Getting together with friends, family, and food is one of life’s simple pleasures. Potlucks, whether they are for the office or for fun, are a chance to show off your cooking and baking skills and spend time with the people you love. Potluck themes are also a fun way to have your guests engaged and excited to share their dishes. Whether it be a cultural potluck, a holiday theme, a movie theme, or a season theme, potluck themes bring fun and different dishes and ideas and will make your guests excited for your next gathering. Here are six potluck themes for gathering with friends, family, neighbors, and whoever else is on your invite list.

A Spooky Halloween Potluck

Halloween is approaching, and with that comes costumes, scary movies, Halloween candy, and parties. If you’re hosting a small party or get-together with friends, consider doing it Halloween potluck style. Have a couple of friends bring Halloween-inspired dishes like S’mores dip or mummy hot dogs or witch finger cookies. Add a little spice to the party by making Halloween sangrias or spiked apple cider drinks.

A Cheerful Christmas Potluck

In just a few short months, Christmas will be here. While the holiday season is perfect for watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” wrapping presents, and hanging up decorations, this is also the perfect season to host a Christmas-themed potluck. Have each of your guests bring a Christmas-inspired dish like Christmas cookies, cranberry bliss bars, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, and more.

Pair a Dish With Your Name

A popular TikTok trend, have each of your guests bring a dish that starts with the first letter of their name. This cute and fun potluck theme and trend allows your guests to get creative with their dishes. Whether it be salad, pasta, brownies, dumplings, jambalaya, or whatever else, the possibilities are endless and guests will love this creative spin on a potluck.

Summer Potluck

With the warm weather and the perfect chance to utilize outdoor seating and fire pits, summer potlucks are the perfect outdoor activity. This season is the perfect one for bringing fruit-based dishes like watermelon salad, fruit salad, peach pie, and strawberry shortcake. If you have an outdoor grill, throw some meat on the grill and serve it at your outdoor potluck. Summer potlucks are also great for making summer cocktails like Aperol Spritz, margaritas, cucumber basil lemonade, and more for your guests.

Pop Culture-Themed Potluck

Another unique potluck theme is a pop culture-themed potluck. This theme is great for movie, television, music, and culture fans who want to showcase their passion for their favorite piece of pop culture. Have your guests bring a specific dish relevant to pop culture. This could be a popular dessert or dish from a movie or TV show or a dessert inspired by your favorite music artist or album. Make beignets inspired by Princess Tiana in “Princess and the Frog,” or pretty patties from “SpongeBob.” This is your chance to be creative and get inspired by the art and culture we consume daily.

Finger Foods Potluck

Procrastination gets the best of all of us. If you’re looking for some last-minute easy-to-make dishes for a potluck, grab a few easy ingredients and save the day. Pick up a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store to make buffalo chicken dip. Meatballs, spinach dip, and macaroni salad are all easy recipes to make last minute. If you want to bring a dessert instead, there’s nothing wrong with stopping by the store to get a box of cake mix or pre-made cookie dough. If you want to look like you put a lot of effort into your dish, consider bringing a nice charcuterie board to the potluck.