A survey concluded that 25% of Americans plan to visit festivals or carnivals during the summer. Summer is the ideal time to throw special events because many people have more free time or save their paid time off for these months. If you choose to plan or host a summer event this year, then you’ll want to get the planning process started as early as possible.
How can you be sure to throw the best summer bash this year? The first step is determining what your guests are interested in the most. Then, take a look at our guide below.
In this guide, you’ll find many helpful ideas for throwing an amazing summer get-together!
Entertainment Ideas
What type of entertainment do you plan to have at your summer event? The right entertainment is a must in order to keep all of your guests happy throughout the event. There are many great options for entertainment, but the best one for your summer party depends on your theme, location, and type of event.
Here are a few great entertainment ideas to consider.
Rent an Ice Cream Truck
Who doesn’t enjoy a cold ice cream cone in the middle of the summer heat? Setting up your own ice cream cart or bar is a good way to make this tasty treat available to your guests. However, you’ll need to plan for ways to keep the ice cream cold enough to prevent it from melting for several hours.
What’s our loophole? Consider an ice cream truck rental! There are many different types of ice cream rentals to choose from as well.
You can rent a truck, a cart, a sundae bar, and even a party cooler. These rentals come with a wide variety of ice cream flavors all ready to stay cold and keep your guests cool.
Hire Live Entertainment
Having some background music is always a great way to avoid awkward silences or a dull party in general. Live music also gives your guests a reason to get up, mingle, and have some fun on the dance floor. Live entertainment isn’t only music, however. You can also hire a magician or another type of performer.
Consider the type of summer party you’re hosting and then choose entertainment that aligns with what you have planned. For example, if you plan a game night at your home, then you might want to hire a comedian to keep things lively.
Plan a Cooking Event
Do you have a lot of foodie friends? Having friends who enjoy trying new places to eat or trying new types of food is a great reason to plan a cooking event. The event can be at your home or at a local cooking class.
Take a cooking class, hire a private chef, or set up a cooking class in your own home. Have your friends and family come over to learn how to cook various dishes together. Once the class is done, everything can come together to sit down and enjoy the meal.
A private chef will do all of the hard work for you while you and your friends get to sit back and relax before diving into a delicious dish.
Host a Traditional BBQ
BBQ parties are a common summer event for good reason. The weather is nice and everyone’s ready to soak up the summer sun. To host a BBQ party, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have it.
You can choose your own home or a different location like a local park. Decide how many guests you want to invite and then plan what type of food you want to cook and how much of it you’ll need. You can even ask your guests to bring something of their own to cook.
Don’t forget to provide enough seating and shaded spots to ensure guests stay comfortable.
Contact a Small Carnival
Small summer carnivals are a great way for businesses to raise money. Summers are ideal for carnivals because the weather is beautiful through the night. Large companies can contact small carnival services to set up a carnival on their property.
Carnivals can be set up on parking lots or open fields. Money earned from the carnival goes back to the company, making this a great summer party option for businesses. After hiring the carnival services, be sure to advertise the event so the entire community can come out and have fun!
Consider Brunch
If you’re looking for a more relaxing way to get people together during the summer, then look no further than a brunch celebration. The beautiful summer weather is perfect for a morning brunch. Choose a location that serves a bench buffet or offers drink specials.
You can research a few local places and then survey your friends to learn which brunch location they’d like best. To help make the fun last even longer, you can plan a brunch crawl where you visit multiple brunch locations in one day.
Create a Karaoke Night
Sometimes, the best summer parties are the ones where everyone can come together and simply enjoy one another’s company. There are many fun and inexpensive things you can do with friends this summer. Plan a night in and have everyone bring their favorite card or board game.
Set up a karaoke machine and take turns practicing singing skills amongst the group. You can also set up a few treats or prepare a charcuterie board.
Location Ideas
Now that you have a few entertainment ideas in mind, it’s time to start thinking of the ideal locations. The best location for your summer party will depend on the type of party you’re planning and how many people you plan to invite. Below are some location ideas to start thinking of.
Picnic in the Park
When planning a picnic, a local park is one good option. Start by looking up local parks near you. Look at some of the amenities they offer.
