From lazy summer nights to cozy fall gatherings, backyard bonfire parties are one of my favorite ways to gather together with friends and family every year. I love the way people open up and chat around a campfire and the stories that are told. Also there are S’mores. Which honestly, may be the best part.
This year I decided to be very extra and throw a vintage camp, Ralph Lauren-inspired backyard bonfire party for a few friends. Cozy plaid blankets, fancy silver serving ware, and of course the main event: S’Mores. Oops I mean, Fire!
Here’s what I came up with, how I did it, and how you can recreate the same vibe in your own backyard:
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How To Set Up A Bonfire
Obviously you can’t exactly have a backyard bonfire party without a fire. Whether you go the old-school campfire route or invest in a fire pit, you need something that can at least roast some marshmallows, keep everyone warm, and not burn down the neighborhood. I used our new Solo Stove and loved it, but that’s a whole story of its own (I’ll share the full review in a separate post soon).
Choosing Between a Traditional Campfire and a Propane Fire Pit For Your Bonfire Night Party
In the end this comes down to one simple question: do you want the nostalgia of a wood-burning campfire or the more controlled, cozy glow of a propane fire pit? A traditional campfire can get big (like really, really epic bonfire big) and put out some serious warmth and will provide you with that iconic crackle sound effect. Propane fire pits, on the other hand, are more subdued. With a smaller flame they’re great for a chill vibe that won’t fill the yard with smoke or singe anyone’s eyebrows.
Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons so you can choose-your-own fire adventure:
Traditional Campfire
Pros
- That iconic woodsmoke smell and nostalgic crackle sound effect
- Free if you’ve already got wood lying around and aren’t using a fire pit
- Potential for bigger larger fires with more heat output
Cons
- Takes time and some expertise to build and light
- Produce more smoke and flying embers can be a fire hazard
- Require careful fire safety, care, maintenance and clean-up
Propane Fire Pit
Pros
- Instant flames—just turn the knob to on and you’re good
- Low smoke and almost no cleanup
- Require fewer fire safety precautions and almost no cleanup
Cons
- Propane tanks need refilling or swapping
- Doesn’t have that classic campfire scent or sound effect
- Typically more expensive upfront
- Smaller flame with less heat output
If you’re torn between the two, there’s also a happy middle. Smokeless fire pits (like our Solo Stove) burn real wood but cut way down on the smoke and some of the fire hazards associated with a traditional campfire so you get all the vibes without smelling like a bonfire later.
Fire Safety Basics For Your Campfire Party
I wouldn’t be the daughter of an Eagle Scout if I didn’t quickly mention some fire safety basics here as well. Because fire is fun but it also deserves respect. Keep your fire pit or campfire a safe distance from the house, trees, and anything else that might catch fire. Have a bucket of water, sand, or a fire extinguisher nearby because accidents happen. Never leave the fire unattended, and make sure it’s completely out before you call it a night. Trust me, marshmallows are great, but we don’t want to burn down the neighborhood or make any trips to the ER.
Fire Pit Party Decor & Cozy Camp Supplies
Once you’ve figured out all the details of where and how you’re going to build your epic bonfire, it’s time to decorate! I tried to shop my house for this part as much as possible by using our camping supplies, some thrifted blankets and my collection of second hand silver serving ware.
Cozy Plaid Blankets
Whether it’s 90 degrees outside or the temperature is scheduled to drop below freezing on the night of your backyard bonfire party, a few vintage camp blankets strewn about either simply as decor, to sit on, or to actually wrap up in, are a great way to add instant cozy vibes.
Pro Tip: If you want to get that old school “vintage camp” or Ralph Lauren aesthetic stick to red, green, navy blue and tan blankets in either a solid color or plaid/tartan/check pattern!
Firewood
No matter if you plan to use a wood burning backyard campfire or a propane fire pit, a few logs of firewood can easily double as decor at your party if they are artfully stacked and arranged in key spots.
Vintage Camp Equipment
Never underestimate what you can find if you simply shop your house! For this party I raided our camping supplies and pulled out this vintage inspired Coleman cooler, vintage thermos and a small camp axe. All of which fit the vibe of the party and when set out with everything else added some vintage camp vibes to the event.
Vintage Silver Serving Ware
To elevate the feel of the party and bring some of those more refined Ralph Lauren vibes to the decor I decided to contrast the vintage camp gear with vintage silver platters, punch cups and serving ware that I’ve collected from thrift stores over the years.
