18 Quirky Willy Wonka Party Ideas: Themes, Supplies, & Venues To Make It A Smash (2024)

Maybe you’re hoping to celebrate a birthday or other festive event with a party inspired by the recent “Wonka” movie with Timothée Chalamet. Or perhaps you’re nostalgic for the 1971 movie starring the inimitable Gene Wilder, or even the Tim Burton version from 2005. Either way, you’re in search of Willy Wonka party ideas—including themes, supplies, and venues—that will make your party a big success! That’s where we come in.

By the way: make sure to put plenty of thought into the venue and location for your party. Not only can a great venue make your party a hit, but it might even end up being so memorable that your guests keep talking about what a great party it was for months afterward! To find amazing party venues near you, search Peerspace, the largest online marketplace for venue rentals and more. The site offers a selection of tens of thousands of listings based in hundreds of cities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Canada, and even beyond. There are even quite a few candy-themed Peerspace venues, as we’ll highlight later in this post.

Now, are you ready to begin planning the Willy Wonka party of your dreams? Keep reading for 18 fun, quirky Willy Wonka party ideas to help you get inspired and begin the planning process!

1. Include a homemade candy-making activity

Willy Wonka isn’t just about candy, although candy is important to the plot. It’s also about the man behind the making of the candy, which is why it makes sense to incorporate this Willy Wonka party idea! Your guests will feel that much more immersed in the world of Willy Wonka as they tackle the challenge of making their own candy. (Plus, their own homemade candy is a great party favor for them to bring home.)

2. Rent a unique party venue where you can throw a Willy Wonka party

Peerspace is the internet’s largest marketplace for event venue rentals, offering tens of thousands of incredible spaces across hundreds of cities not only in the U.S., but also the UK, Europe, Australia, and Canada. In particular, there are tons of Peerspace venues with candy themes—as well as less specific, but still colorful and fun decor—that would work well for a Willy Wonka-centric bash. 

Here are some examples of candy-themed Peerspace party venues across the United States. We think any would be a good fit for a Willy Wonka party:

• This fun and trendy candy store with clean and colorful decor in Tucker, GA is an ideal choice for a Willy Wonka party. It’s a candy store, so is incredibly on-theme, but also the vibe of the space is impeccable. The hosts even remark that many people make comparisons to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory!
• This vibrant, rainbow candy shop in San Diego, CA is in the city’s “Gayborhood,” so it’s likely to be an especially welcoming space for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The shop’s 1,600 square feet include vibrant pink and turquoise walls, rainbow accents, and glitter floors. There’s also a rainbow wall (a great spot for photos), a blow-up unicorn, a seven-foot blow-up gummy bear, and even a year-round rainbow holiday tree. So you won’t have to worry about planning decor at this venue!
• This original, historic 1950s soda fountain and candy shop in South Pasadena, California is a great choice if you’re hoping to go for a more retro aesthetic at your party! It’s an authentic soda fountain that’s 107 years old and has been featured in dozens of well-known movies and TV shows. The retro vibe is a great fit for Willy Wonka, which has a bit of a retro vibe itself. The book was likely set in the 1920s and the original movie estimated to have been set in the early 70s.
• This whimsical candy mansion in Jacksonville, Florida is a 33,000-square-foot Victorian home with its own candy shop and candy factory! It has a restaurant and bar area of its own as well as a third-floor banquet room and a rooftop patio. All excellent spaces for a gathering.

Search Peerspace for yourself to discover spaces that check all the boxes and that inspire you to plan a more fun and festive Willy Wonka party!

3. Serve soda labeled as “fizzy lifting drink”

Help your guests suspend their disbelief with this excellent Willy Wonka party idea, which is as simple as labeling a carbonated beverage like soda as Wonka’s famous “fizzy lifting drink.”

4. Decorate with candy balloons

OK, we’re not talking about literal balloons made out of candy, but balloons wrapped in clear colored plastic to look like giant floating versions of hard candies! This is such a fun and easy Willy Wonka party idea, not to mention that it’s cheaper to make your own decor if you’re on a budget.

For more whimsical fun, check out these magical “Alice in Wonderland” party ideas!

5. And giant lollipops

How about these homemade giant lollipop decorations? They don’t require a ton of effort and come out looking really impressive!

6. Follow this tutorial to make your own Wonka illusion cake

Here’s a detailed video tutorial explaining every step of the process to make a Wonka illusion cake, which looks as though it’s defying gravity and is filled with multicolored cake layers in every shade of the rainbow.

7. Ask your guests to come in costume

If you do decide to go with a Willy Wonka costume party–do you need costume inspiration for yourself? Then check out these ten awesome DIY Willy Wonka costumes for some inspiration.

8. Include a chocolate fountain in honor of Augustus Gloop

Remember the iconic scene where Augustus Gloop falls into Willy Wonka’s chocolate river? Bring a bit of that movie magic (and horror!) to your party with a “chocolate river” in the form of a chocolate fountain. 

9. Play the “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” soundtrack at your party

Here’s the full YouTube playlist of the movie’s original soundtrack.

10. Watch the movie and related films at your party!

Not only can you show the original 1971 version of the movie, you might also want to put together a movie marathon where you also show the 2005 Tim Burton version, and even the more recent “Wonka” starring Timothée Chalamet!

11. Include thematic games like “Veruca’s Golden Egg Hunt”

One of our favorite Willy Wonka party ideas is making sure that everyone stays engaged by incorporating on-theme games into the festivities.

12. Decorate with a copy of Willy Wonka’s giant release contract

A great visual gag in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” happens when Willy Wonka has the visitors sign an enormous release absolving him from any responsibility in the case of accidents or injury. (They had no idea what they were signing up for!) Including this contract at your party is a sure way to elicit laughs and cultivate the right vibe.

13. Include a Wonka factory gate prop at your party entrance

Don’t have time to construct your own gates? Then how about this iconic photo backdrop where your guests can show off their amazing Willy Wonka-themed costumes?

14. Make and serve your own everlasting gobstoppers

Follow this video tutorial to make your own everlasting gobstoppers to serve at your party.

Check out these great dance party ideas if you want to add a physical component to your wild Wonka party!

15. Play “Pin the gum on Violet Beauregarde’s ear”

This is, of course, our thematically appropriate alternative to “Pin the tail on the donkey”!

16. Send out Willy Wonka-themed invitations

You can definitely buy lots of high-quality invitations in this vein. However, here are some free printable Willy Wonka birthday invitations to get you started.

17. Make your own Wonka party banner

Here’s exactly how to make your own Wonka party banner with only a few materials, including cardboard, a couple of shades of paint, hot glue, and lots of colorful and shiny pink ribbon!

18. Send guests home with Wonka-brand candy

Our final Willy Wonka party idea is to send your guests home with party favors in the form of Wonka-brand candy!

Find unique party venues on Peerspace