#ThrowbackThursday: 12 Fall-Inspired Design, Catering, and Activation Ideas From Past Events

At Vancouver-based chain Earl's Kitchen & Bar, which boasts locations in Chicago and Virginia, fall-focused guests can order the pinecone-adorned Cabin Fever cocktail. Identified as a "spicy, smoky whiskey sour," the drink is made of Crown Royal, port, ginger and pineapple syrups, fresh lemon juice, and bitters.

For Home Base Program’s Veterans Dinner, held at Boston’s John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in November 2019, Tyger Event Design and Production focused on seasonal autumnal tones such as grays, burgundy, gold, and wood for the design. Floor-to-ceiling fringe drape in charcoal gray transformed the space, offering an interesting backdrop for the evening. See more: What You Might Have Missed from This Past Season’s Benefits

For a fun fall-theme catering idea, Blue Plate in Chicago can create Rice Krispies treats in the shape of pumpkins. A pretzel serves as the stem.

Blue Plate can also cover strawberries with frosting that evokes candy corn for any fall-theme event. See more: Tricks and Treats: 28 Spooky Ideas to Inspire Your Next Halloween Event

For a hosiery preview party in New York in 2009, the Susan Magrino Agency recreated fall in a city park by using a bench, dried leaves, a lamppost, and a seasonally dressed model.

Hive converted a 1983 Airstream trailer into a full bar to provide a craft cocktail experience at events. Autumnal beverages on offer could include the Sage Brown Derby (rye whiskey, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, agave syrup, bitters, and fresh sage leaf) or the Cranberry Caipirinha (Aquavit, cranberry simple syrup, and fresh lime juice). Event organizers can work with partners Graham H. McKissock and Lance Davis to create drinks that tie into an event’s theme while using seasonal ingredients and local spirits.

For the 25th anniversary of the Teddy Bear Affair in 2011, harvest vegetables from Ontario provided decor in the autumn area of the cocktail reception at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. See more: 9 Ideas for a Festive Fall-Theme Party

Target hosted a family-friendly Halloween event in Los Angeles in October 2017 that included a digital scavenger hunt, a piano made from pumpkins, and an interactive corn maze. The David Stark-produced event featured a giant door adorned with the Target bullseye made from a collection of gourds. Guests rang the doorbell to begin their journey through the maze.

A jack-o-lantern made from hundreds of smaller pumpkins created another fun photo op. See more: Inside Target's Interactive, Family-Friendly Halloween Maze

While a cranberry bog isn't a floor in the traditional sense, it still made quite a statement at Ocean Spray's 85th anniversary in New York. Food editors and bloggers were invited to a Thanksgiving meal that took place inside a bog filled with 900,000 cranberries and 21,000 gallons of water. See more: 21 Memorable Ideas for Floor Decor

Capital One, the presenting sponsor of the 2018 New York City Wine & Food Festival, hosted a fall-theme activation at the Grand Tasting. Guests could participate in a complimentary cider tasting, drink custom cocktails, and pose for photos in an apple orchard-theme photo booth. The activation was produced by IMG Live. See more: New York City Wine & Food Festival 2018: 29 Culinary Highlights From Sponsors and Parties

As a tribute to the season and the rock band, spirits brand Ron Barceló debuted a cocktail called Smashing Pumpkins. The simple drink combines Ron Barceló añejo, allspice, pumpkin puree, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. See more: 20 Cocktail Ideas for Festive Fall Events