Labor Day, though it celebrates the progress of the American labor movement, has become synonymous with the unofficial end of summer as all the schools start back up the day after. What better way to say goodbye to summer than to throw an end of summer party. Whether it’s a pool party, a barbecue, or just a bunch of friends gathered around an open fire, here are some ideas to make the best of your (unofficial) last night of summer.

There are little things that you can do to make sure your last night of summer really feels like summer. Try adding string lights to the backyard. It makes the space feel cozy, while making sure the setting sun doesn’t force everyone inside. You’ll want to enjoy every last minute. Say you have invited a lot of people over and don’t have a lot of outdoor furniture, try setting up blankets and towels out in the grass. Toss some pillows on top, and then you’ll have a rustic picnic feel. One final thing you can do is buy little cocktail umbrellas and fun colored straws to put in all of the drinks you serve! It’s that small detail that your guests will love and it adds to the summer feel you’re trying to enhance.

For food, the obvious choice is grilled food. You can do the typical hot dogs and hamburgers for a simple and classic summer feel. Or you can change it up with grilled kebabs, skewer some chicken or shrimp and veggies, like peppers or zucchini. You still get to light up the grill, but you get to make something different and easy.

After dinner, it’s super easy to put together a s‘mores station. Put out the chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers. Let your guests assemble them the way that they want. Or if you don’t have a fire pit, rice crispy treats are super easy to make in advance. Plus you can put them out when you set everything up and they’ll be fine to sit out all night.

Finally, you’ll need music. Spotify has some great themed playlists. The service is free and everything is already done for you! All that’s needed to do is press play. If that’s not for you, spend some time putting together a mix of fun, upbeat songs that you and your friends will love. You can even dust off your favorite CD. If you don’t have the time, assign one of the guests the task. It gives you less to worry about, plus, it tells your friend you like their taste in music, which is an incredible complement to receive.

You will have plenty of nights to have a relaxing night inside watching TV, but summer is ending. Enjoy it to its full extent; be outside, use the grill, surround yourself with your friends. Say goodbye to Summer 2018 with the things and the people who made it memorable.

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