How to Throw the Best 4th of July Backyard Party

The 4th of July is a time to gather with friends and family and put our patriotism out front for everyone to see. 

With that in mind we’ve thought of all of the things that make the 4th of July so much fun and have put together a list to help you throw the best 4th of July event.  

Here is your Guide to Throwing the Best 4th of July Backyard Party: 

1. Set the 4th of July Theme 

This part is super easy! What makes 4th of July parties stand apart from any other? It's the red, white and blue, and stars and stripes, incorporated throughout the elements of your party.  

How do you host a 4th of July party? 

Start by thinking about all of the ways in which you can incorporate your patriotism into the decor, food, drinks, and activities which is where the fun begins. 

2. Decide on your Decor

So let's start with the decor since that is what sets the theme and feel when someone first walks into your party. 

Decorating the front of your house and/or front yard can mean adding just a few touches of stars & stripes or going all out.

photo: Riles & Bash 

 

4th of July WREATHS

If you want to keep it simple, hang a 4th of July wreath on your front door.  It's a great symbol that people all over your neighborhood will get to enjoy and it's the first patriotic sign that your guests will see when they enter your party (whether or not they go inside or head straight to the back yard).

There are so many versions of wreaths that you can buy but it's also something that you can DIY yourself.

Here are some of our favorites:

The American Flag July 4th Wreath like this one

photo: Elle Decor 

 

Or maybe a more rustic 4th of July Wreath is more your style

photo: Celebration Designs Co.

 

Balloons

Balloons scream party so they are a must at your 4th of July event.  We did say this was going to be an epic 4th of July party after all.  

The Riles & Bash Red White & Blue Link Balloon Garland Kit makes adding your patriotic theme throughout your party super easy because these link balloons allow you to string the garland in so many different ways. 

Here are a few of the ways that we love to use these balloons.

photo: Riles & Bash 

photo: Riles & Bash 

 

PLUS!  One of our favorite ways to use these red white and blue link balloons is to create an American Flag Balloon Wall. This balloon wall can be the feature wall of your party, the backdrop to your food tables or even a backdrop for your guests to take photos in front of.  They will love it!

We've created step by step instructions on how to create this USA Flag Balloon Wall so that you can get it done and move on to setting up the rest of your party.  It's really simple for the huge bang that it will create at your party. 

photo: Riles & Bash

 

 

Patriotic Table Decor

Now for your tables...whether you're having a backyard BBQ, pot luck or sit-down dinner, your food tables will be a feature of your party so incorporating your patriotic theme is a must.  With that said, you can create something very refined or go all out red, white & blue. 

Here are some of our favorite table setups for 4th of July to give you some inspiration to get started...

photo: Riles & Bash

photo: Southern Living

photo: remodelacasa

Keep in mind that as the party host, you want to make sure that your guests are comfortable so just remember to have enough seating for your guests.  

If you're doing a potluck or BBQ you want to have seating for about 50-75% of your guests. They won't all be eating at the same time so you don't need to have a seat for everyone. 

 

3. Select the Food for your 4th of July Menu

What is a good 4th of July menu?

Now onto the food.  This is another really fun part of designing your party because you can keep things really simple and still incorporate the patriotic feel or you can be the Martha Stewart of parties and make everything themed.

photo: Riles & Bash

What should I grill for the 4th of July?

BBQ is synonymous with 4th of July parties so chances are you will have some sort of BBQ food at your event.  It's easy and you can cook up a range of different mains from hot dogs and burgers to chicken and ribs, and of course veggie options for the vegans out there. 

  

Get your charcoal ready and fire up the grill!  We love this charcoal BBQ Grill that makes grilling easy.

photo: Decanter

If you decide to host a potluck (and this can be in addition to your BBQ), make sure you divvy up the dishes to round out the menu so that you don't end up with 5 potato salads.  

