Bring The Boardwalk To Your Backyard

Certain foods bring you back to certain memories. For us, some of the most vivid are from foods found at the shore — boardwalk favorites, if you will.

Getting sticky fingers from saltwater taffy while the your toes wiggle in the sand, ice cream dripping down your hands from the monster bite you just took out of that waffle sandwich, a powder-filled face from the heap of funnel cake you just inhaled — childhood never tasted so good. 

But what if the boardwalk is too far away for your family or not in the budget? Why not bring the boardwalk to you? 

Think about it: Quirky games like bottle toss, knocking over a few milk cartons, guessing your weight — these can all be done at home. String lights around the yard, hang a few flag streamers for a vintage flair, and have a bandstand soundtrack playing. 

For shore fare, batter hot dogs and make crispy corn dogs on a stick accompanied by none other than everyone's favorite — cheese fries. Cotton candy and caramel popcorn will surely set the scene as well. For the sweet side, the sky is the limit: funnel cake, waffles and ice cream, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and water ices make for a perfect ending to a great themed evening.

If you really want to get in the mood, rent a projector and watch classic amusement- and boardwalk-filled movies like The Sandlot, Big, Grease, and Adventureland.