Indiana Jones: Everybody’s Favourite Hero
Indiana Jones is a time-tested classic adventure franchise and beloved badass character. Whether you are equally fascinated by the themes of archaeology, anthropology, history, geography, or impossibly insane action sequences and stunts, there is much to enjoy. Hosting an Indiana Jones party is a fantastic way to celebrate the movies – whether you focus on just one film or include any/all of them. Here we’ll cover some fun ways to embrace this theme with cinematic flair!
How to Throw an Indiana Jones Party
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1. Create the Scene with Indiana Jones Party Decorations
Decorating for an Indiana Jones party is a lot of fun. Think of it as gathering props for the movie set. It can even be borderline Halloween-esque if you have fun with effects like spooky skulls and large bugs (not to mention melting Nazi faces and violent heart removal…not my style but you do Indy your way!). You can get creative with it and use things that you already have laying around, such as old brown liquor bottles, items that resemble archaeological artifacts, and anything leather. Display any relics you can find that are rugged, slightly ancient or musty, and reminiscent of older cultures. Ancient ruins-style décor creates a great archaeological vibe. You may find decorative inspiration in the Egyptian themed party post for a nod to Raiders the Lost Ark.
If you can get some old rope, drape it haphazardly from around your walls and ceiling. If you have any tropical houseplants such as palms, monstera or dracaena, move them front and center for a Temple of Doom jungle vibe. Stick to neutral colours like muted greens, tans, and browns (except of course when it comes to relics like jewels and golden idols). Plant rubber snakes around your space (especially fun to intentionally startle guests!). You could display an Indiana Jones fedora hat as a centerpiece or hanging from fishing wire from the ceiling. Pin old maps to the wall or cover the table with them. There isn’t any one specific way to decorate, so find your own creative niche. Any of these ideas or more of your own will help build the atmosphere!
Here are some Indy-themed decorations to get you started:
- Holy grail replica
- ‘Why’d it have to be snakes’ banner
- Holy grail leap of faith poster or canvas
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom bridge crossing poster
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark film poster
- Indiana Jones collage fleece blanket or this Indiana Jones collage fleece blanket
- Raiders of the Lost Ark vintage trading cards
- Indiana Jones drink coasters
- Indiana Jones paper-cut light box
- Indiana Jones movie prop replicas
2. Prepare Indiana Jones-Inspired Food and Beverages
Time to get crafty with your menu! There may not be many appetizing options when it comes to the specific foods we encounter in the Indiana Jones films…and that’s why this can be a lot of fun. For a nod to the Temple of Doom, serve your guests monkey brains (an actual savory Danish dish called Abehjerne) and, for dessert, sticky monkey brains. You’ll find more creative Indy-inspired fare in a fellow fan/culinary creator’s Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired menu and Temple of Doom-inspired menu.
A simple (and delicious) take on Indiana Jones party refreshments is to serve food from the cultures represented in any of the films: Egyptian fare for Raiders of the Lost Ark; Indian food for Temple of Doom; or Turkish dishes for The Last Crusade. Offer Peruvian fare for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or Greek food for the most recent installment, Dial of Destiny. To drink, offer beverages that accompany whichever culture your food represents (i.e. hibiscus tea for Egyptian fare, chai tea or mango lassi for Indian, ouzo for Greek, etc.). And regardless of cuisine theme, whiskey is a great option (Indy’s drink of choice).
3. Set the Ambience with the Indiana Jones Soundtrack
Playing the Indiana Jones complete soundtrack will offer an exciting cinematic vibe that further transports your guests into Indy’s escapades. The nostalgic musical scores create the perfect element of suspenseful energy and adventure. If you don’t want to commit to cycling through the entire (first) four movie soundtracks, you could alternatively play some of the music clips such as Indiana Jones adventurous ambient soundscape/music from the films. Of course, you could just as easily play any of the films in the background as well to provide both thematic background music and visual entertainment.
Depending on the layout of your space and what type of gathering you prefer, you could opt to make your Indiana Jones party a movie-watching event. This is different from a normal party because watching the movie becomes the main focus (and the reason for hosting). It isn’t a party per se because parties entail socializing while watching movies entails focusing on a movie (though many friends don’t stop talking!). Having friends over to watch movies can be a lot of fun and works better as a small gathering, but be careful to not call it a party. When people attend a party, they won’t necessarily expect to sit down and focus on a movie. That being said, playing a movie in the background at a party – especially when that movie is what the theme’s all about – is perfectly fitting, and some guests may enjoy watching some of it regardless!
