The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays! The Patriotic display, fireworks, and beautiful warm summer weather make for a great day every time! Fourth of July cookouts are a staple of American tradition! Independence day is a day to celebrate our country’s birthday with a fun, bright, good time that is guaranteed to end with a bang! So if you’re planning to celebrate the 4th with your family and friends by hosting a party, make sure it's a great one with these fabulous party planning tips!
Three things always stand out to your guests no matter the event: the food, ambiance, and activities. So today, we will focus our tips on ways to knock these three things out of the park and leave your guests impressed and talking about your event for a long time to come!
Food
When it comes to a Fourth of July party, don’t be afraid to stick to tradition! A summer party just wouldn’t be the same without the cookout classics – Hotdogs. Now I know you may be thinking, “that’s boring!” but classics don’t have to be lame! Give your hotdogs a fun twist with a Hotdogs Across America table! Provide your guests with an extensive range of toppings and decorate your DIY-Dog table with Red, White, and Blue recipe cards for hot dogs across the country. Here are a few examples:
- New York Style
- Steamed Onions
- Deli-Style Mustard
- Chicago Style
- Poppy Seed Bun
- Yellow Mustard
- Dark Green Relish
- Raw Onion
- Pickle Spear
- Peppers
- Tomato
- Celery Salt
- Atlanta Style
- Coleslaw
- Vidalia Onion
- Kansas City Style
- Souerkraut
- Swiss Cheese
- Sesame Seed Bun
- The Rockie Dog (Colorado)
- Sauerkraut
- Onions
- Grilled peppers
- Detroit Style
- Meaty Chili Sauce
- Yellow Mustard
- Raw Onions
- Seattle Style
- Toasted Bun
- Grilled Onions
- Sriracha Sauce
- Jalapeños
- Cream Cheese
Your guests will have a blast trying all the different ways Americans enjoy this classic cookout staple! Not only are you providing a tasty and cost-effective main dish, but you're also celebrating the diversity of traditions across our great country.
One great thing about summertime and the Fourth of July is that summer is prime time for tons of delicious fruits and vegetables! Take advantage of the season and load up on fresh berries (bonus if you use red and blue ones) and create beautiful fruit displays that add a pop of fresh, juicy, colorful flavor to your food table!
Aside from the abundance of fresh fruit options available in the summer, you can also have your choice of fresh veggies as well! From corn on the cob to grilled zucchini to fresh from the garden salads, your guests will love all the healthy side dishes available in the summer months. So take some time to stop by your local farmer’s market (shop local!) and grab up all your favorite fruits and veggies to round out a delicious fourth of July meal!
Now, if your family is like mine, you enjoy a good drink during your Independence Day Festivities! Aside from the typical canned beverages (beer, seltzers, soda, etc.), you can create a fun 4th of July Cocktail for your guests to enjoy! For a Red, White, and Blue beauty that is delicious as well, try layering grenadine, blue curacao, and vodka lemonade into a tall glass. The sugar content in each liquid causes the different colors to sit on top of one another for a beautiful (and tasty) red, white, and blue striped effect! You can swap the blue curacao with blue Kool-Aid and leave the vodka out of the lemonade for the little ones! If you’re looking for a drink to help your guests keep cool in the hot summer sun, blend each layer with ice to make red, white, and blue slushies!
Ambiance
Fourth of July is all about the Red, White, and Blue! Luckily, this time of year, American flags and flag-themed decor are available just about everywhere. So stop by your local party supply store or even the dollar store, and grab up all the Americana-themed items you can find! Red, white, and blue plates, napkins, cups, table cloths, and silverware are a great start! Grab up American flags of all different sizes to decorate your space with a stunning patriotic display.
The Fourth of July is often a late-night event, so ensure you provide plenty of light for your guests. Use string lights to light up your space. You can get string lights in a wide variety of shapes and colors. For this type of party, I recommend star-shaped or red, white, and blue hanging lanterns for a festive touch! Check out these examples on Amazon for some inspiration!
Activities
The Fourth of July just isn’t the same without fireworks, so while you’re waiting for the sun to go down and the main event to begin, there are some other fun things you can do to entertain your guests while you wait for the show to start!
- Corn Hole- Another summertime classic that people just love! There’s just something about beating your loved one in a friendly game of cornhole that just feels like summer (especially in the midwest)! For some extra patriotism, paint your cornhole boards with stars and stripes!
- For those who aren’t blessed with a pool in the backyard, we need to come up with other ways to cool off! A water balloon fight is an excellent way for guests to simultaneously have an absolute blast and get relief from the summer heat! If you want to up the ante, toss in a few super soakers!
- Photo Booth- With all the fun you and your guests will be having, you’ll absolutely want to capture those unforgettable memories in photos! With a photo booth, your guests can visit the booth throughout the night and snap tons of pictures of all the fun! With Snap n Pics Photo Booth your guests can share their photos on social media or email/text them to their phones right from the booth. Not only will your guests love looking back on the great memories they made at your party, but you’ll get a flash drive at the end of the night with all the photos of your guests to enjoy for years to come! Plus, when you reserve one of our booths for your event, you also get a dedicated booth operator who sets up, runs, and cleans up your photo booth for you, so it’s a wholly hands-off and stress-free activity for you!
- Fireworks- As we mentioned earlier, the Fourth of July isn’t the same without fireworks! Whether you choose to purchase your own fireworks display (check local ordinances to learn about personal fireworks rules and regulations in your area) or head out to your local fireworks nearby, watching the bright colors burst in the sky is as much a part of the 4th of July as anything else. If you’re in the Green Bay Area, you should consider heading downtown with your group and watching the Fire Over the Fox fireworks display! Fire over the Fox is an all-day event, but the fireworks display at the end of the night is one of the best in the area, and you and your guests are sure to have a great time!
Follow these tips, and your Fourth of July event will be a hit! Your guests will be begging you to host every summer for years to come!
Call us today to reserve a Snap n Pics Photo Booth for your 4th of July festivities!
