5 Ways to Make the Most of Your July 4th
Too busy to plan your July 4th in the chaos coming up? This weekend, excited Americans will spend a total of $71.23 million on red, white and blue apparel/decorations, $1.6 billion on beer and wine, $7.15 billion on food, and $800 million on fireworks. This bonanza has evolved significantly from the picnics, speeches, prayers, and fireworks of its 1777’s origin. Although this holiday is meant to celebrate the founding fathers of this country, it is also a time away from the office to enjoy the summer weather with friends and family. The holiday began with modest celebrations, but it’s easy to get lost in the buzz of modern festivities. To help you sort through all that chaos, we’ve compiled this list of ways to make the most of your Independence Day.
“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as an opportunity to do what is right” – Peter Marshall
Take Advantage of Sales
This American holiday is still centered around family, BBQ, and beer, but shopping has become a major part of the holiday tradition. Companies around the U.S., both large and small, are taking advantage of the holiday by offering sales that are hard to resist. The following brands are just a few examples of these tempting 4th of July sales:
- Southwest Airlines: For those looking to travel in the near future, Southwest is offering one-way flights as low as $44 to customers who book before July 7 for their July 4th For example, the flights from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, Bahamas are starting at $58.
- Overstock.com: In honor of Independence Day, Overstock.com is taking up to 75% off an array of home goods and furniture. Whether you’re in the market for patio furniture or area rugs, Overstock.com has what you’re looking for, plus free shipping on orders over $45.
- Zara: This fashion retailer rarely has sales, but this year the brand’s 4th of July sale offers up to 50% off everything from shoes to blazers.
Try New Recipes for your Family BBQ
Of course, hot dogs and hamburgers are on the menu for this year’s 4th of July celebration. Try to spice things up this year with these recipes:
Recipe: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/51535/fresh-southern-peach-fcobbler
Recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a51475/caprese-garlic-bread-recipe/
Binge Watch Your Favorite Shows
What better way to enjoy time off than to catch up on all your favorite shows. If you’re looking for some new shows to get into, we’ve listed this year’s top shows according to Metacritic below:
- “Legion” (FX) – Starring Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, and Aubrey Plaza. “From “Fargo” executive producer Noah Hawley, “Legion” is a new Marvel series. It follows David Haller (Dan Stevens), a man who has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals his entire life. It’ll be a struggle, but he’ll realize he’s not a normal guy, nor is he crazy.”
- “Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events” (Netflix) – “Based on the best-selling novels by Daniel Handler, the show stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, who mistakenly becomes the guardian to three young children after their parents die in a fire. He hatches a plan to steal their inheritances and must don a seemingly endless array of disguises to do so.”
- “One Day at a Time” (Netflix) – “Justina Machado and Todd Grinnell star on “One Day at a Time.” This remake of the 1970’s family comedy from Norman Lear follows a Cuban-American family — a divorced mother played by Justina Machado, her kids, and their grandmother (played by the iconic Rita Moreno) as they weather the storms of modern life together.”
Road Trip!
This year, a total of 44.2 million people will travel more than 50 miles from their homes to celebrate Independence Day, according to the AAA. With 1.25 million more travelers than last year, this will be the most traveled Independence Day on record.
“Combined, strong employment, rising incomes and higher consumer confidence bode well for the travel industry, in particular, this Independence Day weekend.” – Bill Sutherland, AAA Senior Vice President of Travel and Publishing
Of the 44.2 million traveling, 37.5 million of them will be driving to their destinations. This 2.9% increase in road trips is due to the cheaper gas prices with the national average price for a gallon of gas being $2.28, a historic low for the summer travel season. Additionally, car rental rates are about 14% less than the last Independence Day.
Fire off your own Fireworks
You could watch Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks on NBC or you could go to a local firework show in your community. But wouldn’t it be more fun to fire off your own fireworks after a great meal? This year, Americans will spend a total of $800 million on fireworks. We celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks because before the Declaration of Independence was signed, John Adams envisioned fireworks as a part of the festivities. In a letter written to Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, he wrote that the occasion should be celebrated…
“With Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
The first commemorative Independence Day fireworks were set off on July 4, 1777, and every year since. If you choose to fire off your own “illuminations” this year, just remember to exercise caution!
Whether your company can offer exciting sales, new recipes, or other engaging content to an eager holiday audience, there is always a way to tell your brand’s story through current events.
To learn how to best share your company’s story, strategy, and systems with customers, click here for our guide on transformational marketing.