10 50th birthday ideas to make their day special
Fifty may be the new thirty, but a 50th birthday is still cause for a big celebration! Whether the guest of honor loves to show off their talents, make wild bets on poker hands, or dance the night away, a great 50th birthday party should match their unique personality.
We’ve compiled some unforgettable birthday party ideas for a 50th birthday that’ll leave the last 49 in the dust. From theme ideas to festive 50th birthday invitations, Paperless Post has everything you need for the celebration of the (half) century. Celebrate your favorite quinquagenarian with our selection of 50th birthday party ideas for men and women alike, that will leave guests raving about your event for the next fifty years.
Table of Contents
1. Host a talent show
Host a talent show party, and let the guest of honor impress everyone with the skills they’ve perfected over the past five decades.
- Location: Host the party at your house or rent a banquet hall with a stage for a larger group.
- Invitations: Send a flashy 50th birthday invitation like “Shine” by CONFETTISYSTEM to invite guests to join the event’s lineup.
- Decorations: Decorate your party space-turned-stage with birthday party supplies like balloons and streamers from Paperless Post Party Shop.
- Food and drink: Pop some caramel popcorn for guests to enjoy as they watch the show.
- Activities: Any willing participants who want to bust a move, belt a tune, or whip out those juggling skills are welcome to take the stage! You can even award a prize to the talent with the most audience votes.
No matter whom you’re celebrating, find designs to suit your style and make planning a breeze.
2. Make it an open house
Because 50 is a milestone birthday, it’s the perfect excuse to relive the good ol’ days with an old-fashioned house party! Let guests come and go as they please while you keep the refreshments flowing.
- Location: Your house, of course!
- Invitations: Send a sentimental invitation like “Keeper” by Cheree Berry Paper & Design to highlight a photo of the guest of honor.
- Decorations: Set up festive balloons in front of your house (and throughout your party space) so guests know where to stop by.
- Food and drink: Supply a punch bowl or a beer keg to really honor that classic house party theme. Whip up these multi-flavor Neapolitan cupcakes for an on-the-go birthday cake twist.
- Activities: Open house parties provide a wider time frame than typical parties—sometimes between five and six hours—so have a 50th birthday tribute slideshow playing for guests to enjoy whenever they stop by.
3. Have an outdoor birthday bash
Too many guests for a small gathering? We get it—50 years is a long time to accumulate friends and well-wishers. That’s why a 50th birthday is a great reason for an outdoor party!
- Location: Make it casual with a backyard barbecue, or go big with a whole carnival in a nearby park.
- Invitations: Set a bright, sunny tone with the “Golden Occasion” invitation by Sugar Paper. Use features like Group Sending, which allows you to send one invitation to a couple or whole family. The invitation goes to all their inboxes, and one of them can RSVP for the whole gang—helping you make sure there are enough burgers and hot dogs to go around!
- Decorations: Enhance your outdoor party area with bright birthday decorations, including hanging garlands and colorful tableware.
- Food and drink: Fire up the grill with a “BBQ and beer” menu – like a red wine barbecue chicken paired with the guest of honor’s favorite IPA.
- Activities: If you’re hosting during a warm season, set up some classic field day games or an outdoor movie screening for guests to enjoy!
4. Plan a surprise party
A surprise party is an exciting way to show your guest of honor that, despite their years of wisdom, life can still be unpredictable!
- Location: Host in your home, their home, or a non-suspicious venue like their favorite restaurant.
- Invitations: Send the surreptitious “Petit Gâteau” invitation by Pulp Templates Co. so guests know that the party is a secret!
- Decorations: Stock up on milestone birthday party supplies from the Party Shop that highlight the number 50.
- Food and drink: Put a gourmet twist on the traditional sheet cake with a delicious chocolate sheet cake with brown butter frosting.
- Activities: Plan a convincing distraction that gets all the guests in on the action for the best surprise possible.
5. Invite guests to a casino night
Looking for a unique 50th birthday party idea that draws a crowd? Host a casino-themed event that really ups the ante. No one knows who’s going to win the big jackpot, but one thing’s for sure—celebrating a loved one’s 50th birthday, Vegas-style, is a bet everyone is willing to take.
- Location: If you have enough space indoors or outdoors, host the party at home. Or consider renting a recreation room at a local banquet hall for a larger crowd.
- Invitations: Set the casino tone early with the aptly named “Birthday in Vegas” invitation.
- Decorations: String up some honeycomb and hanging decorations over your tables, and serve stiff drinks on colorful platters as guests try not to tip their hands.
- Food and drink: What could be more fitting for a casino night than this clams casino recipe?
- Activities: Set up poker tables and roulette wheels for different ways to get in on the fun.
6. Make a weekend of it
It took 50 years to get to this point—so how can you celebrate it in just one day? For a celebration truly fit for a 50-year-old, plan a multi-day excursion based on their interests, and invite a small group of friends and family.
- Location: If the guest of honor loves golf, book a stay at their favorite golf resort and spend the weekend hitting the green. Avid sailors may opt for a weekend at a yacht club, while sunbathers may enjoy a beachy vacation at a coastal hotspot.
