Throwing a Perfect Fourth Party

How to throw the perfect Fourth of July party

If you're looking to throw a fabulous Independence Day party, look no further. Here's how to throw a party that will be talked about long after the fireworks have faded.

Bring Some Patriotism To The Table
Add some red, white, and blue to the menu by trying to incorporate the colors into kid-friendly treats. Try adding some red, white and blue sprinkles to the vanilla edge of an ice cream sandwich or on top of a hot fudge sundae. The kids could also help make Red, White, and Blueberry Skewers by adding fresh strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows to skewer sticks for a freeze-free healthy snack.

Happy, Healthy and Hydrated
Heat +alcohol = dehydration. By the time you feel thirsty, you could already be dehydrated. As a friendly reminder to keep guests drinking water get some red, white and blue tin buckets, fill them with water bottles and ice set them as the center pieces for each table. Do the same for the kids table with mini water bottles.

The Not-So-Fun But Oh-So-Essential Stuff
Bug bites and sunburns are two annoying aspects of summer parties, but with a little preparation, you can avoid those issues. Light mosquito repellent candles and place them around the area to clear some of the area from the biting pests. Also, have plenty of bug spray and sunscreen out and easy for people to find so you don't have to worry about going inside every five minutes. Just make sure the spray and 'screen stays some distance away from the food prep area -- nobody likes bug spray burgers.

Entertainment For The Kiddos
Before the bombs burst in air, keep kids (and kids at heart) busy with some other festive Fourth activities. Try some glow stick snap shots by setting your camera for a long exposure and letting folks draw patterns in the air. Click here to see some examples (and inspiration) and be sure to share your own snapshots with isee@nbcdfw.com

Red, White and Booze
Bust out a layered cocktail (or mocktail) that will be loved by kids and adults -- just don't get them mixed up. For grown-ups, grab watermelon Schnapps, cranberry juice, jalapeno, a lemon, a lime, tequila, blue curacao and simple syrup, and layer them in the method described here. For a non-alcoholic drink, just layer fruit punch, blue Gatorade, diet lemon-lime soda, and ice. The sugar content of each liquid is what keeps them separate. The highest sugar content sinks to the bottom while the lowest floats on top.

When the sun goes down, move the party to one of DFW's many fireworks shows. Find a complete list on what's going on here and explore more Independence Day content in our special section.

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