4th of July Cookout 2020 Tips n’ Tricks

Regardless of the circumstances, your 2020 4th of July celebration still has the potential to be one of the best yet. Whether you’re kicking it off with your own household or having a gathering, we’ve compiled some tips and tricks to make the big day festive and stress free.

Plan! Plan! Plan!

Whether it’s planning out your menu or the schedule on when you’ll have all the food prepared for your guests, this is probably THE most important tip.

Plan your menu with a compilation of meats, sides, sauces, drinks and desserts. Communicate with your guests and see what they’ll bring, even if it’s plates, sodas or buns. This will help you keep your shopping easy and concise, so you don’t overshop or spend too much time in the store.

Since you’ll already have the dishes you plan to cook in mind, it will be so much easier to plan the cooking schedule. Whether you plan on smoking a brisket that requires 6-8 hours, a potato salad that needs to be cold for your guests, or you want your burgers and hot dogs to be fresh off the grill, planning when you’ll cook each dish is very important to ensuring your 4th of July goes off without a hitch.

Set the Tone!

Even if this 4th of July feels different than previous years, it’s important to still bring out the things that’ll get you in the festive spirit! Bust out your decorations like plates, banners and table cloths. We know your family and guests will appreciate you for it. Top off the decor with an upbeat playlist to get your guests excited.

Solidify that cookout spirit with some classic summertime games like water balloon tosses or kickball. Nothing like a little competition to bring the family together. Don’t forget some sparklers to hand out for when the sun begins to set for the ultimate 4th of July vibe.

Social-Distancing Cookout

Despite the instinct to throw the regular big 4th of July bash, be sure to keep in mind the recommendations from health professionals to ensure the health of both yourself and those around you. This year may require you to practice a quarantine version of your festivities or to make social-distancing accommodations to be as safe as possible.

If you’re stringent on continuing to practice quarantining with only the individuals in your household, you should not hold back from making it as fun and festive as you normally would. Another option is to have a virtual cookout with family and friends, either grilling via video chat or calling over the phone to still make the connection you are used to on the special day.

If you’re still set on hosting a gathering for the 4th, there are still ways to make it happen safely. First and foremost, pay attention to the local guidelines for the amount of people allowed to gather in an outdoor space. Stick to this when planning your invite list. Arrange seating in alignment with social distancing guidelines (6 feet or more apart, etc.), and either encourage guests to bring their own food or use smart food serving practices to prevent the spread of germs. Examples of this include, having one person with gloves serving the food or having each person use their own cutlery to self-serve, while everyone is wearing a mask during this process. Do not forget to have plenty of hand sanitizer posted around your yard to eliminate the worry surrounding germs and transmission. Ultimately, use your own judgement and make any necessary adjustments when planning your gathering to make sure it’s as safe as possible.

Here at Char-Griller, we understand that the 4th of July is one of the biggest holidays of not only the summer, but the entire year, especially when it comes to grilling. Despite necessary changes to rules surrounding social gatherings this year, there’s no reason that the spirit of your celebration has to fall through the cracks. We hope these tips have been useful and we wish you a very Happy Independence Day!