Sweet Ideas for a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Themed Party
Maddie Sheely
Account Specialist + Contributor
Timothée Chalamet has brought the origin story of Willy Wonka to life with the release of the new movie musical, Wonka. So, it’s no surprise that a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed party is rising in popularity for all kinds of celebrations! Afterall, it’s considered a classic for a reason.
From the sweet treats, extravagant characters, and bright and exciting colors, we think hosting a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed party is a great idea for your next celebration. If you want to take inspiration from the newest release, a Wonka themed party is sure to be a hit as well. Whether you’re hosting a kids party or adult birthday party, there is a version of this story for everyone to enjoy. Luckily for you, we’ve already come up with all the sweet ideas.
Keep reading for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed party ideas…
Event Planner
If you’re looking to let the professionals handle your party and spare no detail, The Bash has you covered with event planners who bring your dreams to life, just like Willy Wonka did with his chocolate factory! Start your search for professional event planners here.
Candy Station
Seeing that Charlie and Willy both love chocolate, it’s no surprise that a candy station is an absolute must for your Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed party! Make sure to grab all types of sweets, chocolate bars, sours, candy bars, and everything in between for your guests to enjoy. Get customized bags for guests to fill to make them feel like they’re actually in a candy shop.
Chocolate Espresso Martinis
While this may seem more like a kids party theme, we still have plenty of ideas for guests over 21! Chocolate espresso martinis are the perfect alcoholic drink option for this party and simple to make. Just mix vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso, and chocolate liqueur to take the meaning of candy bar to a whole new level.
Bartender
As Willy Wonka once said, “candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.” If you want to focus on your party and not making drinks, consider hiring a bartender from The Bash. The professionals can take your party to the next level by serving your guests sweet beverages as well as all of the bar classics. Work with them and maybe create a few Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed drinks!
Wonka Decorations
Make sure you have plenty of bright colors and themed decorations so your guests know exactly where they are when they step inside your party. We love this set on Etsy with plenty of posters, signs, and even candy jar labels that will go perfectly with your candy station. You could also give guests the chocolate factory experience by featuring this Wonka banner near your entryway. It’ll make guests feel like they are entering the gates themselves!
Ice Cream Bar
While we may not want to be like Veruca Salt any other time, she did say she wantsed a party with rooms full of laughter and 10 thousand tons of ice cream. That sounds like a dream party to us, so we’re feeling inspired. 10 thousand tons may be a bit too much for your kiddos birthday party, but a DIY ice cream bar or food truck may do the trick! Make sure you have a few flavor options and plenty of toppings so your guests can create their very own ice cream concoction.
Cotton Candy Cocktails
This simple party beverage only uses two ingredients: cotton candy and Prosecco. Simply place your favorite color or flavor of cotton candy in a champagne flute, and watch it melt away into a vibrant drink as you pour bubbly Prosecco on top. For a non-alcoholic version, this drink tastes just as good with sparkling cider.
Candyland
For a party centered around candy and all things sweet, the classic board game, Candyland, seems incredibly fitting and on theme. You can have game boards set up throughout the event space so guests can play with one another and see who can get to King Kandy’s castle first!
Candy Themed Twister
While we’re on the topic of games, Twister is another colorful game that fits in perfectly with a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theme. Step up the sweetness and add candy flavors to the colors on the wheel, (green apple, lemon, blue raspberry and cherry for the classics) to immerse your guests even more into your very own candy paradise.
Oompa Loompa Tater Tots
Oompa Loompa tater tots may not be a real meal, but they would make for a great appetizer or snack! Heat up some tater tots in your oven or air fryer and add whatever toppings you like best. Our favorites are cheese, bacon, spicy queso; your options are endless!
Wonka Photo Booth
You’ll definitely want some photos to remember this colorful day! Create your own Wonka photo booth with a bright Wonka inspired background and plenty of candy themed props. Communicate with your photo booth vendor beforehand to see if they have oversized candy props or order them ahead on Amazon.
