How to Throw a 1960s Hippie Theme Party

Author:
Janis Masyk-Jackson
Updated:
Jul 17, 2024

The "peace sign," a prominent symbol of the 1960s.
Fred Miller at Flickr through Creative Commons.

1960s Theme Party

"Make love, not war." That was the ideology of the hippie culture in the 1960s. Peace, love, and non-violence were staples of the hippie community. The music was psychedelic, and a new clothing style emerged. The 1960s is an entertaining and creative era for a theme party. Here are some tips to help you plan a "groovy" celebration.

Party Invitations

To get the party off to a great start, you'll first need invitations. "Peace sign" invitations would really embrace the culture of the time, as would invitations with flowers, as "flower power" was a central theme of this time.

Encourage your guests to wear clothing from the era and offer costume suggestions in your invitations. When sending invitations, it is recommended that you send them two weeks in advance. This provides guests with plenty of time to find the perfect costumes.

"Flower Power."
Hendrike at Wikimedia Commons.

1960s Party Decorations

There are so many fun ways to decorate for a hippie party. Hang psychedelic posters and turn on some black lights. Add some lava lamps to enhance the atmosphere.

Additionally, put up posters of famous rockers of the time, such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Another poster idea is Woodstock, a huge rock festival held in 1969 (if you haven't guessed already, posters were very popular during this decade).

"Flower Power" and peace signs were extremely popular during this era, so add these to your décor. Hang cut-out peace signs from the ceiling and decorate your table with flower petals.

Hippies were very much against violence and war, particularly the Vietnam War. Get a poster board and write "Make Love, Not War on it." Also, string long strands of beads in the doorway of the party area that guests can walk through.

Delicious looking chocolate brownies.
Gdr modified by Lyzzy at Wikimedia Commons.

Hippie Food

Hippies, also known as "flower children," were into more natural and organic foods, so consider salads (especially with bean sprouts,) humus, fresh fruit, veggie sticks (like carrots and celery), yogurt, veggie burgers, and granola. I recommend avoiding meat, as many hippies were vegetarians.

Most hippies didn't have a lot of money, so if planning to serve alcohol, I suggest sticking with beer. Now, if this party is for kids by chance, go for more traditional kids' foods of the era, such as hamburgers and Goldfish crackers. Regarding beverages, juice, punch, or soda would do nicely.

Hippies were not formal, so a casual buffet would fit nicely with this theme. To enhance the party's overall atmosphere, use floral paper products or those with peace signs on them. If you choose to serve dessert, I recommend brownies. Plain, of course.

Tie-dye shirts were trendy during the 1960s.
MpegMan at Wikimedia Commons.

Flower Children Costumes and Outfits

Tie-die shirts are a must, along with bell-bottom pants. Here's a simple way to make bell bottoms. Take an old pair of jeans or pick up a pair at a local thrift store (such as Good Will or the Salvation Army). Cut a slit in the bottom of both pant legs and sew in a triangular-shaped piece of fabric. Something with flowers would work well, as this keeps with the "flower power" mentality of the era. Now, you have bell-bottom pants!

Long flowing skirts can work for girls who prefer not to wear pants. Add a peasant top to complete the look. Sandals and boots were common, as were suede, fringed vests.

Accessories

For accessories, wear a headband and some "love beads" or a peace sign necklace. Add some flowers to your hair. Remember, hair was long then, so consider wearing a wig. Makeup was not common for flower children to wear, but they did draw peace signs and flowers on their faces.

Jimi Hendrix.
Ary Groeneveld at Wikimedia Commons.

Party Music

Music is the backbone of any great party, and the 1960s offered a wide array of musical choices that work with a themed party. A big musical during that time was Hair, so I would suggest the song "Hair" performed by the Cowsills and "The Age of Aquarius" by The 5th Dimension. Jimi Hendrix was also huge during this time, so songs like "Foxy Lady" and "Purple Haze" would fit in nicely.

Janis Joplin was also a top rocker back then, so don't forget to include "Piece of My Heart." While you're at it, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" from The Jefferson Airplane would fit nicely too. Additional song suggestions include:

Scroll to Continue

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (Iron Butterfly)
"With a Little Help From My Friends" (Joe Cocker)
"Where Have All the Flowers Gone" (Peter, Paul & Mary)
"Mellow Yellow" (Donovan)
"Evil Ways" (Santana)
"San Francisco" (Scott McKenzie)
"Dance to the Music" (Sly and the Family Stone)
"Blowin' in the Wind" (Bob Dylan)
"I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" (The Electric Prunes)
"California Dreamin" (The Mamas & The Papas)

If playing background music, put on some music by Ravi Shankar, an Indian sitar player, whom many flower children idolized for his music. If gathering music from different artists seems like too much of a hassle, get the CD or DVD of Woodstock, which contains many of the songs listed above.

