Summer party ideas

At the 2012 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, presenting sponsor Belvedere offered refreshing beverages made with their Lemon Tea vodka, including the Lemon Tea Classic Punch, a drink that featured sherbet, black tea, and a mint sprig garnish.

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.

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.

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

A garden-inspired dish featuring seasonal vegetables by Great Performances in New York can stand in for a traditional floral centerpiece.

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

For Heineken's Inspire Tour in 2010, the food was adapted to the New York market with items like Reuben sandwiches, Chinese dumplings, hot dogs, and falafels served from street carts.

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

At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 collection preview, waitstaff passed citrus-infused cocktails in Mason jars.

Also at Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 collection preview, dessert stands offered sweets from Coolhaus and Pie Corps (pictured). At the latter, guests could also pick up prepackaged jars of fruit cobbler.

McCartney's carnival-themed presentation also had a mac 'n' cheese station. Guests could grab a mini serving wrapped in a spinach cone from a Ferris-wheel stand, or opt for a full cup that could be topped with veggie bacon bits, truffle oil, jalapeños, scallions, or sriracha sauce.

For the grand opening of the Miami Airport Convention Center in Miami earlier this year, the venue's catering team created an edible garden using toasted pumpernickel crumbs as "dirt" with spears of baby carrots, asparagus spears, and zucchini, as well as baby tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella "flowers."

At this year's Luminescence gala in Chicago, passed canapes included cured salmon lollipops, displayed on beds of wheatgrass.

As part of Colgate's White Beauty Bar event in Los Angeles, Skintimate treated attendees to a self-serve sorbet station.

Boston-based event design firm LoLo Event Design recommends setting up self-service bars at summer events. The display includes premixed drinks in large Mason jars, along with fresh herbs and seasonal flowers.

For a fun spin on a summer favorite, LoLo Event Design has caterers serve passed bite-size ice cream cones and ice cream sandwiches.

At this year's Tony Awards gala in New York, guests could serve themselves cups of YoArt's frozen yogurt. There were 80 different toppings, including fresh fruit and gummi candies.

Tabú nightclub at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is offering several Fourth of July-inspired cocktails this summer. The White Night (pictured) is a sweet and savory blend of Malibu rum, Frangelico, Rumplemintz, and cream strained and served over ice, then garnished with raspberries and blueberries.

At Barbra Streisand's fund-raiser for the Cedars-Sinai Women's Heart Center in Malibu, colorful floral arrangements in wooden vases played off the outdoor setting.

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

California-based rental company Archive Rentals offers a large collection of authentic vintage Western and camping-themed items, including reclaimed barn-wood tables, camping trailers, Airstream trailers and canoes.

The centerpieces at Diffa's Garden gala in Chicago this year included candelabras wrapped in greenery and white flowers surrounded by Mason jars holding tealights.

For the Central Park Conservancy's annual "Taste of Summer" event in New York, designer Marc Wilson punched up the all-white furnishings with drapes and throw pillows in bright pink, green, and yellow hues.

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 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.

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.

Chevron-patterned linens were also used on cocktails tables, and sunflower bouquets served as centerpieces.

At this year's Casa de Don Julio event in New York, the outdoor terrace was decorated with Mexican-inspired decor, with barrels and wooden benches used for guest seating and cocktail tables.

This year's Adam Smith Awards gala, which took place in Washington, D.C., had a red-white-and-blue theme.

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.

At Sears' and Kmart's 2012 collection press preview, the design team brought in foliage, benches, and six live canaries. The birds chirped from freestanding cages placed around the product vignettes.

For a recent pool party, the team at Swank Productions kept the decor streamlined, with a mostly white color palette, mirrored furnishings, and plenty of sheer draping.

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.

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

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

At the Seersucker Ride and Social in Washington, D.C., guests enjoyed music from a 1920s jazz band. As a nod to the theme, participants dressed in seersucker and Jazz Age fashions.

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

At last year's Stella McCartney spring preview, guests played ping-pong at a table set up outside.

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 the Power Ball in Toronto, guests took a ride on wooden swings in the main party area.

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

Pop-a-shot basketball was a popular activity at Sunglass Hut's summer party.

For Yahoo's Genome relaunch party in New York, organizers brought in a trio of synchronized swimmers from Gotham Synchro to swim in the venue's indoor pool. The water dancers sported alien-inspired body suits as a nod to the event's futuristic theme.

Dubbed "Hannah Mermaid," model Hannah Fraser is available for corporate events, and specializes in underwater "aquabatics" and open-water diving.

The Global Business Travel Association hosted its annual conference in Boston in late July, and participating company Carlson Wagonlit Travel hosted an after-party at Symphony Hall on a Tuesday night. Benefiting Project Step, the event was produced by Kuoni Destination Management had a "Thrive in Retro" theme inspired by Mad Men. Models dressed in sleek, '60s-style outfits and carried retro-style cocktail trays with specialty drinks such as classic Manhattans and sloe gin fizzes.

