In the heat of summer, bonfire parties are a great way to spend time with your friends and family outside. The classic warm ambiance with lawn chairs, s’mores, and of course, a bonfire, leaves little room for error. Now that bonfire season is here, there are a few ways to elevate your bonfire experience to fit a more creative and niche party scene.
A Tiki Getaway
If you’re looking to escape your hometown and get away for a bit, you might consider throwing a tiki bonfire party. Aside from s’mores, serve foods like pineapple or mango salsa to compliment pulled pork sliders or grilled shrimp, along with drinks like fruit-infused water or citrus mocktails. Hand out leis to your guests and chat around the bonfire. Make sure to create a playlist that follows the mood, and if kids are invited, you can entertain them with a game of limbo.
Murder Mystery
Another trendy bonfire party that has been gaining popularity is the murder mystery-themed party. You can buy mystery kits from Masters of Mystery or feel free to create your own! You can sit around the bonfire trying your hand at playing detective while eating mystery-themed foods like those found on Giggles Galore like shrunken skulls (meatballs) and bloody fruit punch. The decorations for this party are endless, like plastic skeletons and eerie candles, so make this as spooky as you’d like.
Party in the U.S.A.
With the 4th of July on our heels, you might consider having a patriotic bonfire party. Classic BBQ foods like burgers, hot dogs, and corn on the cob would complement this party perfectly. To keep up with the theme, have patriotic desserts available like Krispy Kreme’s Star Spangled Sweetness Collection and of course, s’mores. Make sure there are refreshing drinks involved, like iced tea and lemonade. Have sparklers or other fireworks on hand, red, white, and blue glow sticks, and put your favorite country music playlist on (or whatever feels the most American to you).
Movie Night
If you’re looking for a more relaxed evening, you could bring a TV outside or DIY a projector to watch a movie around the fire. Snacks could include popcorn dessert bowls, these are basically a sweeter version of trail mix. Another option is adding s’mores to your popcorn: to your bowl add bits of chocolate, crumbled graham crackers, and mini marshmallows. You can also go the traditional route with buttery popcorn or zebra popcorn. Aside from popcorn and your favorite candies, drinks are necessary. Make sure to have movie theater drink staples like slushies or various Coke products.
Glow in the Dark
A glow-in-the-dark-themed bonfire features plenty of glow sticks to wear as accessories. Go the extra mile and have your guests wear neon clothes to add to the effect. You can buy additives to change the color of your fire on Amazon.
For the eats, you can also buy neon/glow-in-the-dark food coloring to make glowing iced cupcakes and neon drinks.
Wild Wild West
Tell your guests to wear flannels and cowboy hats and serve up some cowboy caviar or cornbread and chili for this one.
For drinks, have your favorite root beers available. You can use bandanas as napkins and tell stories around the campfire.
Whatever you decide, make sure to have blankets for your guests for when the temperature drops, as well as enough supplies to keep your bonfire going for as long as you plan on partying!