Celebrate the summer with a community grill-out

My favorite summer memories growing up were the Saturdays we hosted big backyard barbecues in the backyard. My mom and dad would invite everyone they knew to come have dinner outside with us. As a kid, we played huge games of capture the flag, and generally just ran around for hours while the adults chatted and grilled.

I remembered those days recently as my kids have told me that their favorite day every month is when we go to a local community dinner. The idea is similar, in that a large group of people share a meal together -- with the addition of live music (at the end of the dinner people bring instruments, play music and sing). These kinds of events are so good for us, and it is no wonder.

Jesus Himself was a big fan of the community meal – in the Gospels we read about the wedding feast at Cana, the Last Supper, or how he cooked grilled fish for his disciples on the beach after His Resurrection. Jesus was also frequently criticized for sharing meals with sinners.

Summer is the perfect time to gather outside. It’s generally less stressful for a host because the foot traffic mostly stays out of the house. Here are a few ideas on how to make a community cookout happen this year.

Try hosting it in your backyard or a friend’s backyard. You might not have a good space for this kind of get together, but perhaps someone who does is willing to cohost with you. Or, if you have a local park with a good space and some grills (and restrooms), that could be a great option as well.

Make your gathering as small or as large as you want. I’ve often found that there were lots of people I’d like to invite over, but then I had only so much bandwidth or free weekends/evenings available. Having an event where I can invite multiple friends/families/couples is attractive. Or you could use the cookout as a way to get to know different people from your parish. Maybe you could invite a new person or family to come grill brunch or lunch with you after Mass.

If you would like to invite many people, or even if you just want to invite a few friends, one way to make the costs manageable is to have people bring meat to grill and/or sides or drinks to share, potluck style. You could provide an appetizer or dessert, and the space to host alongside plates and cups, for instance. People often want to get together, but don’t want the work of hosting — and are happy to contribute food to the cause. This also helps with anyone who has food sensitivities, so that guests can bring things they can eat without feeling left out (because everyone else is bringing some of their own food also). 

Then, as far as all the details go, make the event your own. What do you love and where do your talents lie? Maybe you’ll make a great playlist and set the mood with music. Perhaps you’ll showcase your cornhole prowess and set up tournaments while grilling and eating. Maybe your cookout will be an after-dinner event, where you roast marshmallows for s’mores and then stargaze together while the young and young at heart chase fireflies. Whatever you decide, the more you enjoy it the more your guests will — so make it your own!