At Carlson Wagonlit Travel's late July gathering, snacks matched with the retro theme. Served in spoons, on square plates, and in decorative bowls, menu items included assorted deviled eggs, Caesar-salad spring rolls, and BLT-stuffed tomatoes.

On June 26, the Paris Opera Ballet performed Giselle at the Harris Theater in Chicago. Drawing on the ethereal, ghostly set of the famous ballet, designer Bill Heffernan of HMR Design Group brought a moonlit-forest look to the tent that housed the ensuing gala in Millennium Park. Large, transparent cubes decorated with projected branch patterns hung overhead in the dining space, while ferns and white freesia topped the tables.

For the Shedd Aquarium’s Luminescence gala in Chicago, a Shedd trainer holding a penguin modeled an auction prize, a pendant that was inspired by the Chicago institution’s beaux arts clock.

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.

The Washington National Opera Ball was held at the United Arab Emirates and, consequently, had an Arabian theme. After walking through a series of Arab pergolas, guests entered the embassy's grand portico, which featured a 23-foot starburst lantern lit by candles that the Kennedy Center built for the event.

The 27th annual Chefs' Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels took over the rink at New York's Rockefeller Center in June. With a cinematic theme, renowned chefs created dishes inspired by their favorite movies, including Jaws, The Perfect Storm, and The Godfather.

Kiehl's 10-day philanthropic motorcycle ride along the Eastern Seaboard wrapped up with a finish-line party July 20 at the Kiehl's Georgetown store. The event, which raised awareness for H.I.V./AIDS research and resources, had motorcycle-inspired decor and cuisine including a dessert display from Georgetown Cupcake.

In the Hamptons, the Parrish Art Museum's Midsummer Party included dinner in an ornate tent. Overhead, a leafy projection and twinkling rope lights contrasted with a more high-tech lighting rack, which produced a dancing effect.

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.

Fashion as Art Exposed, a fund-raising event in support of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, took place in Ontario in June. To showcase the work of Canadian designers—and to underscore the theme of fashion as art—organizers posed models in giant frames.

The National Ballet of Canada celebrated its 60th anniversary in June. During the reception, which had a specialty vodka cocktail called "Diamonds in the Skyy," ballerinas danced and stretched casually amid the guests.

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.

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.

At Barbra Streisand's summer 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 June 14 event.

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.

Apparently, a little rain doesn’t dampen the allure of a summer barbecue. On June 22, Boston’s "Chefs in Shorts" benefit for Future Chefs drew some 900 guests who sampled grilled snacks from 38 local eateries while hoisting umbrellas. At the booth from Bond at the Langham Hotel, soaked-but-undaunted staffers busily prepared sliders and champagne cocktails.

Ravinia music festival celebrated its women's board's 50th anniversary at a black-tie gala in July. After a performance from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and singers including Patti Lupone, guests had dinner in a tent lavishly decorated by Event Creative. At the entrance, designer Jeffrey Foster created a custom wooden canopy of trees inspired by Ravinia's logo.

On June 22, the Chicago Botanic Garden celebrated its 40th anniversary at the annual Summer Dinner Dance. For the tent, designer William Heffernan of HMR Design Group created what he called "an impressionistic painting of a pink rose garden." The tent had a color scheme of raspberry, red, and white, with thousands of roses in different shades of pink.

The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago gave its annual summertime ball a "Great Cats-by" theme this year. To channel the interior of a grand East Coast estate described in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, Frost's David Kelly worked with designers from Event Creative to hang a cluster of ornate chandeliers form the top of the dinner tent.

The Village People made a somewhat random—but definitely appreciated—surprise appearance at the Lincoln Park Zoo Ball. A band member lead locals through the appropriate steps to the "Y.M.C.A.," and the iconic group also performed "In the Navy." Guests danced enthusiastically along.

Toast produced the Justice Ball (a fund-raiser for nonprofit Bet Tzedek) at the Book Bindery in Los Angeles. The event had a speakeasy theme replete with roving flappers, prop barrels, and a bar that was cheekily referred to as the "Juice Joint."

Kobo was a sponsor of the June Power Ball at Toronto's Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, where guests could also indulge the child inside. The brand dangled e-readers from a tree in one of the event's main areas, and nearby, guests could take a ride on a swing that read "Take a Moment to Breathe."

At the Boys & Girls Club's Summer Ball in Chicago, HMR Design Group created lounge areas in the same space where the dinner was held. The residential-feeling areas had zebra-striped throw pillows, tufted leather seating, and lighting from candles and oversize lamps.

The associate ambassador board of the American Cancer Society hosted its Skyline Soiree at Chicago's River East Art Center in July. Playing off the society's tagline—"the official sponsor of birthdays"—the whimsical event had a birthday-party theme replete with giant balloons floating above bars and in place of floral centerpieces on tables.