Are you from the USA, or do you have American friends and family? No doubt you’ll know that one of the biggest events of the year is nearly upon us - the 4th of July. Guess what this means? It’s party time for Independence Day! And now’s the time to start organising to make the most of this famous celebration.
Here’s how to hold a 4th of July party worthy of the land of stars and stripes.
Use your neighbourhood as the venue
Block parties characterise the 4th of July in the States, so get the whole neighbourhood on board for yours. While it’s lovely summer weather in the northern hemisphere, we’re contending with a chilly bite in the air here. That doesn’t mean you can’t hold your party outside in the street or the backyard though, as long as you’re prepared.
Hire mobile outdoor heaters to place strategically around seating and eating areas. At night, fire torches add ambience and create the feeling of warmth, if it’s predicted to be particularly cold. Group tables and chairs in one area, leaving plenty of open space for fun, traditional activities.
Get your red, white and blue on
Décor couldn’t be easier, with a red, white and blue theme. Head to the local party suppliers or dollar store and buy American flags, streamers and pinwheels. Make your own banners to hang through the trees, by cutting star shapes out of cardboard, punching a hole in the top and stringing them through some rope.
For tablecloths, lay down butcher paper and place a basket of red and blue crayons in the middle. The kids will love drawing all over the table and the adults won’t be able to help adding to the interactive decoration. As a final touch, invite guests to come dressed in their own version of the colours and stars of the American flag.
Bring on the star spangled entertainment
What comes to mind when thinking of the most American of foods? Hot dogs of course! The novelty also adds serious entertainment cred, as guests get to collect their treat just like you do at a sporting match, complete with scrumptious relishes to tantalise the taste buds.
Speaking of sports, if you have the room, set up a baseball pitch and watch the party take off. If you’re concerned about broken windows, a plastic kid’s set is just as much fun, especially with a couple of Budweisers under the belt for the adults.Do a balloon pop race, whereby you place a ‘prize’ sign inside one balloon, among many other blue, red and white ones scattered around the venue. On a signal, participates run to pop as many balloons as they can to find the prizewinning one.
For guests who’d prefer to stay seated with their hot dogs and beer, organise a game of American trivia. Research questions online, choose a host and give players a funny sound to use as a buzzer when they know the answer. Keep track of who gets what right, and award a prize to the winner. As for the prize, we can’t think of anything better than first dibs at the hot dog cart!
So get your party hat on and talk to us about catering your 4th of July event. We enjoy spreading the hot dog love every fourth, and we can cater for any size event – whether you need to feed a few people or a few hundred!