Gathering guide: Summer’s biggest sporting event

Every four years, fans from countries all around the globe gather with anticipation to watch the world’s top athletes compete. Filled with awe-inspiring feats of athleticism and willpower, the competitions capture everyone’s attention at one point or another. This summer, we’ve put together a list of four creative ways to spectate with friends and family while cheering on your favorite athletes. 

A little healthy competition never hurt anyone, especially when it involves snacks! Get ready to become the watch party host with the most by whipping up crowd-pleasing summer snacks, and make it more fun by inviting your guests to do the same. Whether you want to keep it patriotic—red, white and blue fruit pizza, anyone?—or stick with finger foods and dips, there will be something new and delicious for everyone to try. Indulge in a hot artichoke-spinach dip (try this vegan version, too!), create a star-spangled chip-and-dip tray or put your local sports bar to shame by offering restaurant-style buffalo wings. You can’t go wrong with sheet-pan nachos—or for something healthier, nosh like a champion with a festive five-ring fruit platter. Challenge your guests to bring their tastiest, most creative treat—winner takes home bragging rights, and everyone leaves with a full belly. Sounds like a win-win to us. 

Turn your lunchtime watch party into a delicious spectator sport and gather friends, family or colleagues to come together to enjoy the world’s top athletes. Stream the events in a conference room, invite viewers to gather at your home, or grab front-row seats at a local restaurant or sports bar. In between events, wow your friends by showcasing the biggest milestones in American history or fun facts about the origin of the event. Pro tip: If you’re planning to support a local business, call ahead and see which events your bar or restaurant of choice is planning to screen, as many events run concurrently.

What better way to honor the spirit of competition than with some sports trivia? From incredible displays of athleticism to record-breaking feats and heartwarming stories, test just how much your family and friends know by asking questions that will flex their trivia muscles. From kid-friendly trivia questions to challenging brain teasers, they’ll have a blast showing off their knowledge and learning fascinating information about legendary athletes and the cultural impact of these historic events.

As the competitions end, keep the celebration going. A signature celebration beverage is sure to impress guests and elevate your watch party. Add edible shimmer to your favorite bottle of bubbles for a golden champagne cocktail or stay true to the red, white and blue by serving a star-spangled martini. Save time that could be spent watching the competitions by serving batched cocktails like the aptly named LiberTea or pay homage to the nostalgic Firecracker popsicle with these cheeky red, white and booze popsicles. Not a cocktail drinker? Enjoy a refreshing mocktail or choose from an extensive array of American-based beer brands to try while you cheer the performance of your team. 

This is a special time to get your friends and family excited to gather and root for the world’s top athletes. With these creative and inspiring activities and recipes, you’ll be sure to host an award-winning watch party. Make it a tradition by passing the torch to a new host each time and discover what exciting ideas they come up with!