Parties are fun any time of the year, but summer parties are the best.  After all, you have sun, warm temperatures, and awesome friends all around you.  There are so many things that come to mind when one considers a summer party that you might have to wade through all the ideas and find the ones that will make the perfect summer party for you.  

One of the best things about summer parties is that they are versatile.  You can hold them in a number of different venues.  If you have access to a beach, then you have the best setting for a summer party.  If not, then maybe you have a pool at which to hold your party.  This might be the second-best location.  These water venues will make it especially nice when the weather is hot, hot, hot.  If you don't have access to water, there are still a lot of great options.  How about a local park?  This might give you the space you need, especially if you have a lot of guests attending, and many large parks have barbecue areas.  Of course, in the end your back yard is the ideal place to hold a summer party.  You can decorate (we'll talk about that later) and give it a relaxed feel that screams summer fun.  For those city-dwellers who have no access to a yard, the possibility of a roof top or fire escape party opens up a whole new world for you and your guests.

Now that you have the perfect location, what else do you need to throw the perfect summer party?  Let's talk decorations.  That backyard, rooftop, or even pool party could be dazzling with a bunch of patio lanterns.  These add color and much-needed light when the sun goes down.  Best of all, if you get solar-powered patio lights you can have them anywhere, even at the beach.  Tiki torches are also a must at any summer party.  These torches are simply candles that are on long sticks that you stick in the ground.  Citronella candles add a touch of summer ambience and they also add much-needed protection from those nasty mosquitoes.  Balloons might add a touch of festivity to your party as well and if you have any children at your party, they will simply love to take one home at the end of the day.

Now, a party isn't a party without good food.  Food at a summer party is easy.  It is simply spelled – B-B-Q!  That's right.  A barbecue hits the spot for anyone and everyone.  Even those vegetarian friends of yours can barbecue portobello mushroom burgers or roast veggies on a spit.  You can also serve up munchies.  However, along with the barbecue one of the best ways to have food at a summer party is to make it a potluck.  Potlucks are very popular these days and why not?  Everyone brings a dish, dessert, snacks, drinks and then everyone gets to chow down.  It's perfect!  As for drinks, summer parties are often BYOB (bring your own b____) and this is totally acceptable.  However, if you want to add to that, you can supply soda, juice, water, and you can even make lemonade, iced tea, or punch.

Finally, you will want just the right music for your party entertainment.  There are plenty of summer classics.  Anything by the Beach Boys will do.  Under the Boardwalk by The Drifters, Saturday in the Park by Chicago, Summer of '69 by Brian Adams, Hot Fun in the Summer Time by Sly & The Family Stone, Wipe Out by the Safaris, Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini by Bryan Hyland, and Surf City by Jan & Dean.  Of course, there are many more classics.  You can also invite your guests to bring any musical instruments they play and have a night of making your own music.  What better way to celebrate summer.

Of course, if at all possible, you absolutely must throw in a bonfire, around which music can be played.  This is easy at the beach, but may be difficult elsewhere.  Some backyards are set up for bonfires though and this is the ultimate summer activity when the sun goes down.  However, with or without a bonfire, if you have everything else set up you will have one major summer party to remember and one that your guests will be talking about long into the cold days of winter.