Anyone who loves the movie Twister ought to have a Twister themed party. It’s a fun way to commemorate an awesome film that filled every Midwesterner with the fear of God (and/or giddy excitement) at mention of a tornado watch/warning. Plus, yours would likely be the first (if not only) Twister themed party your friends have ever attended!
But now more than ever is THE time to host a Twister party, and here’s why: we’ll have a spinoff film called Twisters in summer 2024. It won’t carry on anything from the original Twister story, but it will provide a current take on storm chasing given today’s technology and climate change. So before you rush off to see this new adventure, first pay homage to the OG movie and get extra hyped with a Twister themed party!
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Keep your windows open for this party, especially if it’s a breezy day! Hanging anything that spins – especially kinetic spiral spinners – adds a fun and thematic touch. Hang a Twister movie poster on the wall. Create a spiral formation of small cow figurines hanging from the ceiling with fishing wire. Drape gray paper streamers from the ceiling from varying lengths to give a sort of ‘disheveled’ tornado vibe. You could even TP your own living room to make it look like a tornado came through your house. This is one party where absolute tidiness may not be necessary!
Steak and eggs are a solid hit for a Twister menu. It’s okay if you’re vegetarian – remember, Melissa was a vegetarian too and she survived the whole meal at Aunt Meg’s without eating! In all seriousness, though, do always provide tasty and filling food for any guests with dietary restrictions such as vegan, gluten free, etc. Here are some fun recipes for Twister themed party refreshments:
The Twister soundtrack is definitely a choice audio selection for a Twister themed party. With Eddie Van Halen, Tori Amos, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more classic musicians, you’re surely set the storm-chasing mood. The Twister orchestral soundtrack is also a great choice for thematic background music. You could just as easily have the movie playing in the background for the accompanying visual, too.
Twister, naturally, is the classic game of choice for a Twister themed party. Though the game itself has nothing to do with tornadoes, it obviously fits the theme since it shares the name! You can find a new, unopened original Twister game or find plenty of used options. You can also find a Twister rug or this other Twister rug for a sturdier, more permanent game surface.
Storytelling is another fun way to engage everyone in the theme: ask each guest to share when they first saw the movie Twister and what was going on in their life (and in the world) at that time. Or ask everyone their favourite part of the movie. Or if they’ve ever seen a tornado. Everyone will want to know the tornado stories.
Guest participation involves how you’d like your guests to participate or contribute to your party. You could ask guests to bring a dish to share, potluck-style. Or you could invite everyone to BYOB. Whatever type of participation you choose, just remember to communicate it when you initially invite people.
Of course, always choose your guests mindfully and with their interests in mind. Prioritize friends who you know would most enjoy a Twister themed party. But don’t shy away from others who maybe haven’t even seen the film. You never know, you may make a fan of them yet!
Now that we’ve covered what you’ll need to do for a Twister party, here’s a list of what you’ll need to acquire for it:
Most of these steps for party preparation apply to any type of party you host. So while we covered Twister-specific details and ideas above, 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):
Once you have your Twister party date established, you first need to get out your calendar and map out when you plan to do every step of preparation. This means you schedule time for each preparation activity that you’ll need to do. Here’s a general overview of what you can expect to do leading up to the 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, expect to do these preparations during the day of your party:
Every part of the party planning process is meant to be enjoyable – from planning the menu to putting up Twister themed party decorations. The way to be a good host is to put thought and care into party preparation while also keeping a flexible approach that allows grace for unexpected surprises. At the end of the day, the goal is for you and your guests to have a good time – even if that looks different than you envisioned. So weather any storms, enjoy the process, and party on!
