Summer Party Ideas

In San Diego, Stone World Bistro & Gardens—Liberty Station capitalizes on the beer-meets-business trend.

CasaBubble rents inflatable, modular spheres for events. Envisioned by French designers Frédéric Richard and Pierre-Stéphane Dumas, the transparent, pressurized bubbles can be used as V.I.P. areas, pop-up shops, dining spaces, and more in outdoor environments. There are five different models and the structures come with a wooden floor. Solar cells and battery equipment are also available.

Ahi tuna salad with pineapple-sesame dressing, greens, tobiko, and sambal aioli; cucumber rolls; hoisin duck salad with quinoa, wakame, and roasted vegetables; macadamia nut biscotti; coconut alfajores; and Absolut Ruby Red vodka, Soho lychee liqueur, and Patron Citronge cocktails, by Brûlée Catering in Philadelphia

The teepee-style tents can hold as many as 400 people.

Inflate USA's line of inflatable structures for events includes more than 30 different sizes and shapes, such as the Luna, designed to act as a portable bar area, and the Trident, a massive tent structure designed for concerts and expos that can be set up in less than five hours. The structures, which cost from $800 to more than $5,000 to rent, are all fully brandable.

Chopped salad with salumi, provolone, fresh oregano, and red wine vinaigrette; tarragon egg salad sandwiches with watercress and radishes; and ricotta pound cake with Meyer lemon curd and whipped cream, produced by Dandelion Ranch Events with catering by Cooks County in Los Angeles

Entertain a crowd post-sunset with an alfresco movie experience. Utah-based Open Air Cinema is an outdoor cinema equipment supplier and event producer, with rental affiliates throughout the U.S. The company can provide screens up to 40 feet wide, as well as snacks such as popcorn and hot dogs. (The theater systems can also be set up for video games or karaoke.) Event production costs start from $2,000, and Open Air Cinema can help obtain a public performance license for movies, which can cost between $300 and $500.

UNC Paris's inflatable furniture items are now available in the U.S. under the moniker Modern Inflatables. The line includes a sofa, chair, table, pouf, deck chair, and rocking chair. Made in France from clear, recyclable polyurethane thermoplastic, the items can be rented with the company's standard range of interchangeable, colored fabric covers, which can also be custom-printed or embroidered with logos and pictures. Custom work takes at least six weeks to manufacture. Items start from $195 without covers.

Companies including Turner Classic Movies and American Express have booked water ballet company the Aqualillies. The female synchronized swimmers wear vintage swimsuits, flowered swim caps, and red lipstick, while performing a tightly choreographed routine to music. Based in Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York, prices are available on request.

Grill-ready clay pot kalbi, with marinated beef, soybean paste, fresh garlic, red leaf lettuce, vegetables, and kimchi, by Miss Korea Barbecue in New York

Blueprint Studios introduced a 20-foot-tall inflatable structure dubbed the Hypercube. Available for national and international delivery, the black-and-white cube can be used as shelter from the sun at an outdoor event and rents for $1,800.

Grilled corn on the cob with assorted toppings; roasted potato salad on chive sticks; watermelon cubes with feta and spinach; spinach salad with chopped eggs and microgreens in bacon cups; “hot dog” and “hamburger” macarons; and apple pie parfaits, by Windows Catering Company in Washington

The Blofield collection is available to rent nationwide through CORT Event Furnishings. The line includes an inflatable loveseat and chair made from a durable vinyl material designed to withstand snow, sand, and heat. In addition to cream and black, CORT now offers Blofield seating in vibrant red, too.

Urban Picnic bento box including a chicken ’n’ waffles sandwich; a prosciutto, parmesan, and sherried fig jam sandwich; gazpacho in a cucumber bowl served with a pipette of vinaigrette and a dusting of avocado snow; a Caprese potato salad skewer; and a trio of sweet-and-savory suckers, by Truffleberry Market in Chicago

Bubble Miami offers its inflatable igloos and walls for events throughout Florida. Rental prices range from $200 to $800.

Mac ’n’ cheese; chicken wings served with assorted sauces; kielbasas; Bavarian pretzels; and grilled chicken Caesar salad wraps, by the Garden at Studio Square NYC in New York

Bicycle action performer Trevor Bodogh performs gravity-defying tricks on two wheels while traversing a portable set of obstacles like ramps and platforms. The 25-minute set features Bodogh executing moves like climbing up a six-and-a-half-foot-tall “Devil’s Staircase” on his seatless bike. Bodogh can perform outdoors on a variety of surfaces, and he brings his own equipment, music, and sound system. Based in Toronto, Bodogh travels across the U.S. and Canada; fees start from $1,500.

Bento boxes including chilled Italian antipasti, served with sangria with blood orange ice cubes, iced tea with lemon zest and mint, and Peroni beer, by Parkland Chef in Boca Raton, Florida

New York-based GrooveHoops performs a mix of dance and acrobatics while manipulating Hula-Hoops. The six performers stage choreographed sets that typically last four to seven minutes, while using standard variety, glowing LED, or fire-lit Hula-Hoops. GrooveHoops travels worldwide; fees start from $500 for one performer.

