It’s red, white, and blue season, the best lineup of summer holidays! Whether you’re hosting Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or any USA-themed gathering, I’ve got plenty of ideas to help you stay on theme (and do it cutely, of course).
Luckily, summer is peak berry season, which makes patriotic entertaining surprisingly easy. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and you’ve already got your color palette! One of my favorite go-to desserts is a simple angel food cake or pound cake topped with Cool Whip and fresh berries. It’s light, creamy, refreshing, and about as easy as it gets. Plus, it’s one of those crowd-pleasing combinations that everyone seems to love. If you’re short on time, grocery stores make it even easier this time of year. Between patriotic-themed drinks, snacks, and sweets, you can add a few festive finds to a dessert or snack board and instantly look like you planned the whole thing weeks in advance.
Now for the fun part: the details. You can turn almost any snack, dessert, or drink into a patriotic masterpiece with a few simple touches. Think red, white, and blue sprinkles on cupcakes (bonus points for festive cupcake wrappers), star-shaped treats made with a cookie cutter, firework cake toppers, and gingham, gingham, gingham. I also love dressing up cocktails and spritzers with festive napkins, striped paper straws, or red, white, and blue drink stirrers. It’s all about those little details that make everything feel extra celebratory.
When it comes to the table, you really can’t go wrong with rattan, flags, and florals. Hydrangeas are my summer entertaining staple, they’re full, beautiful, and take up plenty of space, so you don’t need many stems to make an impact. The white and blue varieties feel especially perfect for the season. Pop them into a rattan vase, add a small American flag, and your patriotic centerpiece is basically done.
One thing that especially makes decorating easy? Stores start rolling out patriotic décor early. Places like Target, Walmart, HomeGoods, and At Home always have plenty of festive finds available in the spring, so you can stock up before the summer celebrations begin.
And if you’re hosting a pool party, striped pool floats are always a good idea. They instantly add to the festive atmosphere and make for the cutest photos. Don’t forget the playlist, either! Mix in classics like Born in the U.S.A. and Party in the U.S.A. to keep the BBQ vibes going all day long.
I’ve linked some of my favorite patriotic entertaining finds on my LTK to help you get your celebrations started. Happy hosting! 🇺🇸✨