However, if you forget to do this you can just turn it into a "Best Potato Salad" contest and pretend like that was always the plan (wink, wink).

photo: Culinary Hill

 

Another option you may choose is to create a feast made up of pre-made portions. This will take a little more time but it will lend your party to the Martha Stewart feel of everything in perfect portions and leave your guests extra impressed at your attention to detail, especially if you add little touches like these American Flag toothpicks to your food. 

 
photo: The Sweetest Occasion

 

And don't forget your stars and stripes plates, cups and napkins.

photo: Etsy

4. Include some Themed Drinks

The first thing to consider when it comes to drinks is keeping your guests hydrated, especially on hot days as July 4th tends to be.

One very stylish way to do this is to include your theme in a water station with red and blue fruit like raspberries and blueberries for example.  You could even use a cookie cutter to cut out stars in watermelon and pop that into your water. 

 

photo: The View from Great Island

 

Another way to have fun with the drinks is to create a signature cocktail featuring the patriotic colors.  

We really like this recipe from Kelly Leigh Creates because it's non-alcoholic which means even the kids can enjoy it.

photo: Kelly Leigh Creates

You could even make a sangria using red wine and pop in blueberries as part of the fruit combination to make it patriotic.

Here's an easy recipe from Mighty Mrs. where you can play with different variations of your sangria.

photo: Mighty Mrs.

When you first invite your guests to the party, make sure you're clear on the BYOB policy.  Creating a signature cocktail and having your guests bring their own cocktail of choice is an easy way to keep everyone happy. 

 

5. Can't forget about Dessert

Ok, now on to the desserts...pies, cakes, and S'mores oh my!

This is definitely a highlight of the 4th of July...well for the kids anyway.  There are so many fun ways to incorporate your theme into the desserts and treats.

If you want to keep it really easy, simply add red and blue fruit like strawberries and blueberries to a cake or cupcakes with white icing and popping in some American Flag toothpicks.  Presto!   

 

photo: Riles & Bash 

 

You can also use Jell-O by layering the red and blue and topping it off with whipping cream.

 

photo: Riles & Bash

Now on a hot day like the 4th of July some red, white and blue popsicles are definitely needed.

 

photo: Meg's Everyday Indulgence

And of course, every 4th of July party needs a patriotic pie right?

photo: Landolakes

One of the best treats to have once the sun goes down is S'mores and we love this DIY recipe from Studio DIY for Tie Dye S'mores. 

 

photo: Studio DIY 

 

6. Games & Entertainment

What time do 4th of July parties start?

A 4th of July party tends to start late in the afternoon and go on well after dark so having some games and entertainment is a must at your party.

How do you make a Fourth of July party fun?

Classic games that you can include are corn hole, tic tac toe, and patriotic bingo.  

If you've already got a corn hole game, you can make it 4th of July themed with these Stars & Stripes bean bags or Red and Blue bean bags.

 

photo: Charles and Hudson

 

photo: Evite

This is a great idea from A Girl and a Glue Gun for Glow in the Dark Ring Toss.

photo: A Girl and a Glue Gun

Some other ways to keep guests entertained is by setting up some 4th of July photo props that they can use when they take their photos, having 4th of July temporary tattoos for the kids to put on.

While everyone is enjoying the party, make sure that you have some music to set the celebratory theme.

A great night time activity is a backyard movie night.  Set up a portable projection screen, your projector and, pick a family friendly movie that everyone will enjoy.

photo: Life by Leanna

7. Fireworks and/or Sparklers/Poppers

Who doesn't think of fireworks when you think of the 4th of July?  

photo: My Home and Travels

Perhaps you're in a location where you can see a fireworks display from the city or neighbours, or maybe you have someone experienced to safely host a display at your event.  

Either way, sparklers and/or confetti poppers can also be a fun option.

photo: Joyful Reflections Photography

 

 

 

Did we capture everything that you need to throw an epic 4th of July?  Let us know what your must haves are for a great 4th of July backyard party. 

Happy 4th of July! 

 

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