- Invitations: Put the occasion and location front and center with “The Number Oh” invitation by Paperless Post. Be sure to include important information about the weekend, including directions and any needed travel accommodations.
- Decorations: Use beautifully designed gift bags from Party Shop to create “weekend survival kits.” Add water bottles, sunscreen, cute party favors, and anything else they need to have a good time!
- Food and drink: Bring portable cake pops by Sally’s Baking Recipes to your venue so you can enjoy birthday treats wherever you go. (Ask if you can keep them cool in the hotel kitchen, if possible.)
- Activities: Spend the day(s) golfing, swimming, tanning, or hiking—whatever your venue is known for!
7. Organize a dinner party
For a sophisticated—and delicious—50th birthday celebration, host a birthday dinner party with friends and loved ones. It’s a chance to sit down and reflect on five incredible decades over a five-course meal.
- Location: A favorite restaurant or at home with a catered meal.
- Invitations: Find a dinner party invitation that matches the guest of honor’s style. For a special touch, clarify that the dress code is formal.
- Decorations: Create unique tableware with personalized party supplies, complete with the guest of honor’s name and a big number 50!
- Food and drink: Plan a dinner party menu full of the guest of honor’s favorite foods, of course.
- Activities: Make it a comedy roast if your crowd is more into stand-up than sentimentality. Or, if the guest of honor enjoys a side of drama with their main course, turn the dinner party into a whodunnit murder mystery party!
8. Serve cocktails and conversation
If the guest of honor likes to celebrate with a drink in hand, make it a cocktail party! A cocktail party is also a great choice if you’d like to serve hors d’oeuvres rather than a seated meal.
- Location: A favorite bar or at home with a bar setup.
- Invitations: Request cocktail attire on a cocktail party invitation that matches the vibe of your event.
- Decorations: Hang a celebratory banner or garland to dress up your cocktail party space.
- Food and drink: Make the guest of honor’s favorite cocktail the party’s signature drink (like “Mike’s Martini” or “Linda’s Lemon Drop”).
- Activities: Stock the bar and mix the drinks yourself, or hire a bartender to keep the good times flowing.
9. Host a floral fiftieth fête
Flowers take time to bloom, and so do people. What better way to celebrate your loved one’s 50th birthday than a flourishing floral fête? Perfect for spring birthdays and gardening enthusiasts, a flower-themed party gives you plenty of inspiration for décor and other fun activities to do at the big event.
- Location: A local botanical garden is the perfect place to host this blossoming event.
- Invitations: Bring the floral theme right to guests’ inboxes with the “Botanic Numerals Photo” invitation by Rifle Paper Co.
- Decorations: Adorn your tables with gorgeous floral centerpieces. Incorporate elegant blossoms—like roses, lilies, and orchids—for a look that perfectly embodies the sophistication of a 50th celebration. If you want to add an even more personalized touch, try incorporating the guest of honor’s birth month flower.
- Food and drink: Add edible flowers to the evening’s dishes, or order fruits carved into beautiful, floral shapes. You can even opt for a delicious cocktail recipe that incorporates flowers, like this sakura martini with salted cherry blossoms.
- Activities: Send everyone home with their own floral arrangement for a perfectly on-theme party favor!
10. Dance the night away
Transport guests to a magical time—the year your guest of honor was born! Your dance party will feel like you stepped into a time machine when you turn up the speakers and party like it’s 50 years ago!
- Location: If you have space for an indoor or outdoor dance floor, host at home. Otherwise, choose a dance hall—or a harbor cruise with a dance floor!
- Invitations: Get guests in the retro mood by adding vintage pictures of the birthday guest to a Photo Gallery Block in the “Time Flies” invitation. Everyone will be sure to get a kick out of their fashion and hairstyle choices throughout the years.
- Decorations: Add specialty party decorations from the decade they were born to hit the theme home.
- Food and drink: Every dance needs a punch bowl! Serve retro rum punch to bring some life to the party—and a pop of color to the refreshment table.
- Activities: Create a playlist featuring songs from the guest of honor’s birth year, and ask guests to dress in costumes from that decade (hello, disco party!).
Traditional 50th birthday gift ideas
Want to get your loved one something unique and special for their 50th? There are no rules when it comes to gift-giving, but certain items are considered traditional for a 50th birthday party. Gold items are a common gift for people turning 50, such as:
- A gold watch
- Gold earrings
- A golden locket with a meaningful photo inside
- A personalized golden broach
- Gold-plated cufflinks
No matter what you get them for their birthday, planning an incredible 50th birthday party is a gift they’ll always remember. Plus, if you take lots of pictures at the party, you can feature them in their 60th birthday invitations in 10 years!
Celebrate life’s milestones with Paperless Post
Whether it’s their first or their 51st birthday, Paperless Post has the invitations, party-planning tips, and decorations you need to pull off a successful celebration. Plus, our invitation features and tools help you track RSVPs or tag guests to keep your list organized after the invitations are sent.
Fifty isn’t the only milestone birthday to celebrate! Check out our retirement party invitations for loved ones who are about to make a major professional transition or beautiful anniversary party invitations to celebrate years of love. At Paperless Post, we know these moments matter and we’re here to help make them even more special.
