Looking for party ideas and recipes for a Sleepy Hollow Party? You’ve come to the right place! The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my all-time favorite stories. I read the original short story by Washington Irving almost every Halloween and really, it’s a ghost story for foodies. There’s so much food mentioned in the story but I feel like every film adaptation falls short in that aspect so I thought, it’s gonna have to be me!

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It’s a fine autumnal day for merry making at the Van Tassel farmhouse and we’re cooking up a harvest festival feast worthy of a party in 1790s New York. But do leave before it gets dark or you might just lose your head.

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The Table

I styled the table with a fabulous black linen tablecloth with ivory tassels. Get it!? For Katrina van Tassel!? The tablecloth is a little spooky but also elegant and really lets the pumpkin centerpiece shine!

I wanted to serve the food buffet style, so I actually moved two place settings to create a buffet before moving empty platters to the kitchen and quickly popping the other place settings in.

The Centerpiece

I’m so proud of this pumpkin centerpiece! I chose a variety of small pumpkins for this gorgeous fall tablescape. I was originally going to add green hydrangeas tucked in but I loved how it turned out so much, I decided to leave it as it. I did tuck in a few mismatched candlesticks for that old-timey look.

The Place Settings

I styled each place with a silver charge, my ivory Emma plates, my mint julep cups as water glasses, and my most antique-looking wine glasses. I folded ivory napkins and set them on the plate adorned with a white pumpkin. I was originally going to write names on the pumpkins but I decided that was too modern for what I was going for but would be adorable for a Halloween party!

The Ambiance

Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins! I used a ton of lanterns, fall leaf garlands, antiques from Thrift 4 Good, and pumpkins galore (shoutout to The Vine Shack!) for my Sleepy Hollow party decor. I swapped out my artwork for a gorgeous nighttime woods scene and a Headless Horseman portrait.

I also got the most fabulous Sleepy Hollow sign to really set the stage! Shoutout to my sister in law Heather for this spectacular find.

The Headless Horseman

I couldn’t resist doing a photoshoot with my horse, Wendy, and my fabulous photographer. After all, what’s a better horse for the Headless Horseman than a Friesian? Huge shoutout to my trainer Karen Singer and the whole team at Shenanigan Stables for making my Sleepy Hollow dreams come true!

Learn how Karen made her fabulous DIY costume complete with skeleton gloves and lightweight pumpkin here.

The Fashion

I found my comfy Katrina van Tassel dress on Amazon and couldn’t believe how great it looked. In fact, ALL of my friends go their dresses on Amazon for less than $50 and everyone looked spectacular in the 18th century outfits!

The Drink

I wanted an old-fashioned punch for this party since punch (and rum!) was all the rage in the late 18th century. This cozy Autumn Harvest Punch fits the bill with apple cider, spiced rum, Prosecco, ginger beer, apple slices, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Get the recipe here.

Want another option? Try The Headless Horseman, a spiced blood-red pomegranate and cinnamon cocktail. Get the recipe here.

I don’t normally set up a whole drink table for my parties but it just felt so old-timey autumn harvest party! I decorated the drink table with orange leaves and orange flowers and served the punch in a crystal punch bowl. I even served decaf coffee with sugar cubes in the cutest little sugar bowl!

Sleepy Hollow Menu

There are so many incredible dishes mentioned in the original Sleepy Hollow story including roasted chicken and pumpkin pie, two of my all-time favorite dishes! This rustic menu is fit for an 18th century harvest party.

Sleepy Hollow Menu
Apple & Pear Salad
Herb Roasted Chicken
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Bread with Pumpkin Butter & Preserves
Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Baked Doughnuts Two Ways
Rustic Apple Cake

Apple & Pear Salad

This delicious apple & pear salad has toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect for fall! Get the recipe here.

Herb Roasted Chicken

This gorgeous herb roasted chicken is as tasty as it is gorgeous. This buttery bird is served with shallots, potatoes, and fresh herbs. What could be better? Plus, it’ll make your whole house smell delicious! Get the recipe here.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

These delicious, cozy maple roasted Brussels sprouts are a perfect complement for herb roasted chicken and they’re so easy to make! Get the recipe here.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

What’s an autumn feast without pumpkin pie? This perfect pie has my mama’s famous pie crust and loads of cinnamon whipped cream. It also happens to be the pie I bake every year for Thanksgiving! Get the recipe here.

Baked Doughnuts Two Ways

This was a last-minute addition to the menu when I re-read Sleepy Hollow and realized that doughnuts were mentioned at the feast. Why choose between maple glazed and cinnamon sugar? This recipe includes six of each! Get the recipe here.

Rustic Apple Cake

Buttery, rich, and full of cinnamon and apple goodness, this delightful little 8″ cake is perfect for fall! Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a bit of caramel sauce if you’re feeling extra fancy. Get the recipe here.

I hope you love this old-fashioned Halloween party as much as I do! Watch the episode here:

Watch your head,

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