Christmas is the brightest and merriest holiday—so much that you can celebrate it twice a year! Christmas in July is a festive celebration that takes place over halfway through the year. And it shouldn’t be overlooked. Christmas in July offers a wonderful opportunity to bring your community or office together for summer fun in holiday style.

These party ideas will attract guests to get in on the good times and make memories that will last long after the party is over. Read on to discover 16 Christmas in July party ideas for any celebration!

Chrismas Pool Party with Festive Lights

Put on an unforgettable pool party with a Christmas in July theme! Decorate foliage and fences around the pool with red and green LED Christmas lights to create an inviting festive atmosphere (here’s how to decorate bushes and hedges). Add in red and green floating pool lights and inflatable pool toys to bathe the pool in holiday cheer. As you plan to canvas your outdoor area in glowing glory, avoid stake lights—they can be a tripping hazard at a party. Turn up the vibes with tunes from a good bluetooth speaker or sound system—look into tropical-style Christmas music to bring the entire theme together.

christmas in july pool partyChristmas Movie Night Under the Stars

Spend time under the stars watching stars—Christmas movie stars, that is—during a Christmas movie night. Whether with family and friends or coworkers and colleagues, a holiday movie sparks nostalgia while bringing people together. Choose a nice open yard and cast Christmas classics onto a large, blank background using a projector. Offer seating, such as patio or lawn chairs, or blankets for watchers to sprawl out on. Serve up holiday-themed treats at the beginning of the showing or during an intermission and your movie-watchers will enjoy the film even more.

Frozen Hot Chocolate Bar

Invite guests to chill out from the summer heat with a frozen version of the winter favorite: hot chocolate. Serve the beverage in holiday-themed cups and allow guests to sweeten their drinks as they wish at a DIY drink station that features holiday treats and mix-ins like peppermint candies, caramel sauce, and marshmallow toppings. Consider offering other drink options too, such as iced eggnog lattes, for those who don’t want a chocolatey beverage.

frozen hot chocolateGingerbread House Decorating—Summer Style

Treat the sweet tooth and deck the gingerbread house—summer style. Have a baking-savvy neighbor or bakery make house parts, preparing enough for every gingerbread house builder.  Encourage your builders to create a house that looks like one from a warmer locale, such as a beach house, and provide the pieces to make it happen. Try icing in pastel blue or pink, and gum drops in various colors. Give decorators a square slab of gingerbread that they can use as a foundation to decorate with blue frosting like an ocean that meets crisped rice as sand. Decorators can also use green gum drops or green icing to make a finger-licking good lawn instead. Offer prizes for most creative or best build-quality to sweeten the pot for your builders.

gingerbread summer houseSecret Santa - Christmas in July Edition

People love gifts, and Christmas in July is the perfect opportunity for another occasion to give and receive gifts—especially at a time when gift-giving feels so far away. Keep the game easy and accessible by setting a small budget of less than $10 or $20 and get players to focus on summery gift ideas (think items to use when grilling or at the beach). Throw a barbecue for the gift-giving party and you’ve got a Christmas in July tradition.

Festive Holiday Bingo

A good game elevates the mood of any party. And when there are prizes, the game becomes a real community or office attraction. Give this game of bingo the Christmas in July treatment by using holiday-themed bingo cards and markers. Offer prizes that embody summer fun, such as beach towels, trendy water bottles, and gift baskets. Wrap the event in the holiday spirit with Christmas lights and decorations that adorn the area.

Christmas in July Crafts

Let community members or coworkers explore their imaginative side with a crafts party. Choose a craft for the whole group to make, such as tropical-style snow globes, Christmas in July beach bags, or Christmas tree ornaments. Provide the appropriate supplies that crafters will use to bring their creations to life, such as markers and glue. Crafters may enjoy making more than one craft, so consider at least a couple craft ideas for everyone to work on together. Play holiday jams in the background for that Santa’s workshop feel. Kids love making crafts, so encourage families to bring the kiddos.

creating christmas crafts at christmas in july partyChristmas in July Beach Party

The beach party is practically the definition of a summer party, as cool water and summer heat come together perfectly. Make your beach party one to remember by giving it the Christmas spirit: bring some decorations like mini trees and lights, and other Christmas decorations, such as inflatable reindeer. Hand out Santa hats and reindeer antlers to spread the cheer. The festive accessories will make for great pictures that guests won’t forget. Encourage guests to make sand angels and build sand snowmen for some festive activities.

