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25 Outdoor Party Essentials for Every Kind of Fourth of July Shindig

June 17, 2021

Beach days, park picnics, and backyard barbecues—wherever your Fourth of July weekend takes you, these products will elevate your event with ease.

Beach days, park picnics, and backyard barbecues—wherever your Fourth of July weekend takes you, these products will elevate your event with ease.

Spending time outdoors with loved ones is a cherished tradition when Fourth of July rolls around. Set the stage for your next get-together with these fun outdoor games, pop-up tents (for much-needed shade), compact grills, and more.

BBQ is a total go. Close your eyes and imagine firing up the coals out on the beach...or snacking on barbecue chicken right on your campsite. Then, open them—and take in this portable charcoal grill. It does all that and more, thanks to its very-smart design.

Large and in charge, the Neso Grande beach tent is perfect for a beach day with family and friends. Made out of a Lycra/Nylon blend. UPF 50+ and water resistant. Weighs only 6.5 lbs.

The one that started it all. Chances are you’ve met this hotshot—it was invented by Weber’s founder, and it’s been sizzling its way onto patios the world over ever since. We can think of a few reasons it’s so popular: First, it’s got a porcelain-enameled lid and bowl, which retain heat without ever rusting or peeling. Then there’s the easy-cleaning grate inside that can hold up to 13 burgers, along with dampers for ultra-precise temperature control. A hook on the side holds the lid for you, while the lever on the bottom pushes cinders and debris into the ash catcher down below. (Oh hey, hassle-free cleanup.) Plans for this weekend? Backyard barbecue, your place.

Stylishly claim a grassy patch or sandy spot with this durable printed blanket that neatly rolls into the included sling so you can beach hop all summer long.

Leaning tower of timbers. Your favorite tumbling timber game is now giant-sized. This game set comes with 56 blocks for you and your friends to stack up and up. The tower starts at a lofty 2 or 2 1/2 feet (depending on which size set you snap up) and it’ll climb up to 4 or 5 feet—if you’ve got the stacking skills, that is. It’s all crafted from sustainably sourced New Zealand pine wood, then sanded smooth for seamless play. Oh, and since it comes in a very totable case? You can plan on bringing it to the park next weekend.

Ready for warmer weather or want to create some year-round ambiance? Let's get glowing with these bistro-style string lights. With two lengths to choose from—plus the option to connect up to three together—you can create an overhead design worthy of a French café or hang them from your fence or deck railing for extra illumination.

The real deal. You know what you’re about. You come into the wilderness prepared—with flavor and class. You’re the friend in the group who makes sure to bring tasty beverages and keeps them cold. You’re the one with a plan for cooking and plating the campfire dinner. And you’re the one bringing the folding utility wagon, because you don’t mess around. With its heavy-duty wheels and telescopic handle, it goes where you go (and saves your back). Its inner liner is waterproof (and can convert into a giant ice cooler), and the top is sturdy enough to double as a table. Best of all? It folds up into a compact size and includes a fitted cover for easy transport and storage. Whether you’re a campfire chef, hardcore picnicker, or tailgate mastermind, this is the real deal.

Swoon Lemonade tastes just like the one you grew up loving. Only ours doesn't have any sugar and is made sweet by monk fruit. Plus, it's fewer than 10 calories. Why stop at one can?

This set is perfect for any grilling enthusiast. The spatula flips, stirs or serves, while the tongs make it easy to move food from a plate to the grill. LED flashlights built into each handle light up your food, so it’s easy to monitor it as it cooks. Whether you’re at a campsite or grilling outdoors, this set makes it easy to grill at any time—day or night. Comes packaged in a box perfect for gifting. Includes spatula and tongs.

Fire maintenance is the key to successful grilling and this Japanese-designed steel-and-bamboo set lets you safely—and oh-so stylishly—tend the coals. The shovel, poker and fire tongs fit snugly in a canvas case for storage or transport.

Fluff the magic blanket. If you’re ever looking for this very-clever blanket, just look at the intersection of "duvet" and "sleeping bag." A happy medium between the two, the original outdoor Puffy is packable, portable, and warm as all get-out. With a ripstop shell and insulation made from 100% recycled materials (no down here!), it’s here in a bevvy of good looking colors for every adventure. Plus, you can get cozy knowing that you’re doing something good for the planet, too.

Toss up. This isn’t your average game of cornhole, and for lots of reasons. For starters, there are those whimsical patterns, dreamed up by designer Annabel Inganni. Then there’s the baltic birch they’re printed on, which has been UV treated to stand up to outdoor play. Both boards have fold-up legs for snappy setup and storage, plus they come with eight bean bags (four in two different prints, so you’ll always know whose are whose).

A set of three reusable bags, perfectly proportioned for bottles of wine — or olive oil, or sparkling water, or kombucha... the list goes on! Great for picnics, gift giving, or trips to the store. Each bag folds into its own flat pouch, with a keychain loop so it'll never slip away.

Putting your game away shouldn't be the most challenging part of playing. This two-in-one board game and backpack from A Summer Shop is a cinch to pack. The printed drawstring game board and wood game pieces are crafted in the USA and stow easily so you can take on new challengers anywhere.

