It’s time — summer’s in the air, with wafts of warm weather, sunscreen, and of course, good ol’ BBQ. Nothing screams summer time like firing up the grill, having some friends over, and cooking up some delicious burgers or veggie dogs. If you want to throw this summer’s best BBQ bash, the devil’s in the details – because there are cookouts, and there are backyard BBQ parties with a vision. Let’s make yours the latter.
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Prep and Practicalities
This might not be the most exciting part, but think of good preparation as laying a solid foundation for a successful BBQ party. Before you start getting big cookout ideas (and we’ll get there), make sure you’ve got the basics covered.
Your BBQ Party Checklist
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Start with the meat and potatoes (literally: you need chips and potato salad).
Alright, you know you need meat – and meat substitutes for vegetarians and vegans – but you also need to lock down your guest list and scale your haul to your numbers, including plenty of snacky sides. From chips and dip to watermelon and charcuterie boards, you gotta make sure you have what the party needs, depending on the vibe. As a rule of thumb, each guest will need 2-3 entree servings and four ounces of sides per person. Round up your guest list in multiples of 10 just to be safe, and plan your menu rather than winging it.
Pro tip: go potluck-style for your sides to ease the planning phase, make everyone feel included, and ensure that there’s a dish suited to everyone’s tastes.
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Get talking. Whether your group prefers a group text or WhatsApp, make sure you’ve got a BBQ party thread going to keep all the planning and prep convos in one place. About three weeks of heads-up works for most booked-and-busy folks.
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Mind the flow. Obviously, you’ll need tables and seating, but don’t just unfold those lawn chairs without a plan. Imagine yourself as a guest, and arrange the furniture with flow in mind. Ensure there’s a smooth pipeline from food to hangout spaces, and that there’s a variety of said hangout nooks catered to your guest list.
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Batch your beverages and sides. Sodas, seltzers, and beers are great, but if you’re going with summery cocktails (or mocktails), you’ll want to make them in bulk and ahead of time. Same goes for sides and desserts – bulk sides make your life easier.
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Don’t forget the drink station. Rather than clogging up your cooking spot and boiling your brewskies, set up a separate drink station stocked with plenty of ice, dispensers, and coolers. This is also a great place to put out plates, utensils, trash bins, sunscreen, and a first aid kit.
This is also an ideal spot to set out a few flavors of Camino hemp gummies for a grown-up BBQ. Summertime flavors like Watermelon Spritz and Wild Berry are matched with effects like Excite, Bliss, and Social to make for the perfect, well, social pairing. (Pro tip: If you plan to mix gummies and alcohol, be sure to take it easy and opt for lighter pours and micro-doses.)
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Beat the bugs with citronella candles or a stock of free-to-use bug spray in plain sight. Go with a gentle formula to please everyone.
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Clean the grill in advance. You’ll lose precious daylight if you let this one take you off guard – maybe a good time to mow the lawn, too.
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Have backups. Expect the unexpected and face it head-on with an extra bag of charcoal or backup propane. And lots and lots of ice.
All the Accoutrements
From games to music and all those little touches that help your guests have an incredible time, a good BBQ party is all about the accents. Consider these the essential macaroni salad to your brisket.
Games
We know all of your guests are brilliant conversationalists, but even the best of us need a little social lubricant. Whether you’ve got an all-ages event or an adults-only hang, you can’t go wrong with easy, cheap and instantly understandable classics like cornhole, badminton, croquet, or bocce ball.
If you roll with a more indoorsy crowd, try bringing trivia night outside or encourage everyone to bring their Switches for a low-key Mario Kart tournament. And if there’s a little competition going on, whether it’s sporty or brainy, consider a modest prize just for fun.
Sound and Vision
Every BBQ party needs tunes, so make sure you’ve got your old-school boombox plugged in or rugged Bluetooth speaker all charged up and paired. If you’re going with a theme, pair the playlist to the atmosphere (not to spoil our themed backyard BBQ ideas, but try matching chill acoustic tracks to an evening barbecue, ‘90s Jock Jams to a classic suburbs theme, or a movie soundtrack to a pool projector night). For a looser, inclusive vibe that can also help guests get to know each other, consider a collaborative playlist on an app like Spotify.
Nowadays, you can even pick up an outdoor-ready, phone-compatible projector for casual viewing for about $50 to $100, and all you need is a wall, garage door, or blanket to project on.
Creature Comforts
Depending on your backyard setup, resources, budget, and theme, be sure to set up a few creature comforts, like a fire pit at night, lounge chairs, decorative picnic blankets, or even an impromptu conversation pit with outdoor-friendly pillows to chill on. Don’t skimp on pool floats and floating drink trays for a pool-centric BBQ party, and if you really want to level things up, add a few battery-powered bug fans to the tables and hook up some misters to the hose.
And always remember to keep the lighting warm-hued at night to attract fewer bugs and nail the ambiance. (Bonus: it’s better lighting for selfies.)
Curating a Vibe
No one’s complaining about a classic, dad-approved, all-American barbecue filled with yacht rock and cold brews, especially if the eats and the company are right. But if you want to take your BBQ party from ordinary to extraordinary, a theme – complete with tablescapes, mood lighting, a curated playlist, and maybe even recommended attire – can make for a truly memorable summer. Here are some ideas to marinate on (oh, and don’t forget to marinate your chicken the night before, too).
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Tiki Time. Let the reggae music flow and the tiki torches burn bright. Encourage guests to don their best tropical shirts, board shorts, bikinis, and leis. Those floral prints pair perfectly with an energetic Camino Sours Tropical Burst gummy, too.
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At the Drive-In. Pick a flick or a double feature and theme the dishes and decor to the headliner. Dino ribs and T-Rex pool floats for Jurassic Park, bath robes for The Big Lebowski, all the green food coloring and parfaits you can handle for Shrek, you get the idea. And, yes, you can totally cook popcorn on the grill.
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Vintage Vibes. Keep it classy with a mid-century theme, including a fancy bar cart, chilled Jell-O, and a game of horseshoes. Spin your vinyl collection and top it all off with some kitschy pink flamingos.
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Ye Olde BBQ. Bring the Ren Faire home with some big batch cold mead and grilled turkey legs fit for royalty. Encourage fantasy costumes, hand out elf ears, make some colorful spiked “potions” (might we recommend a few magical gems), and host a safe (and ridiculous) jousting tourney in the pool.
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Lightning Bug Magic. For an evening BBQ party that really focuses on low-key mingling among an enchanted atmosphere, start up the grill at magic hour and light up the night with mason jar candles, paper lanterns, and a gathering-friendly fire pit. Go with charcuterie serving styles and rustic tablescapes, and use bamboo or wooden disposable plates to really revel in the details. Serve up Camino Sparkling Pear ‘Social’ gummies for an elevated, intimate party starter.
Remember, a summer BBQ has only one mantra: the good times must roll. The arch nemesis of any cookout is stress, and as the grillmaster, it’s up to you to keep the vibes sunny and soaring. We’ve got just the thing to help.
Dan is a freelance writer, small business owner, and full-time creative living in Dallas, TX. In 15 years of writing, he’s been fortunate to collaborate with companies and publishers like Cannabis and Tech Today, Healthfully, Salon.com, ArtBase, The Seattle Times, USA Today, SF Gate, and many more.
