Farewell Party Ideas

Throwing a goodbye party? Think outside the (moving) box

Moving away from friends and family can be difficult, but it’s also a time to cherish memories and celebrate upcoming new adventures. One way to mark the occasion is with a party. 

From traditional packing parties to unique goodbye celebrations, we’ll help you find something fun to honor your loved one. Let’s make sure everything’s set for a perfect farewell event with some theme ideas appropriate for family, students and coworkers.

Unique moving-away party ideas 

If traditional celebrations aren’t your cup of tea, try one of these ideas for a memorable time: 

Day (or night) on the town

Give the guest of honor a last trip through the town with visits to special places. Have meals at the best restaurants, visit tourist locations or go bargain hunting at a favorite shopping center.

Escape room

Visit a local escape room with the honoree for some memorable, brain-teasing fun. Separate guests into groups, and the winning team gets to pick the restaurant for lunch or dinner. May the best team win!

Holiday happenings

When a loved one is moving away, you might worry about missing some significant events with them due to the physical distance. Celebrate all the holidays at once, incorporating several, like Independence Day, New Year’s Day, Halloween and Christmas. Who says you can’t eat a traditional Thanksgiving meal and decorate the house with Easter eggs and Valentine’s Day hearts? It’s possible with this fun idea!

Murder-mystery dinner theater

Host a murder mystery-themed dinner for guests to work their brain muscles while enjoying good company. Find pre-planned parties online or create one for some extra suspense. Serve themed cookies shaped like candlesticks or knives for some added fun!

Farewell party ideas for students

For students going away to college for the first time or returning after the summer or winter break, these themes are sure to please:

Dr. Seuss theme: “Oh, the places you’ll go!”

The Dr. Seuss book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” is a common high school graduation gift and also works well as an event theme to say goodbye to students headed to college. Decorate in pastel hues, serve colorful Seuss-inspired snacks and have attendees tell childhood stories about the student. Bonus points if you hold a contest for the best Seuss character costume. 

Karaoke “kiss them goodbye”

For a karaoke party, showcase those chops with our playlist of goodbye songs or create a list for the guest of honor. Serve fun finger foods with Hershey’s Kisses® and sing your heart out while preparing to kiss the student goodbye for the semester.

“Move” your body dance party

Celebrate moving by doing just that — shaking your body with a dance get-together. Create a playlist or use the one linked in the previous section to get started. Whether line dancing, two-stepping or trying out the latest TikTok dance craze, everyone will have a great time showing off some moves!

Going away party for a coworker

If a work bestie (or frenemy) is leaving the company, commemorate with one of these themes:

Company trivia

Form teams for a company trivia competition complete with work-related prizes. End the event with heartfelt and humorous awards for the guest of honor. A certificate for “Most Likely to burn microwave popcorn” or “Always leaves early on Fridays” will get a lot of laughs.

Office roast

Host a light-hearted office roast over a meal. Encourage attendees to share funny stories and quirks about their departing coworker. Just don’t get too mean since HR is likely nearby!

Workers’ Comp(etition)

Meet at a park or gym to stir up some healthy competition with games like push-up contests, arm wrestling and more to celebrate the sendoff. Treat the day like an elementary school field day for loads of fun, and don’t forget a picnic lunch!

Traditional goodbye party themes 

Prefer tried-and-true party themes? Check out these ideas:  

Destination to-do

Plan with the moving destination in mind. For moves to Hawaii, host a luau complete with traditional island foods. Moves to southern California can have a beachy theme with seafood and palm tree décor. Or choose a western theme for moves to Texas with all the fixings for a BBQ. The possibilities are endless!

Game night

Host a game night with board games, or go to a local bowling alley, skating rink or arcade for good, old-fashioned fun. Serve popcorn, chips and finger foods to keep up with the competition.

Memory makers

Embrace treasured memories with a party full of nostalgia. Have slideshows of favorite goodbye quotes, videos and photo boards on hand for décor and encourage guests to share their favorite stories.  

Have a memory book or record messages to remember the event for years. Foods can be traditional childhood favorites or the best neighborhood takeout. 

Pizza packing party

Order lots of pizza and gather volunteers to pack up the house. To up the fun, plan packing races to see who can get a room ready to move the fastest. 

Surprise party

Who doesn’t love a good surprise party? Well, some people don’t, but if the guest of honor seems like the type, plan a surprise for them at a local venue or your home for some good times and good food.

Themeless goodbye celebration

Sometimes, the best parties have no themes at all. Just gather with family and friends for food and a good time. Have a potluck at someone’s house or meet at a local restaurant to unwind over a meal. 

Essentials for party planning

Here are the things needed for any type of planned get-together:

Celebration date

Choose a date that works well for the person or family making the move. A couple of weeks before moving day often works well. 

The perfect venue 

Don’t assume it’s okay to celebrate at the honoree's home (unless it’s a packing party) since the house may be stacked with boxes. Instead, opt for hosting at your place, a park, a restaurant or a community space.  

Guestlist 

Prepare a list with important people included. Request RSVPs so you’ll know who’s coming and can have enough food and drinks. 

Food

Order or prepare food for the people coming (plus a little extra for those forgotten RSVPs), and be ready to enjoy the snacks or meal.

Goodbye party games

Plan some games to keep things exciting. Farewell word searches, goodbye Mad Libs, moving-related Pictionary or a family-friendly (or not) game of “Never have I ever” are crowd pleasers.

Make moving away easier with U-Pack 

Before you or a loved one move long distance and have to say goodbye, make a plan for the best moving experience.  

That’s where U-Pack® can help. We’re a self-moving company specializing in out-of-state moves. We serve all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico with fantastic customer service!  

Request a free, no-obligation quote today or call 844-362-5303844-594-3077 to speak to a moving consultant. 

Have another theme idea?

Let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear about it!