10 Fun Potluck Party Ideas (2024)

When you want to get a group of people together but don’t know what to do, have a potluck! After all, the easiest way to gather with friends is to get food involved. Not sure where to start? Peerspace has you covered there! These potluck party ideas will turn an ordinary dinner into a festive feast.

When eating is on the agenda, the rest of the party pretty much plans itself. But a potluck is more than just a random assortment of main dishes, sides, and desserts. And luckily, there are nearly endless possibilities when it comes to this type of get-together.

1. Host your potluck somewhere amazing with the help of Peerspace

At Peerspace, we don’t just have awesome potluck party ideas for you, we also have some amazing potluck party venues to introduce you to! As the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, we make it easy to discover and book hidden gem venues near you that make it easy to bring all your ventures to life.

As one example, check out this stunning sky lounge and terrace with amazing views in Seattle, WA. At a venue like this, you’ll have access to a private lounge with room for 40 guests, plenty of dining space, and lots of tabletop space for serving your potluck dishes. Oh, and those views overlooking Elliott Bay and downtown Seattle? Just another perk that comes with using Peerspace to book sensational spaces!

Throughout this article, we’ll share Peerspaces that we think make fabulous options for hosting your potluck.

2. Be earth and animal-friendly by veganizing your potluck

Challenge everyone to make a vegan dish for the benefit of animals and the planet. This is a perfect Earth Day event. (And no, you won’t end up with a bunch of salads.) Let’s be honest: you can veganize just about any dish. And thankfully, store-bought vegan food and blog-fueled vegan recipes get better and better every year.

To help your guests with ideas, choose a theme like vegan comfort food or vegan appetizers and desserts. For recipe inspiration, direct them to VegNews.

If you’re interested in hosting a retro-themed potluck with a modern, vegan take on classic comfort food, consider booking this classic Art Deco vegan American diner in Williamsburg, NYC. It is the perfect place for gathering with friends and enjoying some tasty vegan dishes before you decide to tackle a vegan potluck yourselves.

3. Make it a cooking competition

Assign everyone a base ingredient and have them bring a dish that features that ingredient. Everyone will be given scorecards (you can download a template for them here) and will judge each dish based on taste and appearance. You can also add other scoring categories like “creativity” or “originality.” This is a fun potluck activity that may just lead to incredible dishes you’ll all love eating.

4. Make it a brunch-all-day potluck party

Who doesn’t love breakfast food? You can hold a brunch potluck at any time of day. Simply ask guests to bring brunch foods and brunch foods only. Suggest deviled eggs, home fries, crispy bacon or fakin’ bacon strips, egg casserole, avocado toast, breakfast burritos, fruit salad, and acai bowls. And, of course, don’t forget the creamy oat milk lattes and champagne mimosas! 

Speaking of mimosas, check out these unique champagne brunch party ideas for more delicious inspiration for your brunch potluck!

5. Use your potluck as an excuse to eat foods from around the world

Pick one country or cuisine to assign to each guest, or allow them to choose one. Ask everyone to share what they are bringing to the potluck in a shared Google spreadsheet so that there are no duplicate dishes. This is an awesome opportunity to branch out and try new foods. Not too many thoughtful supermarkets near you? Then check out World Market for a wide selection of food and drinks from all over the globe. 

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, consider booking this authentic Moroccan dining palace in Hollywood, CA so that you and your guests can enjoy a sumptuous Moroccan-style feast in a truly beautiful setting.

6. Celebrate the food of the holidays

Sometimes, you just crave stuffing and sweet potato pie in July.  A potluck is a perfect time to satisfy all of your cravings. Ask guests to bring a dish that represents every major holiday of the year. 

Think classic Thanksgiving dishes like green bean casserole and mashed potatoes; Christmas-inspired desserts like peppermint bark and gingerbread; St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and hash; latkes and other indulgent or fried foods like blintzes and matzo ball soup for Hanukkah; beignets and gumbo for Mardi Gras; pumpkin spice everything for Halloween; BBQ favorites like potato salad, coleslaw, and corn on the cob for July 4th; and chocolate and heart-shaped desserts for Valentine’s Day.

7. Get charitable with a bring one, give one potluck

Chow down and give back! Ask guests to bring the dry goods or non-perishable, canned ingredients involved in making the dish they are bringing along with the actual dish. Make sure you send out a list of items that are suitable for donating to a food pantry. For example, if a guest brought chili, they would bring canned beans to donate.

This is an especially nice event to host during the holiday season. No Kid Hungry provides resources to help you host a charitable Friendsgiving.

8. Host a blackout potluck

Blackout (or blindfold) brunches are popping up in restaurants everywhere and have been popular meetup activities for local organizations, but you can recreate the mystery meal event at your own potluck. All you will need are blindfolds and one person to volunteer to be the host (who is not blindfolded) to help serve the other guests. Have everyone guess what each dish is and award the guest with the most correct answers with first dibs on leftovers of their favorite dish. Just be sure to be mindful of allergies and respectful of all dietary restrictions, and make sure no one eats the dish that they brought (because that would be cheating). 

Gather a list of all food allergies and dietary restrictions like vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, kosher, halal, and dairy-free, then send them out to everyone who is invited. The best way to organize this type of potluck is to have each guest privately submit the dish they are bringing to the host. This is among the most elaborate potluck party ideas, as well as the most exciting and unique.

9. Make a meal with movie magic

Ask each guest to represent their favorite movie with one dish. For example, pastrami sandwiches or coconut cake could represent the classic romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, and “the gray stuff” (Oreos mixed with vanilla frosting) could represent Beauty and the Beast. Disney movies are often the easiest movies to represent with food, but if you want a creative challenge, try taking on some avant-garde films.

For entertainment, choose one movie to play at the event. Play it after the meal so you can enjoy conversation with the food and a film while you’re digesting. Check Peerspace for private movie theater rental spaces near you that also provide a kitchen and dining space.

Then, to turn it into a game, you can try to have everyone guess which movie each dish represents and offer movie tickets as a prize. When it comes to potluck party ideas, this one is perfect for movie buffs and for celebrating the release or anniversary of a major movie.

10. Make it an al fresco dining party

There’s something about gathering with loved ones outdoors and sharing a beautiful meal. Peerspace can help you find a venue perfect for outdoor dining that provides a unique space other than your backyard or local park.

One excellent example is Tuscany in Topanga, a magical cottage sanctuary in Topanga, CA. Here, you and your guests can cook together before heading outside and dining while overlooking Topanga Canyon, vineyards, and horse ranches. Be sure to stick around for its glorious sunsets!

Your outdoor potluck plus these fun picnic games for adults are the perfect pairing. Check them out!

Potluck party ideas: conclusion

No matter what kind of potluck you are throwing, you can find the perfect dining venue for rent through Peerspace. Be sure to take note of all food allergies and dietary restrictions before the event and notify everyone via email or a group chat. You should also create a shared Google spreadsheet or a group chat where everyone can share what they are bringing, so you don’t end up with seven pasta salads and 12 bowls of mashed potatoes.

Also, perhaps pick up some takeout boxes from the party store so you aren’t left with more leftovers than you can handle. Food is the simplest (and sometimes the best) way to bring people together for the holidays or any occasion. Add extra flair to your feast with these potluck party ideas!

Find unique party venues on Peerspace