10 Stellar Ideas For a Stargazing Party

Get ready for a party that's...out of this world!

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Silhouette couple mother and son Asian standing together.
Shutterstock / KIDSADA PHOTO

I love to spend an evening outdoors, cooking tasty food over a campfire and staring at the night sky. It’s even more magical when I have friends around to look for planets and shooting stars!

Here are the food, drink and decor ideas you’ll need to throw a stargazing party in your backyard.

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Star-shaped sugar cookies
Taste of Home

Serve star-shaped food

You’ll want to bake and decorate Star Cookies or serve a fruit salad made with starfruit. You can even buy a large star-shaped cookie cutter on Amazon and make star-shaped sandwiches. (You don’t have to do all the cooking yourself—ask your friends to help.)

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Little girl smile with golden silver star balloons
Shutterstock / Volodymyr Tverdokhlib

Hang up moon and stars balloons

Decorating for a stargazing party is half the fun! Hang up some shiny moon-shaped balloons near the snack tables or on the back deck to get the party started from the moment guests walk in.

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Decorative outdoor string lights hanging on tree in the garden at night time
funkyteddy/Shutterstock

Make your party bright with fairy lights

When the sun starts to go down, hang strings of lights in your backyard to create a glow. You can use Christmas lights for this! Everyone will feel like they’re floating in outer space, surrounded by stars. (Don’t forget to unplug the lights when you’re ready to look at real stars, though.)

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Golden star sprinkles on pink.
Ekaterina_Molchanova/Shutterstock

DIY some galaxy ice cream

This party calls for a really cool dessert. Scoop up homemade ice cream—and have your friends mix in swirls of gold star sprinkles ($6) to create a galaxy in every bowl.

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Milky Way galaxy, on the mountains.
Shutterstock / Sunti

Stargaze with a telescope

If your family has a telescope in the attic, now is the perfect time to bring it down. Everyone will love taking turns looking through the telescope and into the beautiful sky filled with stars.

Psst… See if you can find your zodiac sign in the night sky.

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Silhouette of kids playing near the water on sunset
Yulia Starostina/Shutterstock

Go on a moon rock hunt

Before the party starts, paint a bunch of rocks with glow-in-the-dark paint, and hide them all before your guests arrive. When the sun starts to go down, people will have a blast running around looking for ’em.

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Blackberry lemonade
Taste of Home

Make out-of-this-world drinks

The best drinks are refreshing and colorful! Serve drinks that are Milky Way colors—like blue, purple and pink. To find great drink recipes, start by checking out our fresh and fizzy mocktails.

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Rose Gold Foil Fringe curtain
CastilloPK via Etsy

Set up a sparkling photo booth

When your guests are having a great time at your party, they’re going to want to capture the moment. So people can snap photos for Instagram, set up a galactic-inspired background made of gold or silver foil strings. (Find this one on Etsy.)

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Close up on orange and yellow pattern throw pillows on an outdoor patio chair
VDB Photos/Shutterstock

Set out cozy pillow stations

Everyone will be eagerly waiting for this part of the night! Scatter your most comfortable pillows, blankets and sleeping bags for your guests to relax on while they gaze up at the sky. (This part reminds me of backyard camping.)

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Glow In The Dark Stars Wall Stickers
LIDERSTAR via Amazon

Send guests home with stars

Send your guests back to their home planets with glow-in-the-dark stickers ($11). Your friends will be able to keep looking at the stars long after your stargazing party is over.

Maria Azua
Entertainment, beauty and tech writer.