4. Add Evocative Scents
To fit the culinary path you choose for your menu, burn aromatic candles of that same region. For instance, light an Egyptian musk candle if you’re serving Egyptian food. Or, simply burn a worn leather candle for a whip and fedora scent. There are also some terrific Indiana Jones-themed scented candles and wax melts including Marion, Club Obi-Wan, Indy, and the Golden Idol.
5. Plan Indiana Jones Party Games
If you plan on playing any of the Indiana Jones movies (whether you in fact plan to watch them or whether they’ll simply be on in the background for optional/occasional viewing), make it extra fun with an Indiana Jones drinking game (or its digital version)! Or test everyone’s Indy knowledge with an Indiana Jones trivia booklet, or play Indiana Jones bingo (a printable download).
Another fun way to engage guests is storytelling. Encourage everyone to go around and share things like their favourite Indiana Jones movie (and why it’s their favourite), how old they were when they first saw any of the films (and where they saw them), and other such conversation starters.
Choose Your Holy Grail
For friends who enjoy drinking as much as Marion (or simply enjoy drinking), dare your guests to Choose Their Holy Grail. Fill several goblets or wine glasses with different secret concoctions. The only rule is that they must be edible, obviously, and cannot jeopardize health and safety (i.e. don’t mix milk with orange juice or something that would cause one to retch). All but one of the ‘holy grails’ should contain a mixture that doesn’t taste good. For instance, apple cider vinegar and cheap beer diluted with water. Or vodka mixed with apple juice and oat milk.
The one real holy grail should have something truly tasty that most anyone would love and which therefore makes this game worth the risk, such as a chocolate martini or strawberry soda mixed with mango juice and coconut rum. Each daring player has to drink all of the vessel they choose, which means every daring player except for the winner ends up drinking a disgusting drink. But here’s why it’s worth the gamble: the winner gets unlimitedrefills. (Of course, this is to your discretion. You obviously have every right to cut somebody off if they start to become irresponsibly drunk). So make sure you have plenty of whatever ingredients you use to concoct your delicious holy grail drink!
6. Establish Guest Participation
Guest participation involves how you’d like your guests to participate or contribute to your party. You could challenge everyone to bring an Indiana Jones-themed dish to share, and/or make it BYOB. You could invite everyone to come wearing an adventure-friendly outfit, such as khakis, hiking books, fedora…you get the picture! Whatever type of participation you establish, just remember to clearly communicate it up front when you initially invite people.
Checklist of Items You Need
Now that we’ve covered what you’ll need to do to set up an Indiana Jones party, here’s a list of what tangible items you’ll need to acquire for it:
- Indiana Jones-themed party decorations
- Indiana Jones-inspired food and beverages
- Indiana Jones soundtrack and/or video
- Indiana Jones-inspired scented candles
- Indiana Jones party games
Preparation Checklist for Your Indiana Jones Party
Below are basic party planning guidelines to neatly order each step of the process (you can find more thorough details in the Best Party Practices posts):
1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date
- Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well
- Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort)
- Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s). The only details you’ll need to share at this time include what type of party it will be (Indiana Jones-themed); any requested participation; party date and general time of day; and your address (or other location if elsewhere)
- This first step is just to get people to confirm that, barring unforeseen circumstances, they are able and willing to attend and will save the date to do so. If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure the calendar date for your impressive party!
2. Then, proceed with the fun planning
Once you have your Indiana Jones party date established, you first need to get out your calendar and map out when you plan to do every step of preparation. Here’s a general overview of what you can expect to do leading up to the party:
- First, sit down and schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep as listed below
- Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
- Order any party supplies and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time to set up)
- Shop for any party supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
- Acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
- Set up decorations
- Prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)
3. Day of Party
It’s important to get as much party prep done far enough in advance that you have some time to yourself to relax come party day, especially if you’ve been busy. So be sure to plan your day-of-party preparations early enough to have that time and space to yourself as well. Within those amply planned/set-aside time slots, you can expect to do these preparations during the day of your party:
- Complete any last-minute food/drink prep that are too fresh to do any earlier
- Set up any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations (if not up already)
- Prepare ambience (soundtrack/movie, candles)
- Get dressed in a badass archaeologist outfit
- Once everything’s ready, take some time for any preferred self-care activities that get you in a good head space so you can be a relaxed, energized, and happy host!
Don your fedora and get ready to start planning! Whether you go all out with elaborate decorations and an enviable menu or whether you keep things simpler with a ‘less is more’ approach, your Indiana Jones party will be a great time that everyone enjoys. Putting intentional thought and effort into party preparation makes for a notable event that people remember, even if things don’t end up exactly as you planned. So have fun! As Indy said, ‘Fortune and glory, kid.’