Jun 30, 2020
July 4th is right around the corner and we can’t wait to have dogs on the grill, lemonade in our cups, and family around us. Turn your backyard in Naperville into the perfect BBQ hosting space with great drinks, food, decor, and more. Be better than basic and get out of your comfort zone with a few new recipes. Make your backyard more inviting by adding some themed decor and yard games. Kick your hosting up a notch by making your own cocktails too! Below are some of our top picks for the perfect backyard BBQ.
What’s a party without some fun decor? Make your backyard patriotic by adding pops of red, white, and blue! Use these festive napkins from Pottery Barn to wipe off your hands while still looking chic. Or you can add a touch of flair to your table by getting this checkered tablecloth from Amazon. If you want to do a little DIY project, this Bandana Star Garlandis easy and affordable to make.
#ShopLocal and #DrinkLocal from our top places near Chicago!
Casey’s Foods
Where: 124 W Gartner Rd, Naperville, IL 60540
Hours: Mon-Fri: 8am-7pm, Sat: 8am-6pm, Sun: 9am-5pm
Known for their savings, Casey’s Food offers quality food at a low price. Get your favorite hotdogs and hamburgers from their meat counter and pick some fresh burger buns to go with them. If you don’t want to go out, you can order online instead! Choose from their wide range of food that can be delivered right to your door. Need a little inspiration? Check out their recommended recipes!
Solemn Oath Brewery
Where: 1661 Quincy Ave Ste. 179, Naperville, IL 60540
Hours: Tuesday 12:00pm – 6:00pm, Wednesday & Thursday 12:00pm – 9:00pm, Friday thru Sunday 12:00pm – 10:00pm
We always encourage people to #drinklocal. Instead of buying Coors Light or Yuengling, get your beer from Solemn Oath. If you are an IPA fan, they’ve got the beer for you. Their wide range of flavors will make anyone into a beer lover. If you’re not a beer lover they also make their own hard seltzer! Did we mention they also deliver? There is nothing like having beer delivered right to your door.
Go outside of the box and expand your drinks choices by making your own. Below are our top picks for the adults AND kids. Go tropical with a margarita and get a cool down with a Jell-O Slushy. These drinks are not only perfect for your BBQ but are also great refreshments throughout the summer. They are simple and easy to make.
Blueberry Lemonade Margarita
We love this fresh take on your classic margarita. Live your summer goals with this zesty drink. Add some blueberries and this will be your 4th of July cocktail go to!
Jell-O Slushy
Your kids and kids at heart will love this chilly drink. It can easily be layered and be made a statement at your bbq. Keep this recipe after the 4th of July for a nice mid-summer cool down.
What’s a classic bbq without some food? Go patriotic with a red, white, and blueberry frozen dessert that screams 4th of July. If there is too much heavy food on your table, try adding a light side like this pasta salad recipe. Of course, what’s a BBQ without some smokey pulled pork! We’ve got our BBQ must-haves that will make your party one to remember.
Red White and Blueberry Frozen Dessert
Our favorite part of a great BBQ has got to be the sweet frozen treats. We love the snacks and bbq faves, but we gotta have something to beat the heat. Make this dessert with fresh berries and whipped cream and you’ll be going back for seconds- it won’t even have time to melt once you put it on the table. We recommend making this the night before so it has enough time to chill before the festivities.
Pasta salad
Make this fresh pasta salad for a side at your bbq. For Love and Lemons recommends adding some mint for an extra bite to your salad. You’ll be making this for all of your summer gatherings.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
You can’t have a bbq without having proper pulled pork right? Along with your hot dogs and cheeseburgers, make this pulled pork in your Instant Pot for an easy tasty dish.
Now that you’ve had your fill of delicious food, it’s time to work it off by playing some fun backyard games. We love to play the classic cornhole or even horseshoe with a cold beer in our hands! Cornhole is a staple yard game that’s cheap and anyone can play. Want a little blast from the past? Bocce Ball and Kan Jam backyard games will take you back to the 90s and introduce the fun to your kids as well! These BBQ games are something that the entire family can play.
As you can tell, we really love the 4th of July. If you want some more ideas for the 4th of July, check out our blog from last summer; Hosting the 4th of July Bash. Let us know what your favorite must-have dish is to have at your bbq!