Happy 4^th of July! This is one of my favorite family holidays celebrated with my husband’s side. His entire family gets together for an annual 4^th of July block party. The party is always held the Saturday before the 4^th down in Hollister, California. A true block party that celebrates the down-home American holiday.

The streets are blocked off and every family puts out their lawn chairs, pop-ups, and tables. The streets are filled with kids running around. Many of the men are grilling Deee-licious food!
Here is How to Have the Best 4th Of July Block Party. This is how we roll.

Grilling Steak. The streak is covered in crushed garlic and seasonings. It’s my favorite. We’re feeding 100+ people, so there are 4 industrial grills going on.

Grilling chicken.

Bounce houses. They are a necessity and they line the streets for all day entertainment.

The most popular bouncy house was a Slip-n-slide because it was HOT this past weekend.

Games.We play games of all types.

• Silly String War: get a can of silly string and connect 2 people with a rope. At the call of “Go” have each person spray one another! It’s fun and full of laughs!
• Water Balloon Toss: when it’s hot, it’s almost a blessing to get wet if the balloon pops. Start close to one another and after each toss, take 1 step backwards.

• Sack Race: get a sack and hop to the finish line. Prizes can be beads from the dollar store.
• Hula-Hoop Spin: see who can hula hoop the longest. Everyone can win by getting to keep the hula hoop.

• Cake Walk: have everyone donate a cake/dessert. In chalk, write down 12 numbers on the street. Play music and have people walk around. When the music stops, pick a # and they win a cake. I won a cake on my first walk! I picked Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting. Scrumptious! I did share them with my family….only 1, though! Hahaha….seriously…they got more than that.
• Tug-O-War: simply get a rope and have people split off in two teams. Whoever gets tugged over the line wins bragging rights.
• Face Paint: a neighbor brought over face paints and set up a table & chair area. The kids had a blast getting cherries, zombies, and other designs on their faces and arms.

The Buffet Feast.The day ends with a huge feast. Each family contributed a dish that could feed 10 people for the potluck.

We brought my famous 5-Bean Baked Chili recipe.

And my famous Crunchy Ramen Cabbage Salad recipe.

Fireworks. Once the sun was down, we had our fireworks all lit up. 4th of July is definitely about the sparks.

What are your plans for the 4^th of July!?! Next year, plan a block party and include these games. They are FUN, EASY, & Entertaining!

For more 4th of July recipes and posts, check out:
Star Spangled Quinoa Salad
Red, White, and Blue Toast
Festive Red White Blue Bark Chocolate Recipe
3-Ingredient Whipped Cream Stuffed Strawberries
10 4th of July Recipes You Won’t Want to Miss

By Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN