How to Host a Roaring 1920s Speakeasy Party

Want to throw a roaring 1920s Speakeasy party that is the cat’s meow? Read on a for fabulous tips and ideas on how to throw a ’20s themed party.

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My 30^th birthday called for a special celebration! After brainstorming various party themes with my husband, we decided that hosting a 1920s Speakeasy Party to say goodbye to my ‘roaring ’20s’ would be a perfect fit. It was so much fun immersing ourselves into the ’20 time period as we prepared for the party. All our decorations came together beautifully and everyone said they had a great time. Seriously a 1920s party theme is definitely one of the best party themes!

What’s a Speakeasy Party Theme?

Well first off, why is a speakeasy called a speakeasy? A speakeasy is a place that sells alcoholic beverages illegally. They came into being during the Prohibition when the 18th Amendment was passed in the United States which made the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol illegal. To satisfy the many who still wished to indulge, secret establishments, aka Speakeasies, were created across the country.

A speakeasy themed party is simply recreating this prohibition era in dress, music, atmosphere, and booze (or in our case root beer).

Setting the Scene – the Speakeasy Entrance

Since the time period was set during the Prohibition Era, where speakeasies were hidden in all sorts of establishments, we decided to follow suit. Our Speakeasy was concealed in “Joey’s Italian Restaurant” (aka our house that we dressed up a bit to look festive).

We informed our guests on the invites to not use the main entrance but to enter via the side entrance. They were also given a secret password in their invitations. We tired to recreate a bit of an alleyway feel by piling up cardboard boxes and having empty wine bottles scattered in and out.

To be able to enter, they had to tap on the door twice and give the password to the doorman, who didn’t take friendly to outsiders. After entering through a dark hallway, they were welcomed into the party.

The 1920’s Speakeasy Decorations

Adding authentic ’20s decor and clearing your space of any modern day accessories can turn your Speakeasy themed party into a fully immersive experience. 

Here are a few 1920s decor essentials:

— Black & Gold Color Scheme: Get those art deco vibes rolling! Use a variety of objects in black and gold such as balloons, pearls, gold glittered wine bottles, plates, candles, ostrich feathers, etc.

— 1920s Signs: Use signs and printables to quickly decorate for the party. You can purchase and/or make your own 20’s inspired signs by utilizing 1920s fonts that will immediately give it the roaring 20’s feel. Be sure to incorporate some slang and phrases that were popular back in that time. “Closed for Violation of the National Prohibition Act” would be a perfect addition along with a sign that read “Speakeasy” or “Juice Joint”.

— Silhouettes: Dress up the walls with 1920s inspired silhouettes of flappers and jazz band players. You can purchase these or make your own with a little creativity and a large pieces of black poster board.

We went for the nightclub feel coinciding with our Italian restaurant we were using as our front to the Speakeasy. Since it was for a birthday, I incorporated streamers and balloons for some visual interest over the food table. We kept with a black and white color scheme to keep it classy.

I made silhouettes for our entrance to make it appear from the outside as if people were inside eating dinner. I had several 1920s inspired signs throughout and a few old vintage photographs that were framed on the wall.

Eats at the 1920s Speakeasy

To continue with the 20’s nostalgia, here are a few popular foods during the Prohibition Era:

• Deviled eggs
• Shrimp cocktail
• Tea sandwiches
• Waldorf salad
• Baked ham
• Italian meatballs
• Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

For my party, our guests enjoyed deviled eggs and cucumber sandwiches. We also had a veggie and fruit platter. My friend baked red velvet cupcakes for my birthday cake (they were delicious!).

Of course we had plenty of booze! It was in the form of several different batches of homemade root beer my husband had been concocting for the last few weeks.

The Murder Mystery

Our attendees were given their roles for the murder mystery in their invitations and given name tags upon entering.

We had a FANTASTIC time! Our Speakeasy was a hit! I don’t know what theme for a party could top it off. Hopefully some of these ideas help inspire your party!!!

Lots of the props/decor we found at Estate Sales, but here are a few we found online: