Patriotic Party Ideas

Whether your patriotic celebration is directly related to a national holiday or used as a theme for a birthday party or retirement bash, it is sure to be a meaningful and fun gathering.


Patriotic Tableware	Patriotic Decorations & Props	Patriotic Favors, Party Items & Glow

Patriotic Party Ideas

The key to pulling off a coordinated event: Evoke your theme throughout the affair, it should be the subtle thread that ties everything together. Your location, invitations, flowers, menu, cake, and favors should all cleverly reflect one common concept. Then, get as creative as you can!

July 4th Party Slogans

Patriotic Pizzazz! Celebrate America!
Happy Birthday Uncle Sam! Flyin' Free!
Celebrating those Stars & Stripes! Let Freedom Ring!
Shooting for a July 4th Celebration! Proud to be an American!
Born in the USA!
Hat's off to the Red, White, and Blue!

Decorating Ideas

The party doesn't start until everything is starred and striped, including your guests.

Add interest to your buffet table with a variety of red, white & blue foods as well as decorative red, white & blue tableware, such as: red, white & blue tablecloths & napkins and fresh cut flowers.

Turn Patriotic Top Hats upside down and fill with white hydrangeas, red carnations & top with 3 pinwheels for a beautiful centerpiece.

Patriotic Decorations, Patriotic Props (arches, columns, balloons, centerpieces, cutouts, banners, yard signs, flags, bunting, & more).
Patriotic Tableware (plates, cups, napkins, tablecovers, invitations, centerpieces & more, plus table decorating tips.
Fun favors and party items (skimmer hats, top hats, jewelry, glow, light ups, confetti poppers & more)

July 4th Party Activities

Many Independence Day celebrations start in the afternoon and continue on into the evening hours with the grand finale being an awesome fireworks display! Since the celebration can last for several hours, here are some fantastic ideas to keep all of your guests lively even in the summer heat.

Organize a good old-fashioned game of baseball. For those guests that insist on sitting in the stands, have them sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" and serve them Cracker Jack and Coke while they watch the game. After the game, have fun making and eating snow cones and cotton candy. Rent from your local party rental company.

Create your own Fourth of July parade by having everyone decorate a float, bike or wagon! Vote for the best float and present the winner a favors and party items.

Patriotic Float Kit

Make two large copies of a map of America. Cover up the state's names and have a competition between the boys and girls to see who can identify all 50 states the fastest.

For a meaningful activity, have the older generation pass on stories about America when they were growing up. Ask each guest to share what they like the most about living in the USA.

Plan a trivia contest with fun facts about American presidents, history, inventions, and folklore.

Select a Patriotic King and Queen each hour of the party. Crown them with a PATRIOTIC LIGHT UP TIARA and a RED PLUSH ROYAL CROWN. Provide the king and queen with a few special privileges such as the prime seat (shade or sun), position on the winning team, or first "dibs" in line. Selections can be made randomly, through competitions, or based on a simple vote among the guests!

Pass out Red Pom Poms, White Pom Poms, and Blue Pom Poms to all the kids and have them create a fun patriotic cheer for our Land of the Free!

To pass the time between the cookout and fireworks, have the older kids paint the younger girl's fingernails red, white, and blue.

If you don't have access to a professional fireworks display, create your own show by passing out sparklers, confetti poppers and balloons. Let everyone take a turn twirling the sparklers and popping the confetti poppers & balloons - it's sure to inspire lots of "oooh's and aaaah's"!

Tips to keep your 4th of July entertaining menus easy

(ARA) - You'll want to keep your guests refreshed with frosty drinks, cool appetizers and buffet items when entertaining this 4th of July. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your party menu for a fun, relaxed event.

Simplicity is key, so toss the complicated menus out the window in favor of cold platters, fresh fruits and vegetables and sunny skies so you can spend more time out of the kitchen and with your guests.

Take your meal outdoors and pack a picnic. Opt for coolers with handles and wheels that allow you to transport heavier foods easily. You can also purchase picnic baskets complete with a shoulder strap, glasses, plates, silverware, napkins and even a tablecloth.

Plan ahead. Begin preparing as many recipes as possible the day before the party to allow for easy and quick preparation the day of the event.

Make it memorable. According to celebrity chef and entertaining expert, Kathy Casey, you want to invest in the right piece of equipment to provide guests with a great experience. "Whether you're mixing up cocktails or preparing for a large dinner party, quality kitchen tools, like a reliable Vitamix blender, are essential," Casey says.

Keep it light. Serve lighter foods during the warmer weather. Grilled vegetables, a variety of pasta and green salads, and an assortment of chilled dips and spreads - such as easy-to-make guacamole in a Vitamix - create a delightful summer buffet.

Guacamole Recipe

Guacamole
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Processing time: 20 seconds
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 medium tomato, halved
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
For a spicy guacamole, add 1/2 a jalapeno pepper during step one.

Directions:
Using a blender, like the Vitamix, place all ingredients into the container in the order listed and secure lid. Blend for 15 to 20 seconds. You may need to stop the machine and run a spatula around the inside of the container to integrate ingredients. Don't over mix - leave chunky. Serve with tortilla chips and garnish with diced tomato and parsley.

If you're looking to lighten things up this summer, swap the mayonnaise found in your traditional pasta salad with fat-free Greek yogurt. Not only will this lower the calories in your salad but it will also add a unique and tangy punch of flavor.

Season and marinade your meat and vegetables the night before so all that's left to do is fire up the grill. Be prepared for entertaining all year round by storing your own unique, dry seasoning blend in an empty salt shaker. Just shake, grill and enjoy.

Put a unique spin on traditional pasta salad by swapping out your regular white pasta variety in favor of Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta. Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta is the only great-tasting tri-colored pasta with the added bonus a full serving of vegetables in every four-ounce portion. It's a great way to sneak in a healthy dose of veggies without anyone noticing.

Summer salads are as much about the texture as they are about the taste. Incorporate seasonal fruits and vegetables like asparagus, grapes, apples and broccoli for a fresh and satisfying crunch.

If you're looking to spice up your usual summer salad, this Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad offers a delicious combination of fresh salsa, hearty beans and sharp cheddar cheese.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad
Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredient:
1 box (12 ounces) Ronzoni Garden Delight Penne Pasta
1 cup prepared salsa
8 ounces plain low-fat yogurt
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 can (2.25 ounces) black olives, drained
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips, optional

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. In a medium bowl, whisk together salsa and yogurt. In a large bowl combine pasta, chicken, corn, black beans, green onions and black olives. Fold in dressing. Top with cheddar cheese and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.

For your summer party, consider a signature cocktail, such as a refreshing margarita made easy in a Vitamix Professional Series 200 machine. This high performance blender does just about anything - finely chops, grinds and blends whole ingredients all in one container - and also comes with a recipe book with more than 200 recipes for extra inspiration.

With these simple tips and easy entertaining recipes, you can relax and enjoy your summer party just as much as your guests will.

Whole Fruit Margarita Recipe

Whole Fruit Margarita
Preparation time: 7 minutes
Processing time: 45 seconds
Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
6 ounces tequila
2 ounces Grand Marnier
1 medium orange, peeled, halved
1 lime, peeled, halved
1 lemon, peeled, halved, seeded
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 cups ice cubes
(For a non-alcoholic version, substitute the tequila and Grand Marnier with 8 ounces of sweet and sour mix.)

Directions:
Place all ingredients into your blender in the order listed and secure lid. Blend for 45 seconds or until smooth. Pour into salt-rimmed margarita glasses and enjoy.

Have a Traditional Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Picnic

You could also go with the tradition old-fashioned Fourth of July picnic, with fried chicken or grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, baked beans, various salads, and, of course - apple pie and brownies for dessert! Be sure to stick a few flag food picks in your dishes for a proud American touch!

Prepare red and blue Jell-O Jigglers and cut them into the shape of stars using a cookie cutter.

Serve pretzels, popcorn, potato chips, or nuts in our Skimmer Hats placed upside down on the table.

Prepare plenty of fresh red and blue fruit and place them on flag-topped skewers. Include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and watermelon and serve with a white fruit dip!

Make a pretty Watermelon Basket to accent your buffet table.

Cook up a special red bean salad using dark red beans.

Make great memories by serving up snow cones and cotton candy! Rent a Snow Cone or Cotton Candy Machines from a local party rental company.

Serve the children this mini kiddy cocktail: Before the 4th, freeze blue juice and red fruit punch in star-shaped ice cube trays. Just before serving, pour 7-up in individual clear glasses. Add a few of the fun shaped ice cubes to each glass along with a straw for stirring.

For the adults, have plenty of pop, water, and beer on hand. Don't forget tons of ice, as the weather is certain to be hot and dry!

If homemade ice cream is in your plans, serve it up in red, white and blue plastic bowls.

Lemonade is also a fun and festive summer drink to serve at this All-American party. Here are some a fantastic homemade lemonade recipes that are sure to bring smiles.

Traditional Lemonade

10-12 lemons - slice one for garnish
2 C. sugar
4 C. water
3 C. crushed ice
Mix together for a delicious and refreshing thirst quencher!

Strawberry Lemonade for a Crowd

Strawberry Lemonade served in glasses rimmed with red & blue sugar, with a star shaped fruit (honeydew melon cut in a star shape with a cookie cutter) on a stick.

Makes around 12 quarts (3 gallons)
8 cups of lemon juice
6 cups of sugar
4 pints of strawberries

In a blender, process ½ the lemon juice, the sugar, and strawberries until the strawberries are pureed and the sugar dissolves. Pour into large pitcher (Igloo style cooler)
Add remaining lemon juice and 8 quarts of water. Taste to see if more water should be added. Serve chilled!

Finish the day with a patriotic July 4th Firecracker Cake! Here's how you make it:

Bake three 8" or 9" round cakes in any flavor. Once they are cooled, layer them on top of each other with frosting in between layers. Frost the top of the cake white, and stripe the sides with red, white, and blue frosting. Using a decorator's tip, pipe the top edge of the cake with a line of white frosting. On the top of the cake, stick a small bunch of Milky Way Garland in the center to finish the firecracker! This cake is sure to make an explosion of fun at your party!

Recipes

Patriotic Recipes

Theme Parties N More is a wedding & event planning company located in Cypress, TX. Our party & wedding planners have put this website together to provide our visitors with ideas for planning their events, this includes links to products that can help you to make your event extra special. In accordance with the FTC Guidelines we are disclosing that some of the vendors that we link you to, pay us a commission when you purchase products from them, but some of the vendors do not provide us with any compensation.