There’s something magical about summer and no matter where you live in Canada, backyard BBQ season is the perfect opportunity to spend a little time with family and friends. Nothing says party vibes more than food on the grill and summer drinks flowing. Whether you live in a country house, a suburban townhome or a city condo, gather your crew and these few essentials:

1. Good Eats: To have the most success with your backyard party, you must pre-plan! Take a few hours the night before and meal prep. This includes planning an easy menu with bite size snacks, easy salads and flavour packed options to keep your guests satisfied. And don’t forget to make sure the barbecue has plenty of propane!
2. Cold Drinks: Depending on your guests, you can either have a cooler full of pop and water. If it is a more adult affair, add a little alcohol to the mix! Boozy lemonades or spiked ice teas are pretty easy to make and very fun to drink. Craft beer, ciders or chilled white wine are other fun options for a hot day!
3. Did Someone Say Desert? If you’re planning an all-day affair, you might want to keep some quick and easy desserts or snacks on hand for the evening. Homemade ice cream bars, fruit kabobs or a veggie platter, or even a couple bags of kettle chips can make great options for any peckish guests. And as the sun sets, you can break out the marshmallows and get your S’mores on in front of the fire!
4. Decor & Ambiance: For suburban hosts, your backyard party would include a sitting area, maybe umbrellas to offer some shady spots and some water fun! But, if you find yourself in smaller city digs, that doesn’t mean your party still can’t be one for the ages. Consider throw pillows, paper patio lanterns and plastic glassware which are all affordable and easy to find to help create that perfect party space!
5. Choosing Your Tunes: While music can set the ambiance, you need to know your guests. It’s not easy to pick a playlist that will appease all ears, but streaming services like Spotify and Apple iTunes have plenty of mixed playlists that should do the trick.
6. Entertainment: Backyard games such as a bocce ball set, Frisbee and even a football can keep the fun and competition going for hours! If you’re looking for a more chill hang, consider setting up a card table or some board games for those who want to partake.
7. For the Kids: If your party involves kids, you’ll want to keep the food simple and easy to eat with hands, so burgers, hot dogs, chips and some watermelon are the way to go. You’ll also want to keep them occupied with simple games or more active options such as a soccer ball, mini trampoline or a sprinkler to run through and keep them cool. When daylight starts to fade, you can set up a backyard movie or camp-out with some tents to settle the night down. It never hurts to tire the young ones out so the grownups can have some chill time for themselves!
8. Other Considerations: Depending on the temperature and time of day for your party, you might want to remind guests to bring sunscreen, hats and/or bug spray to make sure their visit is as comfortable as possible!