Hosting a backyard barbecue? It is a staple of suburban American. Unfortunately, putting on a barbecue is a little more difficult than just setting up the grill and buying the meat. You want to be able to entertain your guests and make sure that there is plenty of fun to go with the food. As such, here are five ideas that can help your event stand out.

#1 – Lawn games: Lawn games are an easy way to entertain a large number of people. Examples would be croquet, ladder golf, bocce ball, cornhole, et al. You can even split up into various groups to add a team atmosphere to the games. These are activities where you do not have to be a fine athlete or even particularly skilled to participate and have a good time. And, for the adults in the group, each is even more enjoyable when accompanied by a nice cold beer.

#2 – Tasting contest: Choose one type of food (preferably a side) for everybody to bring. Arrange the items so that your guests do not know who brought what and do a blind vote to determine whose dish was the best. Give the winner a simple prize such as an inexpensive bottle of wine. This leads to more food for your event (that you do not have to make) and a fun activity. Note: Know your guests before doing this activity. You do not want any feelings hurt if some people are going to get to competitive.

#3 – Music: Nothing sets the mood like a good playlist. Whether you have wired some speakers from your indoor sound system to the backyard or whether you just want to bring out a battery powered boom box, music is the perfect companion to good food and good friends. Most events would dictate an upbeat playlist (rock or pop), but knowing your guests – pick something that you expect them to like. However, I would recommend not pumping up the volume so loud that you cannot have conversation and/or bring the wrath of the neighbors.

#4 – Show a movie: A fun activity that few people think of is to show a movie outside. String a white bed sheet between two trees to serve as the screen. You can rent a projector set that shows DVDs for a reasonable cost. Voila – you have your very own backyard theater. The best part is that the concessions are reasonably priced, there are no annoying ushers, and you can personally kick out anybody who is talking too loudly on their cell phone.

#5 – Have a theme: Themed parties need not only be for the holidays, there are a lot of ways to spice up a typical backyard party. The last barbecue I attended was a hillbilly party, where everybody wore coveralls and straw hats. However, you need not limit yourself to costume events. Another fun idea is a “green” party. All the food was cooked and served in an environmentally friendly manner, but it was also encouraged that each guest where green. You can take the theme wherever you want.

Author Recommendations:
Ribs Recipe
Greensboro Wedding Caterers
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Author Recommendations:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/best-backyard-barbecue-recipes/pictures/index.html
http://gallins.com/catering/
http://www.occasionscaterers.com/

Author Bio: Author Recommendations:
Ribs Recipe
Greensboro Wedding Caterers
Occasions Catering

Category: Entertainment
Keywords: Party, catering, food, bbq