Face-painting was extremely popular in the 1960s.
Pieter Jongerhuis / Anefo at Wikimedia Commons.

Party Activities

Tie-dye shirts were trendy in the hippie culture, so pick up some inexpensive white t-shirts and some fabric dye and let guests make their own tie-dye shirts. They're a great party keepsake. Another suggestion is to set up a bead station with beads and string so everyone can make their own "love beads."

Music and Games

If guests are familiar with the music of the 1960s, play "Name That Artist" using music from the era. Give them the name of the song and see who knows the artist. Some sample songs include:

"Groovin" (The Young Rascals)
"Time of the Season" (The Zombies)
"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" (Simon and Garfunkle)
"Go Ask Alice" (Jefferson Airplane)
"Incense and Peppermints" (Strawberry Alarm Clock)
"For What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield)
"Mr. Tambourine Man" (The Byrds)
"All You Need Is Love" (The Beatles)
"Woodstock" (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
"Piece of My Heart" (Janis Joplin)

Twister first came out in the sixties and is still a popular game. Why not play a few rounds? Another idea is to have an area for face painting. Pick up some supplies and have one or two persons paint interesting animals, peace signs, or flowers on guests' faces. If people come in costume, have a costume contest. Everyone can secretly vote for their favorite costume by ballot, and when the winner is announced, hand over a prize.

The corner of Haight and Ashbury was a famous gathering spot for the hippie movement.
megapeg at Flickr through Creative Commons

Slang Words and Phrases From the 1960s

To make sure your party is really "groovy," learn some sixties slang. It will definitely add to the amusement of the party. Here are some, with their meanings, to get you started.

Dig? (Understand?)
Far out (Cool)
Outta sight (Really good)
Flower child (Hippie)
Gimme some skin (Shake hands)
The man (The boss)
Bread (Money)
Fuzz (Police)
Right on (OK)
Rags (Clothes)

Endless Possibilities

In closing, you now have the basics for creating a far-out hippie party. Use these tips to get your party planning started, but also use your imagination to customize your party to best suit your guests' needs. If you follow these suggestions, you are sure to give them a party they will long remember.

What do you like best about the 1960s?

Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on August 04, 2015:

Love anything hippie. Great party ideas.

Deborah Carr from Orange County, California on September 27, 2014:

Our retirement community has a 60's Hippie Party once a year. I missed it this year, but I hope to be there next year! :)

Janis Masyk-Jackson (author) from California on September 22, 2014:

Incense would certainly give an authentic smell to the room. Great idea. Thanks!

Suzanne Day from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on August 30, 2014:

Don't forget the sarongs, incense and lucky Tikis! I like the idea of a hippie party because people can be a bit more versatile and creative in the way they dress. Voted interesting!

Janis Masyk-Jackson (author) from California on August 30, 2014:

Oh thank you so very much!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Suzie from Carson City on August 05, 2014:

Janis.....THIS is, without a doubt, one of the best and most creative ideas for a party I've come across. Love it! This is especially interesting to a genuine Boomer!...Thanks.....Voted UP! UI&A......tweeted.

Janis Masyk-Jackson (author) from California on July 09, 2014:

NateB11,

The music would be so fun.

Janis Masyk-Jackson (author) from California on July 09, 2014:

Astra Nomik,

How fun that you have been to a couple of themed 60s parties.

Janis Masyk-Jackson (author) from California on July 09, 2014:

grand old lady,

I love the idea of hugging trees. You don't ramble. You're actually quite interesting.

Nathan Bernardo from California, United States of America on May 31, 2014:

Fun and cool party ideas for a fun and cool era. That would definitely be a colorful party with cool music.

Cathy Nerujen from Edge of Reality and Known Space on May 27, 2014:

Hippie stuff from the 60's is never out of fashion. The 1960s have seemed to have become almost a state of mind, of change, a catalyst for many things in culture, for many people, especially those who have lived through the hippie era. In some ways it teaches us about how informed people were back then, morally and socially....

I have been to only 2 themed 60's parties, but they were so much fun.

Mona Sabalones Gonzalez from Philippines on May 21, 2014:

I wanted to celebrate a hippie Christmas years ago, but I couldn't find a marijuana tree to use as a Christmas tree. So instead I went into an organic Christmas and hugged trees everywhere. I ramble. Loved your article. I'm listening right now to In-a-gadda-da-vida. Forgot how great the song was. cool, man.