11 Fun and Unforgettable 65th Birthday Ideas
It’s your loved one’s 65th birthday, and it’s time to celebrate! If you’ve taken up the party planning, we’re here to make it easier. Our 65th birthday ideas range from low-key to big events, and they’re all completely flexible so you can make them your own. Take our ideas and get ready to have some fun!
11 65th Birthday Ideas for a Memorable Celebration
For most birthday honorees, the details won’t matter as much as just being with their friends and family, but choosing a fun theme can make it extra special. Use these 65th birthday ideas as a jumping-off point for planning your perfect party.
We’ve also included a matching invitation design for each theme. Digital invitations simplify the planning process because they’re easily customizable, keep track of RSVPs for you, and let you automate event reminders. You can send invitations via email, text, or even social media.
1. Oyster Party
Design: Vera Lim | Shuck & Mingle Invitation
If the guest of honor is a foodie, throw a dinner party with oysters as the hero of the menu. Serve raw oysters on ice-filled platters alongside fresh lemon wedges, mignonette sauce, and a variety of hot sauces. Add some steaming hot french fries, coleslaw, and ice-cold white wine, and you’ve got a party.
For a variation on this party idea, host a clam bake. Boil up potatoes, corn, clams, shrimp, sausage, and any other seafood you wish. Put it all in large serving dishes, or go the traditional route by covering a table in newspaper or butcher paper and dump the food directly onto the table. Don’t forget the melted butter and Old Bay seasoning.
2. Hiking Party
Design: Signature Greenvelope | Nature Escape Invitation
If your guest of honor is still as agile as they were on their 30th birthday, plan a daytime getaway to nature. Do an easy walk that accommodates all mobility levels, or plan for a more rigorous hike depending on the makeup of the group. We love this 65th birthday party idea because it celebrates a zest for life, the gift of movement, and the great outdoors.
3. Golf Party
Design: Jen Montgomery | Preppy Par-tee Invitation
As people inch toward 65, they’ll almost automatically pick up golf. It’s just human nature. A party on a golf course is one of those built-in birthday themes that makes planning easy. For party favors, you can order custom golf balls as personalized gifts. For the invite, lean into golf puns like this “Par-tee” invitation. For food, stick to afternoon tea-like snacks, such as sandwiches and pastries, that are elegant but can be eaten on the go.
4. Paint & Sip Party
Design: LNZart | Modern Watercolor Wreath Invitation
An activity is always a win for a birthday party, whether it’s a 21st birthday or an 80th birthday. For a 65-year-old and their loved ones, a paint and sip party will be a hit. Sign up for a class, or bring an instructor to you. You could even buy a set of high-quality paint-by-numbers canvases and a case of wine to DIY this bday theme.
If you have a group of wine lovers on your hands, you can also do a classic wine tasting instead. The perfect gift for your 65-year-old could be time with close friends in wine country.
5. That ‘70s Party
Design: Owl and Toad | That 70s Party Invitation
Your (almost) 65-year-old loved one was a teenager in the 1970s, so lean into that youthful time with a groovy bash.
Dress code? Tie dye, bell bottoms, platform shoes, fringe, and floral prints.
Food? Fondue, deviled eggs, and shrimp cocktail.
Decor? Vinyl records and disco balls. You could also make a photo collage of their pictures from that era for a personal touch!
6. Office-Themed Party
Design: Noonday Design | Office Birthday Invitation
For fans of “The Office,” nothing will evoke more excitement than a reenactment of Dwight’s iconic party theme. Party decorations need not be anything interesting — in the show, Dwight strung up barely inflated brown and black balloons and put up a no-nonsense banner that said, “It is your birthday.” (With the period.)
You can download a digital design of the exact banner from Etsy to make the birthday decorations even easier.
7. Pickleball Party
Design: Cat Caudillo | Let’s Pickle Invitation
Just because they’re 65 doesn’t mean they’re delicate! Celebrate this milestone birthday with some lively competition in the form of a pickleball party.
Reserve a spot at a pickleball court and decide if you want to host a structured competition or just let folks play casually. Be sure to bring extra paddles, balls, and a prize for the winner!
8. Mexican Fiesta
Design: itsibelli | Fiesta Margarita Invitation
Party it up by serving Mexican food and margaritas at a fiesta-themed bash. Create a taco bar with carne asada, carnitas, chicken, and refried beans for a vegetarian option. Provide toppings like guacamole, salsa, shredded cheese, onions, and peppers. For drinks, make a batch of margaritas and an agua fresca for non-drinkers.
A piñata can be the centerpiece of the room. Watching the birthday celebrant burst it open is the perfect party entertainment!
9. Surprise Party
Design: Claudia Owen | Classified Information Invitation
How long has it been since the guest of honor had a surprise party? For this milestone birthday, prepare the party in secret and get ready to have their best friends and loved ones jump out with a “happy birthday!” They’ll remember the excitement of their surprise party forever, or at least until their 70th birthday.
10. Decades Party
Design: Laura Bolter Design | Golden Oldie Invitation
For a 65th birthday celebration, the honoree will have been born in the late 1950s or early ‘60s. Celebrate the decade they were born with a retro throwback party. Maybe you do a sock hop complete with a jukebox, poodle skirts, and cat-eye glasses. Maybe you do a mod Summer of Love party. Lean into the theme with a dress code, playlist, themed digital invitation, food from the era, and a fun birthday cake.
11. Sports Party
Design: Laura Bolter Design | Hey Batter Batter Invitation
Excuse the generic theme title, but we wanted to keep this one open so you can plan it with the birthday guy or gal in mind. Pick a sport that they love and either go to a game or organize a party to play it:
- If they love baseball, head to your local stadium or organize a softball game, complete with team jerseys and an umpire.
- If they love basketball, go to a game or play pickup hoops at a park.
- If they go crazy for soccer, get tickets to the next match or organize a competition at the soccer fields.
Alternatively, you can host a viewing party at home and serve stadium favorites, like peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, and ice cream. You could also embrace multiple sports with an Olympic theme, complete with backyard competitions like cornhole, an egg and spoon race, relay races, or flyswatter golf.
Happy Planning!
Planning a party is almost as fun as being at one. We hope you enjoy dreaming up the perfect day for the nearly 65-year-old in your life. If you want even more inspiration and ideas for celebrating all that life has to offer, check out our Stationers blog.
