The fourth of July is approaching and it is time for you to nail down the type of party you will host this Independence Day. There are a variety of Fourth of July parties you could throw let me provide you some ideas in your party planning and decorating for the Fourth of July.

The type of affair you throw will depend on your available space. If you have a pool or lake home these are perfect 4th of July accommodations, but don’t worry a nice backyard, the park or maybe even you basement are also great placed to throw the perfect bash.

The first type of gathering is the BBQ or cookout and these gatherings are about the food. Most everyone has a space to fire up the grill and gather your friends. The first consideration when planning for your BBQ is what size group you will be hosting. Will you hold a small intimate cookout or will this be a neighborhood block party.

If you are choosing a small gathering, consider going a bit fancier on the food. brisket, ribs, chicken, or fish. These types of foods take more of your time to prepare. If you just have a few guest you can get the cooking done quickly and move on to spend time with your guest.

A larger group – go simple – chose hamburgers, hotdogs, or brats. For the kids maybe some chicken nuggets. If grilling nuggets make sure, you put a piece of aluminum foil over your grill grate so the nuggets don’t slip through into the embers.

Don’t forget to pick up some simple salads from the grocery. Everyone loves good potato salad and coleslaw, but you could also choose a nice green salad with fresh tomatoes, onions, and a light dressing. The baked beans are a must. Always have two kinds’ vegetarian and pork-baked beans.

Drinks are strait forward. Ice tea, lemonade, sodas and of course your favorite adult beverages. Just make sure they are all ice cold, and you have a good selection of flavors of soda. If you are throwing a large gathering, you might want to have everyone bring their own adult beverage so that you don’t rack up a large bill for drinks.

A second consideration would be a picnic at the park. A picnic takes a bit more planning. Are you going to grill at the park or is it going to be more potluck oriented. Again, it is important to know the size of your group.

Don’t forget to book the pavilion or call and make sure you can use the facilities on the fourth of July. Many parks have events on Independence Day, and it would be frustrating to show up and you can’t have a picnic. Also make sure if you are going to grill ask if they have grills and what are the policies of grilling in the area.

Favorite picnic foods are fried chicken, sub sandwiches, or bbq from the best local barbeque hang out. You will also need side items and this is when convince is a must. Go to the store and choose readymade salads and beans.

For a rainy day, consider throwing a fourth of July potluck. Some live in areas that we get rain no matter what day of the year it is, so be prepared with an indoor area in which to celebrate.

A potluck might also be a choice for those of us who live in the sweltering heat. You will probably want an indoor area to have the food, you don’t want anyone to get sick, and a place that is cool if it is just too hot to enjoy the outside.

Any place in your house is a good place for a potluck. Consider taking out your big bulky couch and chairs and replacing them with some card tables and chairs, or just some lawn chairs.

Potlucks are fun because you get a taste of everything. You never know what someone will show up with and the dishes are usually delicious. Potlucks also help with the cost of feeding a lot of people, and relieve some of the stress of hosting a party.

If you have a pool consider throwing a pool party. Nothing could be better than spending the 4th on the lake, so clean up the boat and invite the friends to a day on the lake. When you throw a party by the water you most like will have a cookout to go with your water activities.

When hosting a water outing make sure you have water to drink, take it easy on the adult beverages and sugary drinks, and above all use the sunscreen liberally. Finally, always have a place where your guest can get cooled off in case they get over heated or over drinked.

One of my favorite types of party is just getting the family together and going to see the cool fireworks your town has to offer. When you have this type of party, you can simply find a restaurant close to the fireworks, have a late dinner then head over and watch the night explode.

If you are a bit more ambitious, why not include a fireworks outing in one of the types of bashes mentioned above and surprise your guest with a trip to the firework show in style. Maybe you have a small group and you take the group by limo or for a larger group have people ready to shuttle them to the event, so not everyone has to take a vehicle.

All of these parties are of course Fourth of July Birthday Parties in order to celebrate our nation’s independence. So, always make sure you have some type of birthday celebration food like a cake to show your honor of our nation’s independence. There are also many different decorations you can add to show others you are celebrating the nation’s birthday.

Why do we celebrate the fourth of July? Because celebrate our independence from Great Britain. This is our nation’s birthday because it was our beginning as a nation.

Did you know that our true birthday is July 2, 1776? We only celebrate on July 4th because this is when the Declaration of Independence passed in congress. Independence Day is a celebration, but not because it’s a holiday, it’s a celebration because of all of those who gave of themselves so we can have our freedom.

Benjamin Franklin summed up independence happening for us because “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”