Planning a get-together with your Dead-loving buddies this Halloween? You'll need these three essentials to really get your party rockin'.

A Theme:

Why not combine your love of Dead culture with the timeless appeal of spook? Invite your friends to come over for an Undead Dead Halloween party, and ask them to dress as Deadheads from the “other side.” Trust me, you get a room full of zombie hippies and the ghost of Owlsley together, and it's going to be one heck of a party.

Tunes:

Naturally, no Halloween party is complete without some killer music. Why not pick one of the Grateful Dead's Halloween shows? Start with 10-31-84 to get your party rolling. This show played at the Berkeley Community Theater in Berkeley, California opens the first set with “Shakedown Street,” and closes the second set with a seasonal take on “One More Saturday Night,” instead performing an adapted, “One More Halloween Night.” By the time the encore “Satisfaction” plays, your guests will be in a definite partying mood.

Now of course, you'll need to play the Grateful Dead's classic Halloween hit “Werewolves of London.” Question is, which show? The Dead began playing this song, created by Warren Zevon, in 1978. They didn't play it on a Halloween night until 1985, at a show at the Carolina Coliseum in Columbia, South Carolina. It was the show opener. You might also want to check out 10-31-90. This show features a “Werewolves in London” that was actually played in London, at the Wembley Arena. The next year, the Grateful Dead performed the song again on the other side of the world, at a show on Halloween night in Oakland, California.

Treats:

Forget the “Cherry Garcia” ice cream and the purple Kool-Aid. Serve your guests something unexpected. How about a plate of “Steal your Cheese and Crackers”? Make this easy snack by simply cutting cheese slices into lightning bolt shapes and placing them on buttery crackers. Or take inspiration from the lyrical phrase, “The sun was yellow and the sky was blue” from the Grateful Dead's “Scarlet Begonias,” and serve up some “Yellow Sky, Blue Sun Punch.” To make it, add ice cubes made from water tinted with blue food coloring to a large bowl of sweetened lemonade.

With these tips in mind, you're sure to have a fabulous Halloween party your Deadhead friends will love!