Entertainment company Zen Arts offers an array of entertainment options for dramatic outdoor entertaining, including fire dancers, costumed mermaids, and transparent “bubble spheres” that float on water while holding dancers. Most recently, six female Olympians joined the company’s synchronized swimming troupe. Based in Los Angeles, Zen Arts performers can travel worldwide; performances cost between $10,000 and $100,000.

BrownHot Events used Signature Systems Group’s "Seagrass" sisal carpet at the tent for Veuve Clicquot’s Polo Classic event in October.

In addition to nighttime fireworks displays, PyroTecnico can also present daytime “fireworks” shows using colored smoke. With offices throughout the U.S., the company can stage performances anywhere. Prices available on request.

At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 presentation, a large cart overflowing with roses and peonies stood near the entrance to the venue. As guests left, they were given small bouquets or single stems as festive gifts.

The Lincoln Park Zoo's auxiliary board hosted its second Zoo-ologie on the tiger- and lion-filled grounds in June. The carousel stayed spinning until 11 p.m., proving to be a popular attraction—and, it turns out, a competitive one. Guests playfully raced toward the creatures they wanted to ride, shouting out dibs on the swan, the cheetah, and the frog.

On July 13, ArtHamptons celebrated the centennial of Jackson Pollock's birth—and raised funds for the Jackson Pollock Lee Krasner Study House—with an event that included a performance art installation of a couple getting paint thrown at them.

At Barbra Streisand's recent fund-raiser for the Cedars-Sinai Women's Heart Center in Malibu, guests helped themselves to a raw fruit and veggie bar. In place of a tablecloth, organizers used a quilt to match the vintage-inspired aesthetic of the event.

In July, Keep Memory Alive hosted its Shakespeare Ranch Rodeo in Nevada. The summery event included bronco riding, barrel racing, and kids' watermelon-eating contests.

Nothing says summer like fresh seafood. At the Power Ball in Toronto, V.I.P. guests helped themselves to shrimp and freshly shucked oysters at a chilled seafood bar provided by Petite Thuet.

For the City of Hope "Spirit of Life" gala in Los Angeles, Namevents turned a parking lot adjacent to Geffen Contemporary at MOCA into a dinner space meant to evoke a high-end nightclub. Guests sat in lounge areas with plush couches and blankets, and dinner was served on glass tables with programmable LED bases. On some tables, tall glass vases designed by Chris Matsumoto were filled with water and stones in colors that echoed the hues on the invitation.

On July 28, some 1,200 guests headed out to the Watermill Center in the Hamptons for the art organization’s annual benefit, one of the season’s biggest draws for philanthropists. Inside the dinner tent a chandelier positioned over the dance floor was made up of plastic recycling bags and pink fabric streamers.

Petite Thuet also served a colorful dish of seafood paella at the Power Ball.

En Ville Event Design & Catering in Toronto created a picnic-themed display of fruit, bread, and cheese for a summer event.

Guests at Stella McCartney's 2011 spring preview were treated to shaved ice by People's Pops in New York.

For the dinner, held inside Streisand's home, the summery atmosphere featured neutral tones and fresh-picked centerpieces.

The V.I.P. area of Toronto's Power Ball was styled with rustic elements for an English-picnic look. Designers used loading palettes as banquet seating and cocktail tables.

Markus Daly Ryan produced Univision's Deportes launch in New York, where picnic tables formed the bulk of the seating and found lumber was turned into cocktail tables for a neighborhood-block-party feel.

At Glossed & Found's Meredith Wendell luncheon in Chicago, A Perfect Event placed giant, colorful pool inflatables throughout the venue to set the tone for the pool party theme.

For the picnic-inspired Absolut Orient Apple launch party in New York last summer, organizers covered the floor of the indoor venue with sod, and brought in live trees and wooden barrels filled with thousands of apples.

At a Belvedere-sponsored event during the 2012 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, guests sat on haystacks covered with bright orange blankets and chevron-patterned pillows.

LoLo Event Design offers hand-painted handkerchiefs that can serve as table numbers at a garden event. Geraniums in a terra cotta pot have a more casual feel than an elaborate formal centerpiece.

LoLo Event Design also creates message-in-a-bottle place cards for beach-inspired events.

For an indoor summer-themed gathering, Swank producers used beach balls to create playful "chandeliers." Tables were covered in summery yellow and orange linens.

At Glossed & Found's book launch party designed by A Perfect Event, guests took home summer cocktail recipes provided by Grand Marnier.

Megavision Arts created 2-D and 3-D wall projections as a nod to the pool theme at a party to celebrate newly renovated Los Angeles venue Nic's Beverly Hills.

At the Power Ball in Toronto, piñatas made for a kid-friendly activity.

The recent Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows 100th anniversary bash kicked off with a performance by the Aqualillies, a troupe of water-ballerinas.

Guests also played lawn games like croquet at the Seersucker Ride and Social.

Zen Arts in Southern California offers an array of entertainment that can take place in or around a pool, including their transparent spheres that hold performers and float on water.

At Sunglass Hut's summer block party in Miami, family-friendly games included corn hole, bocce ball, ping-pong, and hopscotch.

Branches, moss, and wooden blackbirds resting on each plate created a Gothic-forest vibe in Kara Mann Designs' dining environment.