Don’t let the cool temperatures fool you: entertaining friends and family in the luxury of your own backyard has never been easier when you have the right tools on your side. Fire pit & bonfire parties are the perfect way to relax with friends during cold weather. All you need is creative inspiration to plan an outdoor get-together around a fire that will be a winter blast. From wining and dining to an early evening trip to the movies, we have the best tips and tricks for throwing a fireside party that’s equal parts fun and exciting. So string up some lights, fire up the space heaters, and get ready for wintertime memories that will last a lifetime.
Wine on a Dime
Bringing the sophistication of fine wining to your own backyard is made easy with a wine tasting party. Pairing a few whites and a few reds with a fire pit is an excellent way to shake off the winter chill and have a few friends over while you’re at it. Unlike stuffy dinner parties, this intimate event is stress free and requires very little preparation, making setup, cleanup, and inventory a breeze. For this party, you’ll need:
- Wine Glasses
- 3-6 Selections of Your Favorite Wines
- Corkscrew & Decanter
- Cheese
- Fruit
- Bread or Crackers
As your company settles in, take it upon yourself to lead guests through the evening, pairing wines with specific cheese or even going all out with a horizontal tasting; you and your guests are sure to have a grand winter time keeping warm by your firepit.
Sing-Along
Show off your favorite go-to karaoke song with a fireside sing-along. Karaoke provides an ideal and organic icebreaker for larger groups and more intimate gatherings alike. Your friends and family will have a blast showing off their musical chops. Best of all, these singalongs are a breeze to plan. From karaoke machines to single smartphone apps, singing along has never been easier. Set up your karaoke party by arranging chairs in a semi-circle around your fire. Kick the festivities into high gear by planning the party around a theme, such as 70s disco revival, and encourage your guests to take things one step further and come in attire indicative of the era. If acoustics prove to be a problem, try protecting your outdoor area with vinyl curtains to fully optimize the soundtrack of your fireside memories by keeping sound in and wind out.
Ghosted
Everyone likes a ghost story. Make your fireside party an ooky-spooky sensation by planning a spectacularly frightening night complete with scary good fun. Winter is the perfect time to get together around the warmth of a firepit and swap your favorite chilling horror tale. Ghost story parties are easy to plan and provide endless fun for the whole family. No one says you have to decorate, but why not have a little more fun? Take things one step further with a few bales of hay for seating, some flashes of mood lighting for dramatic affect, and creepy music for ambiance. The possibilities are endless for a ghost story party as long as everyone brings their favorite ghoul as their plus-one.
Camp Cool
Sure it’s kitschy, but that’s what makes it so fun! Take a blast to your past with a nostalgic outdoor trip back to camp. Start the evening when it’s young, just before sunset, with grilled campfire wieners on a stick, roasted over your fire’s open flame. Serve up dessert, marshmallow side up, with ooey-gooey chocolate s’mores. Pepper in some fun activities that harken to cozy campfires past, like truth or dare, never have I ever, and twenty questions for an evening full of fun. And when the late night hour strikes? Put out your campfire and retreat into the comfort and warmth of your backyard tent village. A few heavy duty extension cords and portable heaters will keep each tent toasty warm. Wake up the next morning, unspool from your tent, and have breakfast before sending your guests on their way.
Midnight Matinee
Movie nights in your backyard get a remix with the help of a fireside party. Arrange lawn chairs as they would be in a theater, only yours will be lined around the comfort of a low burning fire – feet in perfect position to remain toasty. Transforming your backyard into a nostalgic outdoor cinema is made easy with a few white sheets, a laptop computer, a speaker, and a simple projector. Use your vinyl curtains or string up your sheets using twine, making sure they’re flat to provide a surface for the projector to showcase the movie of your choice. Connect the speaker to your laptop and you’re all set for your movie when the sun goes down. Want to take things a little further? Add freshly popped popcorn, a selection of your favorite dime store candy, and soda pop for an authentic old-style movie under the stars. From Disney classics to spooktacular horror, the possibilities for a midnight matinee are endless. Pro tips: line your backyard perimeter with fence privacy screens to have movie night without disturbing your neighbors; get plenty of comforters, blankets, and heating pads to sit on to keep everyone warm.
Recent Comments