Campfire Roasting Sticks
One essential camp supply you’ll want to have on hand are roasting sticks. These come in many different shapes, sizes and price points (including free sticks you just grab off the ground). I’ve used them all and definitely have some thoughts on which ones are superior.
Bamboo skewers like these are great for roasting marshmallow over a small flame and typically work best with propane fire pits. They are incredibly cheap, however they aren’t very long so your hand can get pretty warm since you have to hold it so close to the fire.
Simple Wire Toaster Forks like these are a cheap upgrade from bamboo skewers, costing around $3 for a pack of 4 roasting sticks that you’ll find on the camping aisle at big box stores like Walmart. However at only 20″ long they still keep your hand pretty close to the fire.
Telescoping roasting sticks like these are great for taking camping or when space is an issue as they compact down very small and then extend up to 34″. (Note: the ones I linked to are the ones currently on my camping wish list as they are much better quality than the ones you see above.)
Pro Tip: If you or anyone you spend time with deals with severe allergies, I really like the fact that these telescoping rods are color-coded to ensure that no cross-contamination happens while using them.
Finally heavy duty stainless steel roasting sticks like these ones are the bougie upgrade I never knew I needed until I had them. My sister gifted us this set to go with our new Solo Stove, and let me tell you they are worth every penny. At 36″ long when assembled, these keep your hands SO FAR away from the fire. They are incredibly sturdy and make roasting something like a hotdog feel a lot more secure. For storage the rods break down into two pieces and come with this fancy roll-up storage bag. My only con to them is that they are a bit heavy and harder to use for small children.
Bonfire Party Food & Drink Ideas
For this party, we decided to host an “open-flame cooking only” potluck for our friends, which meant everything they brought had to be cooked over the campfire, BBQ or smoker. My contribution was *the vibes* and a full S’mores charcuterie bar in addition to an apple cider punch.
S’mores Charcuterie Board Bar
So much detail went into creating this S’mores Charcuterie station that I’m going to do a whole other post just dedicated to that. But here’s a few highlights:
Gourmet S’mores, S’mores Cups & Chocolate Free S’mores
If I was going to be serving campfire S’mores off a silver platter, I thought we might as well go all in and see how else we could elevate the entire S’mores party experience.
I had a bunch of these charcuterie cups leftover from a previous party and thought it would be so cute to create some little grab and go S’mores charcuterie cups! (I love that these cups come with the little gold top skewers to use with them too!)
Then I went to Aldi and basically bought everything I could think of to make a gourmet s’mores with. They had so many great affordable options, including some really fun spreads and dips for my friends who don’t like chocolate or are allergic to dairy to have some chocolate free S’mores!
Savory S’mores
I have never wanted to try a pinterest trend so badly as I did when I saw these savory s’mores for the first time! All our friends had a lot of fun roasting the cheeses over the fire pit and coming up with different combinations of meats, crackers and spreads to make fancy S’mores with.
Apple Cider Punch
We hosted our backyard bonfire at the end of September on the first official day of Fall, which was a fun way to welcome the change of the season but not cool enough in Alabama to drink warm beverages next to the fire yet. With that in mind, I set out on a mission to come up with a cool, refreshing, fall-inspired punch. This easy, three ingredient, apple cider party punch was perfect for our fall bonfire party! Click here for the full recipe!
Additional Bonfire Night Party Food Ideas
Here are some of the other items that our friends brought over to our bougie campfire cookout potluck:
Joe made smoked salmon bites and they were delicious (I’m going to try and bug him to write the recipe down so I can share it). For an alternative protein and veggie option, one of our friends brought beef, chicken & veggie kabobs to cook over the fire.
Another friend brought over some traditional camp foil packets filled with apples, peaches, butter, goat cheese and cinnamon!
A surprising favorite came from one friend who brought some home grown tomatoes that we roasted over the fire! And of course our vintage inspired camping cooler did double duty as a drink cooler as well as serving as camp decor.
Final Thoughts
While you don’t need anything fancy to host a backyard bonfire party, I had so much fun romanticizing the entire concept of what a bonfire party could be and what it could look like. I really enjoyed getting to contrast my fancy silver serving ware with a more rustic camp aesthetic and create a unique little backyard experience for our friends to enjoy with us for an evening.
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