No shade, no problem. Take a breather from the beach volleyball or a nap at the park in the shade of this pop-up tent’s lightweight polyester shell. (On breezy days, keep the shelter in place with stakes.) Our favorite part: It’s super fun to set up! Packed away as a round disc, all you have to do is hold it away from you, give it a little toss, and boom, it snaps right open. We were gonna to say it’s magic, but we’re resisting the urge. Okay, it’s pretty magical.

JBL’s waterproof smart speakers have many capabilities you’d expect of a top outdoor speaker—including powerful sound, long battery life, and a waterproof design. What ups the ante is its built-in noise- and echo-cancelling speakerphone, which allows you to take calls without external noise interfering.

What better way to celebrate summer than to enjoy the very best food cooked over the fire whether at the beach, camping, or in your own back yard. Combining fresh flavors with exciting grilling techniques including cooking on a fire pit grill, salt block cooking, and cedar-plank smoking, Valerie Aikman-Smith presents 65 recipes for relaxed summer entertaining. The first chapter features delicious seafood recipes including Baja Fish Tacos with Blistered Jalape os, Grilled Snapper in Banana Leaves, and Mezcal Lime Shrimp. For meat-lovers there's a host of ideas for grilling your favorite fare such as Jerk Pork with Mango Chutney and Grilled Honey Plantains, Portuguese Piri Piri Poussin, and an All-American Burger. Valerie includes fabulous vegetable dishes from Grilled Zucchini Flowers with Shiso Lemon Salt to Roasted Cauliflower with Walnut Romesco. Sweet Things designed to round off an alfresco feast include Matcha Ice Cream with Black Sesame Praline or a classic Grilled Banana Split with Dark Chocolate Sauce. Finally, if all the heat has made you thirsty, try a Basil Aperol Spritz with Flowering Herbs, Sicilian Slush Cocktail, or a Watermelon Margarita.

When it's time to upgrade your bath linen, Goodee's hammam towel is a thoughtful choice. Inspired by the bath towels commonly used in Turkish spas — a staple of the 'Hamam' culture dating back centuries — here's a cheerful, high-quality towel you'll keep for many years. Hand-woven in Turkey with GOTS certified organic cotton using a time-honored looping method, this towel will get softer and more absorbent over time. It's actually so comfortable you could even use it as a blanket or take it to the beach. Hang it to dry using its convenient loop.

West Elm partnered with outdoor gear specialist REI on a line of products to make your adventures more comfortable. The Kingdom Porch is a collapsible shelter perfect for backyard hangouts, the beach and the park. Its spacious interior offers plenty of room for chairs, gear and more, and it's easy to carry thanks to the lightweight design and simple set up.

Rest easy. And the award for comfiest beach chair goes to...this hotshot right here. Let’s start with the cozy details first: It’s got an extra-wide seat made from trusty polyester canvas, along with a pillow up top for impromptu snoozes. And the lightweight aluminum frame? It can recline into, count ‘em, six different seating positions. (Shoutout to the armrest cupholder that’s keeping our summer sips within reach.) The easy-going doesn’t stop when it’s time to pack up, either—this one folds up into a shoulder-friendly backpack with just a few flicks. Picnics and beach days, here we come.

Bright and light, designer Aaron Probyn’s sleek, modern update of melamine plates brings unbreakable style to outdoor dining. Rimmed plates make carrying food even easier (no spills!). In summery hues, they’re fun to mix and match anywhere from picnic to pool to dinner party.

Wherever you go. ...Whatever you do, this insulated cooler tote will be right here keeping your drinks and snacks cool-as-can-be. It’s got a spacious compartment that’s big enough to carry—count ‘em—24 soda cans, and it’s lined with water-resistant PVC that’ll stop leaks right in their tracks. And with the pocket on the side, your wallet and keys can tag along for the ride, too. This one has a super-durable polyester exterior, so it’s safe to say it’s up for more than a few adventures.

Buh-bye to the buzz. When balmy nights call for lounging under the stars, one thing’s for certain: Your buzzy mosquito friends will be sure to keep you company. Keep those uninvited guests at bay with a citronella coil. It works like this: You light up one end, and the coil lets off a slow-and-steady stream of citronella-infused smoke. The lemony scent of citronella, a grass native to Southeast Asia, masks the human odors that make you so enticing to mosquitos. Citronella is non-toxic to humans and animals, so you don’t even have to worry about harming those pesky bugs. What’s especially brilliant: it can be hung at various heights, allowing the fragrant, bug-repelling smoke to disperse evenly for full coverage. Plus, they make for quirky, eye-catching decorations.

Just add 10 lbs. of ice, and the REI Co-op Cool Haul 24 will keep 24 cans chilled below 40°F for up to 65 hrs.—enough for a heck of a well-hydrated weekend campout or an epic road trip.

Shine on (and on). Hang these bright lights over your patio (or any outdoor space, really), and you’ll have yourself a new favorite spot at home. Each string you see here is a whopping 12 feet long—that’s 6 bulbs spaced two feet apart—so there’s plenty of glow to go around. It’s all long-lasting LED, so you can go ahead and kick back for a while.

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