21897

70's Scavenger Surprise -50yr- Hunt & Dress-up

September 2010

Cristen in Petersburg, Illinois, United States

For my dad's 50th birthday, my husband and I planned a 70s themed scavenger hunt/surprise party.  About three weeks before the party, I sent out invitations so people would have time to get costumes. 

The invitations said:   Wear your go go boots and miniskirts,/ Fringed leather vests and tie dyed shirts./ Wear your cool threads or you'll be a square-/ Whatever you want as long as you're there./ We're having a 70s party to celebrate/ (Name here)'s 50th, so don't be late!/ Join us to boogie, hand jive, and shout!/ The tunes and the grub will be far out!/ Don't be a spaz, don't harsh the mellow,/ We're celebrating the birthday of this fine fellow./ Don't spoil the surprise or we'll call the fuzz/ And this will be the best party there ever was!  Can you dig it? 

We rented a hall and decorated with blacklight posters and hung a blacklight, balloons, peace signs, happy faces, and a disco ball. 

For the food, we researched popular 70s foods and compiled our menu from that.  We served Italian beef sandwiches, bbq meatballs, deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, chips with Lipton onion soup dip, and melon balls. 

For cake, we made a small round cake for my dad, iced it with yellow icing, and used black storebought icing to make it into a happy face. 

For guests, we made a cupcake tower and simply iced the cupcakes with white or yellow icing and used tubes of colored icing to make them into happy faces, flowers, or peace signs.   

When it was time for the party, we had my mom give my dad his first clue (while they were in another location, of course), which contained not only the clue, but a piece of a 70s costume.  Each of the clues had a piece of the costume that had to be put on, and by the time the scavenger hunt led him to the party, he was in his complete costume. 

Of course the birthday boy kind of figured out that something was going on when he had to put the costume on, but the party was still a surprise and Dad loved it!  After he arrived we played tons of 70s music and danced and had a costume contest. 

The whole night was a huge hit and everyone enjoyed dressing up and seeing all the different costume ideas.  It was definitely a success!

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