Our Memorial Day + Indy 500 Party: Red, White, BBQ, and Racing Fun

Memorial Day weekend in our house is all about two things:

🇺🇸 honoring what the day truly means

🏁 and fully leaning into Indy 500 chaos

It’s the unofficial start of summer, and honestly? It deserves a party.

We love hosting a Memorial Day + Indy 500 get-together because it’s low-pressure, outdoorsy, loud, messy, and full of food that everyone actually wants to eat. Ask friends and family to bring lawn chairs, kids toys (scooters, chalk, bikes, baseball gloves, inflatable bounce house, etc). Don't stress about entertaining anyone.

My husband grew up in Indianapolis and we went to our first Indy 500 race as a family in 2025. It was absolutely incredible! If you're watching on TV, start watching early-the pre-race events and honors will leave you with chills.

Of course-if you can GO to the race in person-do it. Absolutely do it.

But if you're celebrating from afar-just have fun with it! You truly can't go wrong!

No fancy menus. No complicated themes. Just classic American fun.

The Menu: Classic Backyard BBQ (No Reinventing the Wheel)

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

This is not the day for trendy food. This is the day for the classics.

Our go-to spread:

🍔 Hamburgers

🌭 Hot dogs

🌭 Brats

🫘 Baked beans

🍟 Fries or chips

🌽 Corn on the cob

🍉 Watermelon

🥗 Pasta salad or potato salad

🍪 Brownies, cookies, or popsicles

Simple. Familiar. Crowd-pleasing.

We usually set it up buffet-style so people can graze all day while watching the race and playing games.

The Decor: Patriotic or Go Full Theme

You can decorate this however you want—there are no rules here. Here's a list to help you shop our amazon favorites.

Some ideas:

Option 1: Classic Patriotic

❤️ Red, white, and blue tablecloths

🤍 Star garlands

💙 Flag-themed napkins

🇺🇸 Mini flags in centerpieces

🎆 Mason jars with sparkly picks

Option 2: Indy 500 Racing Vibes

🏁 Checkered flags

🚗 Toy race cars as table decor

📋 Race programs as placemats

🖊️ Sharpies for race-day bets

🎯 Chalkboard with drivers listed

Option 3: Lean Into the Chaos

This is where the fun themes come in:

😂 “White Trash Bash”

🇺🇸 “Most Patriotic Party” (everyone dresses in red, white, and blue)

🏁 “Trackside Tailgate”

🎇 “Stars, Stripes & Speedway”

Give people a reason to dress up—it makes everything more fun.

Yard Games = Mandatory

If it’s nice out, we’re outside. Here's some of our favorite outdoor must haves.

Some of our favorites:

🎯 Cornhole

🥏 Can Jam

🍾 Bottle Bash

⚽️ Yard pong

🏈 Football

Set them up around the yard so people can bounce between food, games, and the race.

Make It Indy 500-Themed (This Is Where It Gets Fun)

You don’t have to be a hardcore racing fan to make this part fun.

Here are some easy ways to add Indy-themed energy:

1. Indy 500 Betting Bracket (Just for Fun)

No real money—just bragging rights.

Have everyone pick:🏁 1st place🥈 2nd place🥉 3rd place

Whoever gets the closest wins a silly prize.

2. Driver Draft

Write driver names on slips of paper.Everyone draws one.

That’s “their” driver for the race.

If your driver wins—you win.

3. Lap Challenges

Every 50 laps:

• Everyone has to switch seats

• Everyone grabs a snack

• Everyone takes a drink

• Everyone plays a quick game

Keeps people engaged even if they’re not big race watchers.

Why We Love This Party

This is one of those weekends that doesn’t need to be perfect.

People are sweaty. Kids are running wild. Food is getting dropped. Music is too loud. Someone is yelling at the TV.

And it’s perfect.

It’s connection.It’s laughter. It’s summer starting.

A Quick Memorial Day Reminder

While we love to celebrate, we also take a moment to remember what this day truly means.

Memorial Day is about honoring those who gave their lives for our freedom.

We usually take a quiet moment—sometimes at dinner, sometimes before we eat—to acknowledge that. It matters.

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