The fireworks show against the night sky dazzle your eyes. The smell of hamburgers and hot dogs cooking on the grill makes your taste buds water. You feel a swell in your heart with pride for your country. You experience all of these things on the 4th of July, Memorial Day or even Labor Day. If you are the kind of person who wants to hold a get-together among friends and family on this special day, then you will need some top-notch DIY ideas for putting together a patriotic party. We have some party ideas you can capitalize on today. 

Start with Party Décor

You want to make an impression on your guests from the moment they join you at your party. Therefore, you should think about getting a centerpiece that captures the glances of all guests that come to your party. This should be part of the patriotic tablescape, and it should say something about the holiday that you are celebrating. In this case, you will want to lean in heavily on red, white & blue color schemes to celebrate the American flag. Bring it into all the decorations including biodegradable straws and napkins.

While you are at it, you should think about some other patriotic decorations that can help tie things together. A few recommendations for food ideas include:

• Reflective American flag pinwheels
• Red, white & blue balloon garlands
• Burlap American flag wreath
• Backyard flower arrangements in mason jars
• Sparklers for the kids
• Bunting materials

You can use any combination of these, or many other patriotic party ideas, to create the visual appearances that you want at your event.

Focus on the Food

A major part of the celebration of Independence Day is the food that is served. Besides that, rule number one of party planning is to ensure that no one leaves your event hungry. Therefore, you will want to stock up on the classic Americana foods that are trademarks of the holiday. A few must-haves as far as food is concerned includes:

• BBQ
• Hamburgers
• Hot dogs
• Appetizers
• Watermelon
• Ice cream
• Cupcakes
• Soft drinks
• Alcoholic beverages (optional)

These are the kind of things that your guests will automatically expect to be available at your party. If you don't have some of these foods and beverages at your 4th of July party, then you will end up disappointing your guests. Keep in mind that many others in your area will be in the market for these same foods and beverages, so you should try to stock up early before some of these things are out of stock.

Prepare the Music

No matter if you are celebrating the 4th of July, Memorial Day, or some other America-centric holiday, you need to have appropriate music ready to go. Many pop songs have celebrated this great nation for hundreds of years:

Pop music has celebrated America since its beginnings, but many of the most beloved songs about America are, in fact, more traditional tunes that have their origins before America was even founded.

Favored pop songs are always classic choices for those putting together a 4th of July party for their friends, family, neighbors, or others. You might want to select some of these favorites for the holiday:

• ”Chicken Fried” Zac Brown Band
• “This Land is Your Land” - Woody Guthrie
• “Country Roads” - John Denver
• “Surfin' USA” - The Beach Boys
• “Color Me America” - Dolly Parton
• “America” - Neil Diamond

These songs, and hundreds of others are good choices for a fun 4th of July party. Rotate the choices frequently so your guests aren't just hearing the same songs over and over. However, always make sure that you include some of the classics like these to get people in the right mindset.

Have Entertainment for Kids

Fourth of July parties are not just for the adults. There will very likely be children at the party as well, and it is important to have fun ways to entertain the children in attendance. As such, you might want to look at some of the games and other all-American options you can set up for children who are at the event. A few ideas for this include:

• Watermelon Bowling - You should already have watermelons at your event as one of the preferred 4th of July events. Why not use them to create a little competitive bowling game? If you purchase a set of lawn pins that can be easily knocked over by a watermelon, then you can get some fun games going. It might be set up for the kids, but don't be afraid to admit that you might to jump in on the action as well!
• Fun in the Water - Set up a kiddie pool or a sprinkler system for kids to have fun in. They will love to splash around and cool down from the hot July heat. It is an excellent way to keep them entertained and happy at the same time.
• Watch the National Hot Dog Eating Contest - Every year on the 4th of July the National Hot Dog Eating Contest pits the top competitive eaters in the world against each other. They must try to scarf down as many hot dogs and buns as they can in ten minutes. The champion typically downs more than 60 hot dogs in that time period! The event is aired live on ESPN each year, and some kids might find it enjoyable to watch. Keep in mind that this event makes some people queasy to watch, so it isn't for everyone.
• Set up a table with July 4th craft ideas. The kids can create July crafts that can become part of the patriotic table design. Sparkle confetti added to anything instantly makes it a party.

These are all fun options for children that are at the party. If you want to keep everyone happy, don't forget about having entertainment ready to go for children.

Send Everyone Off on a Good Note

Finally, you should make sure you are sending everyone off on a good note. Ideally, you want to get some party favors together for those who came to your event. This is a great way to show your appreciation to the people who took the time to come to your party. You send them home with a small token of your appreciation for their attendance. You can create some small bags of party favors that are patriotic-themed to help show all of your guests just how important it was that they came to your party to celebrate with you.

You can host an amazing 4th of July party if you start planning now. When you entertain outside, it's a great idea to install a farmhouse sink in copper or fireclay outside to help prepare food and wash up. For some great ideas, please contact us.