, or at a Spencer’s Gifts store in the mall. . Favors could be mirror ball or peace sign key chains, earrings, necklaces, mood rings, tie die bracelets, glow in the dark wands, lip gloss, and happy face stickers. Candy from the 70’s such as Bottle caps, Pop Rocks, Razzles, Bit-o-Honey, and BB-Bats can be found on the web for purchase, and can be placed in the favor bag. You can also have a large screen television playing 70’s movies, shows and commercials in the background to get a real time warp sensation.
Activities-The 70’s were made for dancing. The Bump, the Hustle, and the Bus Stop, along with a “Soul Train” line, will get the party started. Try a game of 1970’s trivia, or do karaoke to songs of the 70’s. You can use a lot of variety, because that is what the 70’s were about, variety, you dig? Now that you have some tips on how to make your party hip, just keep on trucking and make that party a blast!!!
