I love to entertain during the summer and spend time with friends I rarely see during other times of the year. This year I have been working on designing an “outdoor living space.” I had made progress and wanted to put it to use with a small party. I needed a theme and began browsing World Market’s summer catalog for ideas. When I spotted the Retro Outdoor Movie Night, I was hooked. I was ready for a blast from the past, complete with nostalgic candy, sodas, and of course, popcorn.
I took the kids with me to World Market to help me choose items for the party. I don’t think they were impressed with my nostalgic moments. “Hey! I loved Astro Pops!” I exclaimed. “And what about these Pop Rocks in different flavors? Hot Tamales, Lem and Mel, Mike and Ike, Yum!” The kids’ favorite part of the trip was choosing the retro sodas. “I wonder what this will taste like,” they said as they added bottle after bottle to our cart. I think when the big day arrived the adults had just as much fun choosing and trying different sodas as the kids.
Want to host a retro outdoor movie night at your house? Here’s my tips to plan, prepare and implement a night that will have everyone asking for a repeat.
1. Prepare a simple menu and decide what snacks you would like to serve.
I decided on chili cheese dogs, chips and soda for out meal since they were simple and didn’t take a lot of prep time, followed by retro candy, popcorn and soda. Be adventurous and serve candy the kids have (probably) never tried and the adults will remember. We used Pop Rocks, Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike, Lem and Mel, Double Bubble, Astro Pops and Cotton Candy.
2. Create a retro feel with cool accessories.
I placed the soda in a galvanized tub filled with ice. This kept it cool, allowed everyone to grab what they wanted when they wanted it and added a touch of nostalgia. I placed the candy in small (clean) metal flowerpots and in a small colander. An added bonus was the ability to reuse these items for their intended purposes.
3. Set up an outdoor viewing area for the movie.
This can be done by using an old white sheet for the screen. Add comfortable seating–outdoor rugs, chairs, a patio set, cushions, blankets, whatever. Most people don’t mind sitting on the ground, but have a few chairs available for anyone who can’t.
Our Retro Movie Night was a huge success and the easiest entertaining I have done in years!
I am a Cost Plus World Market Ambassador and received a Gift Card to plan my party. Regardless, I am a regular shopper at World Market because I love their products.
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We’d get along well because those are all retro favorites for me. Can I come to your parties?
I just LOVE Cost Plus. They have always had some a variety of products in their store that are different and so neat! I wish I had one closer.
This sounds like so much fun. Thanks for sharing. You have just given me an idea of what to do for my son’s birthday next month.
🙁 i want world market to come to ct
and what a FUN idea!! we need to do something like this 🙂
PLEEEEASSE World Market will you come to CT!? I visited one of these in Seattle once and just LOVED IT!
your party look super cute!!
These are some great treats for an outdoor movie party. I have fond memories of buying pop rocks at the corner store on the way home from school when I was a kid.
Love this idea! We’ve got a party coming up and this just might be the enhancement we needed!
What a great idea and what great goodies you picked up! I will try this with my family – I know they would love it!
That looks like so much fun! Gives me some ideas for this summer.
Aww, that looks like SO much fun! I remember all of those candies, lots of nostalgia for sure! I wish we had a World Market near us, I always hear such wonderful things!
World Market is one of my all-time favorite stores. I love the outdoor movie night theme you did! This will be fun to do with the kids.
Love Love Love World Market.. your outdoor movie night sure is a great idea and I bet it was a HIT.. sure would be a lot of fun with my kids, too. Thanks for sharing
They have nights like those at the local beach. Sort of like a retro 50’s themed night time beach party.
Sounds like a great time!! Great products too.
I love the metal bucket of sodas! Such a fun way to display them for the party
That is such a fun party! I was in World Market a couple of weeks ago and was so impressed by all the great outdoor entertaining stuff they had.
That sounds like a great idea. I love how you prepared everything – I bet you all had a good time!
What a fun idea and I love your suggestions. Truly something to do through out the summer.
This is so FUN! I love to entertain during the summer.
You shared awesome moments based on your experiences and i truly like these tips for a retro outdoor movie night. Thanks 🙂
What a fun idea. You are so creative. Your kids are very lucky.
Wow – World Market has an awesome selection of movie supplies!
I love the idea of an outdoor movie night! We have a World Market near our house and go there frequently. It is right next door to a grocery store.
I love World Market!! Sadly the closest store to me is in Seattle 🙁 Love them nonetheless.
I love the idea of an outdoor movie night! This sounds like it could be a great time for a family with young kids but also fun for just about anyone.
Even if the kids weren’t impressed – I like your retro treats 🙂
I so want to do this soon!
How fun! Havent seen those Astro pops in forever. Brings back memories!
Oh my GOSH! I love this idea… I want to do one too… I would probably bring my big screen TV out instead of using a sheet or anything like that…. This would be so much fun!!
I LOVE Cost Plus. I can’t say I have been there recently, but I have been there many times with my mom growing up. That store always has such the neatest things that you can’t find anywhere else.