Tips for Throwing a Spectacular Bonfire Party

Greetings and happy Thursday all!

With fourth of July just around the corner many of you are scrambling to figure out what you plan to do, so why not throw a bonfire for you and your friends and family?

Most people think that hosting a bonfire is a lot of work, but it is quite the opposite.  Here are some tips to help you host a great bonfire without getting burned in the process. ;)

Tip #1:
Choose the right location.  Most people who live in California choose to go to one of the many beaches that allow bonfires.  If this is the case for you, be sure to check the beach websites to insure that you stay within the timeline and guidelines they provide.  I have listed a couple of beaches below with the websites attached for your convenience.  Also, be sure to arrive early to ensure that you will have the pick of the litter as far as bonfire spots are concerned.  We have arrived as early as 6am-7am in some cases and just hung out at the beach all day.

• Dockweiler Beach-LA County
• Aliso Beach:  Orange County
• Bolsa Chica State Beach: Orange County
• Capistrano Beach:  Orange County
• Corona Del Mar:  Orange County
• Dana Point:   Orange County
• Huntington City Beach:  Orange County
• Huntington State Beach:   Orange County
• Laguna Beach: Orange County
• Newport Beach:  Orange County
• San Clemente:  Orange County
• San Onofre SB:  Orange County

If your choosing to build your own bonfire in your backyard or at another location not usually used for bonfires (i.e. a park, community center, etc).  Be sure to consult your local fire department before proceeding to ensure the safety of yourself and your guests.

Tip#2:
Create a theme for your event, this will help you find or make decorations and food.  Here are a couple of themes I enjoy for Bonfires:

• Western Themed Bonfire:

• Fourth of July Themed Bonfire:

• Fiesta Theme:

• Luau Theme: 

•   Picnic Theme:

Tip #3:
Make sure to have lots of food and drinks for your guests to enjoy.  Here are a couple of quick and easy food and drink ideas for the themes listed above.

• Western Themed Bonfire: 
•  Some great food ideas for a western themed bonfire include country fried chicken, beef stew (can be named "cowboy stew"), buffalo wings, cornbread, and bbq sandwiches or brisket. 
• Some dessert ideas include mini apple pies, cowboy coffee cake (recipe here).
• Some drink ideas would include root beer,  lemonade and punch served in mason jars.

• Fourth of July Themed Bonfire:
• Some food ideas for a fourth of July themed bonfire would include ketchup and fries glasses,  rib tips, blt sliders (recipe here), bbq chicken, and root beer baked beans (recipe here).
• Some dessert ideas include raspberry banana frozen yogurt pops (recipe here), strawberry and blueberry shortcakes, and firecracker fruit rollups (recipe here).
• Some drink ideas include lemonade iced tea, red white and blue daiquiris (recipe here), or strawberry-kiwi sangria (recipe here).

• Fiesta Theme:
• Some food ideas for a fiesta themed bonfire include tamales, bbq pork quesadillas (recipe here), bean and chicken taquitos (recipe here), and jalapeno poppers (recipe here).
• Some dessert options would include churros (recipe here),empanadas (recipe here), or margarita cheesecake bars (recipe here).
• Some drink options would include mojitos, strawberry-mango margaritas, and jello cactus shooters (recipe here).

• Luau Theme: 
• Some food ideas for a luau themed bonfire include Hawaiian pork and pineapple kabobs, island pork sliders (recipe here), cucumber salad (recipe here),or Hawaiian chicken (recipe here).
• Some dessert ideas include banana nut bread (recipe here), chocolate liliko'i parfaits (recipe here), or a Hawaiian fruit salad (recipe herehttp://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Hawaiian-Fruit-Salad).
• Some drink ideas include tropical punch (recipe here), Mai-Tai (recipe here),or a day at the beach cocktail (recipe here).

•   Picnic Theme:
• Some food ideas for a picnic themed themed bonfire would include bacon wrapped hotdogs, grilled corn on the cob, homemade baked beans (recipe here), or fried chicken bites (recipe here).
• Some dessert ideas include cherry hand pies (recipe here), salted caramel squares (recipe here), or smores  of course (10 recipes here).
• Some drink ideas include peach and raspberry champagne cocktail (recipe here),  watermelon and strawberry crush (recipe here), or hibiscus and ginger iced tea (recipe here).

Tip#4:
Finally, make sure that you have plenty of fire wood to burn for the night.  Places like Lowes and Home Depot have fire wood for sale for about $6-$7 a bundle, but also check sites like Craigslist and the Pennysaver to see if you can find some wood for free!

Are there things that are a necessity that weren't mentioned above?  Please feel free to leave them in the comments below. :)

Happy Bonfire! 

For assistance planning your next event feel free to contact me at tkirby@chiccreationsevents.com or at 310-294-6408 to schedule a free consultation. 

www.chiccreationsevents.com