14 Ways To Celebrate Summer Slideshow

Kick off summer by ringing in Donut Day this weekend. Instead of your standard Saturday morning pancake breakfast, pick up a dozen donuts to enjoy with the family along with your morning coffee and juice. Or try your hand at making them at home. 

Celebrate strawberry season by trying your hand at making jam. Grab a group of friends or family and spend the afternoon picking berries at a local farm. Ten pints of berries is just enough for an afternoon of making strawberry shortcakes and strawberry jam from scratch (assuming you don't eat all the berries before you get home).

With Father's Day on Sunday, do something special with dad this weekend. Start the day off by making him pancakes and eggs. Then, pack a picnic lunch and head for a hike or bike ride. Not near dad? Surprise him with a package filled with his favorite homemade cookies. 

Get out of town and escape the heat by spending Saturday afternoon at the beach with friends. After reading, sunbathing, and throwing a frisbee in the sand, head to the boardwalk to enjoy your first fried clams and lobster rolls of the season. Of course, the day wouldn't be complete with a stop at the ice cream truck or nearest DQ for an ice cream cone or popsicle — drips down your chin, included. 

Kick off the Fourth of July long weekend (and National Hot Dog and Ice Cream Month) with a casual backyard potluck barbecue. You supply the hot dogs, buns, and fixings, and ask guests bring their favorite picnic foods, like pasta salad, cole slaw, chopped tomato salad, cornbread, and more. Just be sure not to make any of these grilling mistakes.

During the dog days of summer, nothing is more irresistble than something cold, creamy, and sweet. For a special after-dinner treat, re-create an old-fashioned soda parlor at home. Set out fresh milk, your favorite ice cream flavors, chocolate syrup, root beer, and seltzer water for, then let your friends make their own customized root beer floats and ice cream sodas.

Summer is halfway over. Now, don't go drowning yourself in beer cocktails! Instead, turn off that stove, back away from the oven, and celebrate summer with a dinner of farm-fresh produce that doesn't require any cooking. Start with a tomato and bread salad and a loaf of crusty bread from the market, followed by a green tomato soup and a plate of assorted charcuterie and cheese, served with a bottle of crisp rosé. Then finish the meal off with a big bowl of fresh peach ice cream — Sunday is National Peach Ice Cream day, afterall.

With blueberry and raspberry bushes bursting with fruit this time of year, there is no time like the now to make your own berry jam. Assemble an entourage and head to your local berry farm for a picking party. Pick as many berries as you can, then head home for a berry-based meal. Start with bubbly topped with berries or a splash of berry syrup. Then use your fresh-picked berries to make a fruit salsa to serve atop grilled chicken. Use more berries to top a green salad and serve crumbled blue cheese and candied nuts on the side. Round out the meal with a fresh berry tart served with vanilla ice cream. 

Before families go away in August, host a dessert party for the neighborhood. Let the kids chase fireflies and play manhunt at dusk while the adults enjoy margaritas around the fire pit. Serve a variety of homemade popsicles and roast marshmallows over the fire for s'mores while sharing summer stories.

Grab your friends and pack up some refreshments for a day of lounging by the pool or lake (playing chicken and Marco Polo is up to you). To quench your thirst, whip up a large batch of your favorite warm-weather cocktails, then pack some of these easy-to-make no-bake appetizers as a snack in this cool picnic basket. And don't forget the sunscreen.

Spend an afternoon in and on the water. Find the nearest river and blow up inner tubes for a flotilla party. Make a big batch of bug juice and pack it into water bottles to enjoy on your trip downstream (then stash some wrap sandwiches in the car for a post-float snack).

With the end of summer approaching, get together with a couple of families for a big picnic celebration. Enjoy sangria and fruit punch while challenging friends to a croquet competition. Then roll out the ultimate picnic spread (don't forget to update your picnic basket with one of these cool gadgets this year) before bringing out the sparklers.

Have you caught your dinner yet this summer? Pack your rod and head to the ocean or closest lake to catch some fish. Back at home, light up the fire while enjoying some dark and stormys. Serve grilled fish with fresh salsa and grilled corn for dinner.

Feeling more adventurous? Pack your sleeping bags, tent, and camp stove for an overnight campout — and don't forget the granola for breakfast.

Invite over all your friends and family for the ultimate backyard grilling party. Before planning the menu, check out our favorite grilling recipes then read our tips for avoiding some common grilling mistakes. Make an array of these perfect cook-out sides to accompany the meal and don't forget the summery cocktails, either. For dessert, try grilling figs or serve up the ultimate holiday dessert: something colored red, white, and/or blue.