Barbecue and grilling holidays like the Fourth of July are synonymous with holiday picnics. Creating a large spread for your group of family or friends in a park or backyard with the grill smoking, music playing and kids swimming is a large chunk of the fun. Explore simple recipes with creative ingredients to cover all your drink and side dish needs! This is the first article focused on July 4th picnic ideas. Check out the second portion of this article here for the Ultimate BBQ Picnic With Chilly Desserts.

The key is making sure the cold food stays cold, and the hot food stays hot. If you are throwing the picnic at your home, this makes this task much more simple.