Christmas Costume Contest

Christmas in July means the chance to put together cool costumes during the hottest season. Encourage contestants to make outfits that are a mixture of summer fashion and Christmas couture. Think costumes that combine pieces like red shorts with a green aloha/Hawaiian shirt, topped off with a Santa hat. Give an award for best-dressed, and try other categories such as silliest costume.

Holiday-Themed BBQ

There’s nothing like a BBQ in the summer—and that goes double for a Christmas in July BBQ. Decorate the patio area to set the holiday mood. For a party that goes into the dark of the night, you can’t go wrong with bright bistro-style patio lights or LED Christmas lights, such as curtain lights hanging from the top edges of the pergola. Set the tables with garland and even fairy light jars. Cook up summery takes on classic Christmas dishes: try a main dish such as ham sliders or turkey leg drumsticks. Offer holiday-themed cocktails for your diners to sip in Christmas in July bliss.

christmas bbqChristmas Lights Glow Party

Summer get-together looking a little too ordinary? Give your next summer party a glow-up through the magic of colorful LED lights. Decorate with red and green fairy light strings to create an enchanting environment. Hang foldable LED spheres to enhance the energy. And transform the party into a mesmerizing lights show— Twinkly RGB Lights display effects and patterns that will effortlessly grab the attention of your guests. Hand out glow sticks and light-up Santa hats to make guests a part of the electric arrangement.

Ice Cream Social with a Christmas Twist

This party idea promises delectable holiday-themed delight while giving diners a way to beat the summer heat. Mixing delicious ice cream with light-hearted socializing is a lovely way to strengthen connections in your community or office. For the ice cream, use favorite holiday flavors, like peppermint, cinnamon, or nutmeg as the ice cream’s taste foundation. Offer mix-ins that go well with your chosen foundation, such as sprinkles (in holiday colors or shapes) with peppermint, caramel with cinnamon, and gingerbread cookie with nutmeg.

DIY Holiday Wreath-Making

While normally a holiday-time decoration, the wreath can also be a sunny salutation in the summer. Invite wreath-makers for a fun session of imagining and creating that puts symbols of summer on display. Provide embellishments and decorations that represent the summer season, such as flowers, artificial fruits, and greenery. For an outside-the-box approach, make a wreath from beach items such as clamshells. Wreath-makers can decorate their front doors with the eye-catching creations made during this party activity.

lady decorating seashell wreath for christmas in julyChristmas Dance Party

Gather friends or coworkers to dance the night away under the magical shine of Christmas lights. Offer light-up antlers or Santa hats for those who want to show off their Christmas in July spirit. Bump hot summer jams that get the party going and mix in some club/EDM remixes of Christmas tunes to curate the festive feel. Take your dance party to the next level: sync your lights to the music with the Twinkly Music Dongle USB interface.

Christmas in July Photo Booth

Capture the moments that are a part of Christmas in July memories with a fun photo booth. Make a booth in the spirit of Christmas in July, such as a beach scene with a Christmas tree in the background, or a greenery-laden booth featuring garland and summery wreaths (like from DIY wreath-making above) mixed with Christmas lights. The great part about a photo booth is that you can set it up alongside other activities at a party or event. Find more ideas for a Christmas in July photo booth from our comprehensive list of photo booth ideas—in part one and part two respectively.

Throwing a Christmas in July Party at Your Office?

Office parties are a convenient way to get your colleagues in on the summer holiday celebration. Having the party the at the office during the work week makes it easy for your colleagues to be there—especially if the party is during office hours. Boost mood and morale at the office with a Christmas in July party that promises the enjoyment of great food, games, or activities. We’ve got you covered on the ideas right here.

Plan Your Christmas in July Party with Christmas Designers

Fireworks don’t have to be the only display in July: high-quality LED Christmas turn any Christmas in July party into a spectacular scene. Put some excitement into your surroundings: give yourself and your guests the gift of an astonishing lighting display with our high-quality, pro-grade Christmas lights. Shop our LED Christmas lights now!

Questions on our products or putting your display together? Reach out to us at [email protected] or call 1-800-391-5280 to get your Christmas lighting and decorating questions answered by one of our qualified Christmas Designers today!