Are there restrooms on-site? Are there grills and picnic table areas as well? Is there enough table space to set out the food and enough seats for all of your guests?
Look into what other things your guests can do while at the park as well, such as fishing, hiking, and more.
Your Own Backyard
You don’t have to leave home to find a great summer-party location. You can throw an awesome party in your own backyard! There are many great ways to make use of your backyard during the summer aside from hosting a BBQ.
For example, if you have a pool, then plan a pool party. You can rent a large inflatable movie screen to host a movie night. Lay out blankets, pillows, and chairs in the backyard for a summer event like no other.
Don’t forget to provide snacks and drinks too!
A Local Bowling Alley
Bowling alleys are the perfect location for company events, birthday parties, or get-togethers. When the summer heat is a bit too intense to handle, take things indoors and rent out a few lanes. Everyone can have fun not only bowling, but mingling, visiting the bar or playing in the arcade.
Some bowling alleys have full bars and decent size arcades inside. Do some research to find a good bowling alley for your summer events.
The Open Road
Who says you need a specific location for your summer event? The great thing about summer is how much freedom it offers many people. If everyone’s able, plan a summer road trip event.
Take a few reliable vehicles and fill them up with drinks, healthy snacks, entertainment, and your favorite people. You can have a specific destination in mind, multiple destinations to stop at, or simply drive out of state or to the other side of the state to discover what’s out there.
Theme Ideas
Choosing a theme isn’t mandatory for your summer event, but it can be beneficial to choose one. Think about where you plan to have your event and the type of entertainment you want to have. Then, you can think about a few fun themes your guests would enjoy.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Live Greenery
What better theme to choose for a summer party than “keeping things green?” Since you’ll spend the majority of the summer outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather, why not decorate your space with live greenery.
This theme is a good choice for those planning on hosting their events in their own homes. This theme prevents you from spending money on single-use party decor. Instead, you’ll use live plants and flowers to decorate your fence or seating areas.
If there are siding or fence panels in your backyard, then you can place planters with flat backs on them. Then, fill the planters with various flowers and plants.
The Great Gatsby
Are you and your friends fans of The Great Gatsby?
Grab your projector and play your favorite version of The Great Gatsby for guests to enjoy. The movie can also play in the background without sound as you play the soundtrack on a separate device. You can add a few hits from the 1920s as well.
Make sure to pop some champagne and let all guests know about your theme choice. This way, they can choose to come in full costume!
Cowboy/Hoedown
Yee-haw! There’s nothing like a summer cowboy party/hoedown. A Western-themed party gives everyone the chance to dress up in their favorite Western attire. Wear your favorite cowboy boots and hat, and you’re ready to go!
Pick up a few inexpensive hats for guests to grab when they arrive if needed. Want to kick things up a notch? Consider a space cowboy theme party by adding a disco ball, glitter, and neon lights.
Garden Tea Party
Summer is a great time to host a tea party! You can host one in your own backyard for convenience. Set up a few small tables and chairs and prepare your garden for the visitors.
Lay down new mulch, trim dead branches, and plant new flowers. Prepare favorite tea party treats along with various teas to try. If you don’t have the space in your own backyard, then you can research different tea party locations near you.
You may be able to find public gardens for hosting tea parties or indoor tea party venues as well.
Beach Party
Where’s the one place everyone wants to visit during the summer? The answer is the beach! The water is warm, there’s a breeze in the air, and the soft sand comforts your feet.
Set up large beach tents where multiple people can sit either on chairs or on blankets to hide from the sun when needed. Set up another large beach tent where you can place a grill underneath. Grill your favorite BBQ foods and make sure to have a cooler with lots of drinks.
Have each person bring their own beach activities, such as buckets, shovels, a portable bonfire, jetskis, boogie boards, and more.
It’s Time to Plan Your Summer Event
Summer is a time for fun-filled events and activities that friends and family can enjoy together. Once the temperature outside begins to warm up, it’s time to start planning your summer event! To plan a summer bash that everyone will remember, make sure to keep these helpful tips in mind.
The best summer party is one that brings everyone together in a happy and fun atmosphere. To find other topics similar to this one, be sure to check back here on a frequent basis!
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