Oh what fun! I've always wanted to do that! We used to have a Vernal Equinox party back when we knew a lot of people with birthdays in the spring -- kind of a group birthday party plus welcoming spring.

My first thoughts are the traditional beverages of wassail or a mulled cider. If you're up to baking on short notice, a yule log would be perfect as a dessert. Rosemary is a traditional Winter Solstice incense aroma, so anything flavored with rosemary would fit right in. Ummm...a wild rice casarole with nuts and cranberries. Someone recently posted a recipe for one of those that looked good. Gingered acorn squash....

Here's a link that might give you more ideas.

Have fun, and Blessed Solstice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Solstice recipes

Fun! I don't know what would be appropriate, but how about something related to night? Star or moon shaped cookies or a black-bottom pie? How about a soup with star shaped pasta?

AM
The Dinner Chronicles

Beanthere

Thanks for the link. The chicken with cranberries sounds good.

How pagan is this shindig gonna be? Riotous debauchery? Virgin sacrifice? (that's a tough one to arrange these days; the necessary raw material seems to be in short supply)
You don't have enough time to whip up a batch of mead, but a honey based alcoholic beverage would be perfect for such an occasion (mead, pyment, cyser, braggot, hippocras--the varieties are legion). Lacking that, cider or applejack might do.

I'm reminded of a sophomoric ditty sung to the tune of 'Gimme that Old Time Religion':

We will worship like the Druids,
Who drank strange fermented fluids,
Running naked through the wuids,
And it's good enough for me.

Riotous debauchery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 *spins around while squealing "Wheeeeeeeeeeeee"*

I mean, that sounds like a lot of fun. I wish I knew some pagans to celebrate Solstice with, but here in Nowhere, that sort of thing is looked down upon. Good people go to church, ya' know. *sigh*

Maybe now is a good time to mention that I'm more or less athiest but think some pagan rituals and celebrations are nifty?????

*ahem*

Food. Yes. We were discussing food. The following is copied/pasted from the page that I've posted a link to.

Yule
Yule is the Winter Solstice and as such has been the time of holiday celebrations for many cultures and religions throughout history. It is the time of the dying of the Holly King and the rise of the Oak King, a solar festival representing the turning of the sun back towards the south and the return of life, light, and warmth to the earth. Therefore, any food that is round, golden, or hot like the sun, is appropriate. Many of the customs associated with Christmas were co-opted from the Pagan practices by the church, and so they and the foods commonly associated with Christmas may also be valid for celebrating Yule. All sorts of cookies are appropriate, as is anything sweet, the idea being to ensure sweetness for the new year. The old ones didn't have sugar, but used honey as a sweetener. (Culinary note: when using honey, some baking soda is needed to work with the acidity of the honey. This causes the rising action. Cooking is a scientific thing too!) Eggnog, mulled wine, and cranberry juice are traditional. Mulled wine is simple to make: add cloves and cinnamon sticks to the wine and heat over a low flame until warmed. The spices may be added and soaked overnight in the refrigerator before heating to add more flavor. Oranges or lemons stuck with cloves may be added as well. Plum pudding is another traditional dish.
Roasting chestnuts at Christmas comes from a pagan Germanic custom which traveled to England, where it is still popular today. In England, chestnuts roasting on Yule hearth fires were used to divine information about the New Year. Depending on which region of England you lived in, you would know a fixed set of rules about interpreting how your chestnuts popped and danced. While these rules could vary greatly, in general it can be said that lots of movement and noise was fortuitous, while nuts that were still or quiet were not.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food for pagan celebrations

Whiteorchid, don't be so sure. I was surprised to learn that in the middle of KY were no fewer than five active covens. Who'd a thunk? No fluff-pagans with sparkly wands either, but people who'd been on that path for many years.
Who'd a thunk? You night be surprised what's in your backyard. LOL!

Ilisa, Star and moon cookies! You're a genius!

I don't know if any actual pagans were there, but it was fun. Lots of folks from church. The only person doing anything out of the ordinary was my four-year-old, who climbed into a planter to "lay eggs."

I ended up bring the sweet potatoes braised in cream, rosemary and nutmeg posted by cindy_5ny in a previous thread. Rave reviews and quite simple. I'll be making it again, and not just because I have tons of sweet potatoes. Thanks, everyone, for pointing me in the right direction!

Here is a link that might be useful: Savory Sweet Potatoes

LOL! Sounds like your 4 year old has Solstice confused with Vernal Equinox! :D