Planning a Holiday Party? Christmas Has Been Hiding Inside Halloween All Along!

Couldn't Christmas wait until Veteran's Day?

I stopped by a home improvement store the other day to pick up something for Halloween.

And what did I find right next to the Halloween decorations?

Christmas decorations.

Seriously? We haven't even gotten through Halloween yet!

I'm not quite ready to trade my jack-o'-lanterns for jingle bells, but the stores might actually be onto something.

If you're the person responsible for organizing your family's holiday gathering, the office Christmas party, or an annual celebration for your school, Scout group, church, or community organization, now really is the time to start planning.

And before you start calling venues, looking at caterers, or booking entertainment, here are three questions worth asking.

1. Who's Actually Coming?

This sounds obvious, but the guest list determines almost everything else.

A holiday cocktail party for 30 coworkers is a very different event from a family celebration with 20 adults and 15 children.

If you're planning a multigenerational party, think about something everyone can enjoy together.

Kids don't necessarily need to be shipped off to another room while the adults have fun. Some of the best holiday parties I've performed at have been the ones where the children, parents, and grandparents were all laughing at the same things.

A good family comedy magic show can do exactly that.

2. What's the One Thing You Want Everyone to Remember?

You don't need to pack your party with activities.

In fact, sometimes that's the worst thing you can do.

I've seen parties where the organizers tried to squeeze in dinner, speeches, a raffle, Santa Claus, an awards ceremony, and entertainment, all in about 90 minutes.

That's not a party. That's a production schedule with appetizers.

Pick one main highlight and give it room to breathe.

For an office holiday party, that might be a magician performing close-up miracles for small groups during cocktails.

For a family gathering, it might be a comedy magic show that gets everybody laughing together.

For a community organization, it might be a visit from Santa followed by some entertainment for the whole family.

Whatever you choose, give your guests time to enjoy it.

3. Who's Actually Running This Thing?

Here's something I've noticed after more than 20 years performing at parties.

The person who organizes the event is often the person having the least fun.

They're checking on the food, watching the clock, answering questions, and worrying about whether everyone else is enjoying themselves.

Sound familiar?

If you're hosting at home, enlist a friend or family member to help keep things moving.

If you're organizing an office celebration, make sure someone besides the boss knows the schedule.

And if you're the volunteer who somehow ended up organizing your organization's holiday party, delegate!

You deserve to enjoy the party, too.

One of the benefits of hiring experienced professional entertainment is that you're not also responsible for making the entertainment happen. A good performer knows how to handle an audience, adapt to the room, and keep things moving.

A Little Planning Now Makes December a Lot More Fun

You don't need to have every detail figured out before Halloween.

But knowing your date, approximate guest count, and the kind of celebration you want to create will make the rest of the planning much easier.

And if you're considering entertainment, booking earlier gives you more options.

I'm Edd Fairman, a Chicago magician who's spent more than 20 years entertaining at family celebrations, corporate events, and community gatherings throughout Chicagoland.

I offer interactive family comedy magic shows, close-up walk-around magic, and entertainment tailored to the people at your party.

Planning a holiday celebration?

Visit https://magicshowschicago.com or get in touch with your date, location, and approximate guest count. I'll help you figure out what kind of magic might work best.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to enjoy at least a few more days of Halloween before somebody starts playing "Jingle Bells."