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Your Memorial Day BBQ Checklist: Take your party to the next level

Here's everything you need - and where to shop it.


friends bbq memorial day© Photo: iStock
Brandi Fowler
Fashion and Lifestyle Writer
Updated: May 29, 2021
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It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, and with restrictions lifting and vaccines readily available in the U.S. that means barbeques, pool parties, and other house fetes are back. 

MORE: 30 best Memorial Day sales: all the top deals and secret discount codes you don't want to miss

And we’ve got you covered as you prep for your holiday bbq with a checklist of items to help you take it to the next level. 

bbq friends© Photo: iStock

Amp up your Memorial Day barbeque with everything on our checklist!

It’s important to remember that Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember those who have served in the military, so it doesn’t have the fireworks-filled celebrations packed with tons of American flag decorations and sparklers like you see on July 4th. 

You can go subtle with your red, white, and blue decor, or skip it altogether, and opt for summer-friendly decorations since the holiday also marks the unofficial beginning of the season. 

Balloons & Festive Decor

If you want to add a festive touch to your barbeque, go with balloons. We love the JoyyPop red, white, and blue bundle we found on Amazon, which comes complete with confetti balloons. You can also take things up a notch with red, white, and blue tassels. 

festive balloons© Joyypop

Joyypop 80Pcs Red White and Blue Latex Balloons with Confetti Balloons, $11.99, Amazon

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festive garland© Etsy

Patriotic red, white, and blue tassel, $22, Etsy

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Star-shaped plates

Add a little fun to your dinnerware with festive star-shaped plates - and toss them when you're done. 

star plates festive© Etsy

Gold star plates (pack of 8), $13.23, Etsy

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Decorative Table Runner 

Jazz up your table with a decorative table runner. We love this plaid red, white, and blue table runner because you can use it for Memorial Day, July 4th, or any summer day you wish. 

If you want to skip the red, white, and blue theme, consider this bright diamond printed table runner that we found on Amazon that will add a pop of summer color to your table too. 

table runner© Tifeson

Tifeson 4th of July Buffalo Plaid Table Runner, $12.99, Amazon

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summer table runner© Yetoome

YETOOME Cotton Linen Diamond Checkered Table Runner, $11.99, Amazon

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The Extras

With temps heating up across the country, there's no better time to serve up snow cones. Go festive with red and blue flavors or create any flavor varieties you like.

snow cone machine© Amazon

Cuisinart Snow Cone Maker, $145, Bloomingdales

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BBQ seasoning

Is it really a Memorial Day barbeque without BBQ? No, it is not. Before you start grilling, don’t forget to pick up seasonings that will make your grilling skills unforgettable. 

Amazon shoppers swear by Traeger Grills Blackened Saskatchewan Dry Rub to do just that. If you’re throwing steaks on the grill, get a bottle of McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning too, and thank us later. One taste of it will show you why it's a favorite among Amazon shoppers too. 

bbq rub© Traeger

Traeger Grills Blackened Saskatchewan dry rub, $10.95, Amazon

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mccormick steak seasoning© Mccormick

McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, $11.91, Amazon

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BBQ Tools

When you’re barbequing, you definitely need a set of reliable tools to grab meat, seafood, and/or veggies off of the grill. Amazon shoppers love this affordable set to do that with ease.

bbq tool set

Grilling BBQ Tools Set, $24.99, Amazon

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The Party Starter Drinks

Whether it’s mocktails or cocktails, drinks should be flowing at your Memorial Day get-together. Consider making it easy on yourself and ordering from Drizly, which delivers right to your door in hours and is a great way to track down liquor varieties that can be hard to find.

The limited-edition Ciroc’s new Summer Citrus is a great party starter, as is Don Julio Blanco Tequila for summer margaritas. If you'd rather serve individual cocktails than batch, try canned cocktails and wine instead. Sipmarg canned cocktails are sparkling margaritas in a can and they're are also available on Drizly. As a bonus, they are low calorie, low sugar, and low carbs. 

If you like spicy cocktails, Cazadores Spicy Margarita Canned Cocktails are also a great option to order straight to your door too. The drinks are made with 100 percent agave tequila harvested and distilled in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. 

ciroc summer citrus© Ciroc

Ciroc Summer Citrus, $32.99, Drizly

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don julio blanco© Don Julio

Don Julio Blanco Tequila, $26.99, Drizly

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sip margs© SipMARGS

SipMARGS, $11.99, Drizly

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cazadores cocktails© Tequila Cazadores

Tequila Cazadores canned cocktails, $15.11 for a pack of four, Drizly

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Drink Dispenser

You can always serve individual drinks in cups with lids or bottled water, but if you want to make big batch cocktails, mocktails, lemonade, etc., drink dispensers or pitchers can come in handy. Drink dispensers can keep your batch drinks safe from anything flying into it too. 

With the drink dispenser below, you can serve two types of drinks at once. We also love this festive summer pitcher - both on sale at Macy’s.

beverage dispenser amazon© Amazon

Stackable drink dispenser, $46.99, Macy’s 

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summer pitcher© Drop

Drop Pedestal Pitcher,  $48.99, Macy’s 

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Festive Glasses and Straws

You can go with traditional wine glasses, or you can opt for cooling cups to give guests that keep their drinks cold, like these Host cooling cups that work for all wine varieties. Just simply pop the tumbler in the freezer for white wines or keep it cool in the fridge for red wines.

We also recommend grabbing a set of plastic wine glasses to avoid damaging your special glass wine glasses and amping up the fun for cocktails, mocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks with festive straws. 

star straws© Amazon

Star-topped straws (pack of 50), Amazon

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cooling wine glasses© amazon

HOST Cooling Cup, $34.99, Amazon 

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plastic wine glasses© Amazon

Tossware Unbreakable plastic wine glasses (set of 12), $12.99, Amazon

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