Fizzy Lifting Bounce House
One of the most iconic scenes from all of the Willy Wonka and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movies is the Fizzy Lifting Room. Here, Charlie and his grandfather drank the Fizzy Lifting Drinks and began floating. Take inspiration by renting a bounce house and creating a sign to label it the Fizzy Lifting Room, so your kids and their friends can experience jumping and floating through the air!
Golden Ticket Scavenger Hunt
Looking for more activities for the younger guests at this Willy Wonka party? Once your guests arrive, send them on a golden ticket hunt personalized with each child's name. Arrange clues for them to solve with the mission to find their golden ticket, like Charlie and the rest of the special guests at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory!
Invention Room Craft Station
For the creative guests at your party, set up a station called the Invention Room, aka the craft station. Here, people can craft anything they want! You can include supplies for candy inspired crafts like building lollipop bouquets, coloring sheets, or jars and paint for people to design their own special candy jars.
Augustus Gloop Sausages
Another option for real food at this candy coated party would be to serve sausages, since Augustus Gloop loved them so much. Serve them on their own, or in a bun with peppers and onions, or wrap mini sausages in puff pastry for pigs in blankets. This Charlie and the Chocolate Factory food will definitely get the Augustus Gloop stamp of approval.
Chocolate River Milk
As we saw from the movies, nothing good happens from falling into the chocolate factory’s Chocolate River, (we’re looking at you Augustus) but that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate it into your party. Serve chocolate milk in individual cups labeled Chocolate River Milk (with no Augustus Gloop added, obviously) and your guests will love it!
Good/Bad Egg Toss
Another activity for this Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed party is a classic egg toss, or rather a bad egg toss! Whether you want to take the extra step and dye the eggs another color is up to you, but have your guests pick a partner and see how far they can toss and catch the egg for a good old fashioned egg toss. We don’t have a machine like Wonka to determine if someone is a good or bad egg, so any pairing that cracks their egg will be considered bad at this party!
Lickable Wallpaper
The idea of lickable wallpaper always sounded exciting, but a bit difficult to create. We found a different way to incorporate this detail into your party, fruit roll ups! Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes and lay them on parchment paper. Each guest can get their own for the most sanitary option.
Jolly Rancher Cocktail
If the adult guests aren’t fans of creamy and chocolatey drinks, you can always try out a Jolly Rancher inspired cocktail to stick with the candy theme. Another simple recipe combines green apple vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice to make a perfectly sweet drink. Cut orange and lemon slices for garnish, but don’t be afraid to go all out with a sugar rim or even putting Jolly Ranchers in it.
Mike Teavee “TV” Dinners
Looking to serve your guests something other than sweets? Mike Teavee was known to only eat TV dinners, so this would be the perfect way to give your guests something other than candy and sweet treats. Serve the classics typically included in these frozen meals like chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, or meatloaf, and don’t forget the veggies. You can even serve this buffet style while guests fill up a food tray for an added touch.
Chocolate Fountain
Keep the chocolate flowing, literally, with a hot, delicious chocolate fountain. Book this crowd favorite for guests to dip their favorite treats. Set up the classics like strawberries, pound cake, pretzels, or any other treat you’d want to drown in chocolate.
Candy Decorations
We can’t forget about the decorations! Incorporate all things sweet into this Willy Wonka party like hanging lollipop decorations, a candy balloon arch, or candy plates, cups, and utensils. This will help guests feel like they’ve walked through the gates and entered your personal chocolate factory!
Violet Beauregarde Blueberry Cupcakes
We all know what happens when Violet chews on Willy Wonka’s three-course dinner gum: she gets stuck on the blueberry pie dessert and transforms into a giant blueberry. Don’t get nervous, we found a better alternative! These delicious white chocolate blueberry cupcakes by Baker by Nature are a fun way to incorporate this fresh flavor into your party dessert, without turning you into the fruit.
Find more party ideas and inspiration here on The Bash.
