Call 1-866-SHORTERS to place an order. $6 standard shipping.

Log in / Sign in

Lost password ?

0 ($0.00) 0

No products in the cart.

Return To Shop
Shopping cart (0)
Subtotal: $0.00

Checkout

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Our History
  • Tour Our Stores
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Hiring
  • Contact
Cart ($0.00) 0
Log in / Sign in
Menu Categories
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Our History
  • Tour Our Stores
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Hiring
  • Contact
  • Christmas
    • Christmas Gifts
    • Stocking Stuffers
    • Christmas Ornaments
  • Foodie Boxes
  • Gifts
    • Big Foot Themed Gifts
    • Gifts for Him
    • Graduation
    • Michigan Themed Gifts
    • Gifts for Her
    • Baby Shower
    • Easter
    • Your Vote Matters
    • Halloween
  • Petoskey Stones
    • Books
    • Cutting Boards
    • Money Clips
    • Petoskey Stone Ornaments
    • Petoskey Stone Key Chains
    • Collegiate Petoskey Stones
    • Petoskey Stone Cabinet Knobs
    • Polished Petoskey Stones
    • Petoskey Stone Slabs and Chips
    • Petoskey Worry Stones
    • Petoskey Stone Souvenirs
    • Petoskey Stone Clocks & Bookends
    • Petoskey Stone Magnets
    • Petoskey Stone Favors
    • Petoskey Stone Cutlery & Wine Stoppers
  • Home
    • Candles
    • Cleaning Sprays, Wipes, and Soaps
    • Decor
      • Wooden Signs
      • Personalized Wooden Signs
        • Beach & Water Sports
        • Cabin & Lodge
        • Food & Drink
        • Hunting & Fishing
        • Sports, USA & Misc. Signs
        • Winter Sports
    • Bath and Body
    • Magnets
    • Ornaments
    • Trivets
    • Mugs
    • Michigan Car Decals
    • Coasters
  • Fashion & Style
    • Glasses
    • COVID-19 Humorous Hats
    • Socks and Hats
    • Clothing
    • Purses and Bags
      • Everyday Bags
      • Jenna Kator Collection
    • Jewelry
    • Deer Skin Gloves
  • Fabric Face Masks
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Keychains
  • Stickers
  • Puzzles
    • Circle Shaped Puzzles
    • Michigan Themed Puzzles
    • More Fun Puzzles
    • Nature & Animal Puzzles
    • Puzzles for Kids
  • Minnetonka Moccasins
    • Infant and Children's
    • Men's
    • Women's
  • Birdhouses
  • Toys and Books
    • Activities & Games
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Books & Journals
    • Educational
    • Sensory Toys
    • Stuffed Animals/Other
  • Tie Tacks
  • Pocket Knives
  • Stationary & Cards
  • Petoskey Stone Jewelry
    • Petoskey Stone Necklaces
    • Petoskey Stone Rings
    • Petoskey Stone Pendants
  • Bundled & Themed Gift Sets
  • Lake Products
    • Burt Lake
    • Lake Michigan
    • Mullett Lake
    • Pickerel Lake
    • Petoskey & Lakes Items
    • Crooked Lake
    • Douglas Lake
    • Lake Charlevoix
    • Walloon Lake
    • Great Lakes
    • Torch Lake
  • Sweet Treats
  • Mixed Stone Jewelry
    • Beach Glass
    • Gem Stone Rings
    • Leland Blue Beads
      • Larger Leland Blue Beads
      • Small Leland Blue Beads
    • Pudding Stone
    • Fordite Pendants
  • Gift Certificates
  • Sale
  • Brownwood Farms
0 ($0.00) 0
0 Shopping Cart

No products in the cart.

Return To Shop
Shopping cart (0)
Subtotal: $0.00

Checkout

Alternative Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July

July 1, 2020 / 0

4th of July is looking a little different this year with the parade and fireworks being canceled, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t alternative ways to celebrate the 4th of July.

4th of July in Petoskey, MI from Grandpa Shorter's Gifts in Petoskey, MI

Alternative Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July:

Backyard BBQ: Turn your backyard into a fun and inviting place for you and your family. Start with some festive decorations; you can string some red, white, and blue lights along your fence or on your house.

You’ll want to make some fun and festive 4th of July food and snacks like our 4th of July Layered Drink or these Mini Patriotic Fruit Cups. Don’t forget to grab some fun, affordable, and festive tableware to go with your patriotic food and beverages.

When the sun begins to set, it’s a great time to set up some chairs around a fire pit, roast some s’mores, and get out the sparklers and small fireworks. Just make sure to use these 7 Firework Safety Tips.

Rent a Boat: There are so many local marinas and boat rental businesses near Petoskey. Give one a call and see if they have any boats left for the day. It’s a fun time out on the water on a hot day. Bring some drinks, snacks, a lifejacket, and have a fun 4th with your family by hanging out and swimming.

Camp in your backyard: You’ll want to set up camp ahead of time, so it’s ready come nightfall. Spread a tarp out on your grass, pitch your tent on top, fill your tent with blankets, flashlights, and for extra comfort, an air mattress. Your kids will love their backyard adventure and think their parents are pretty cool after all.

Get Festive: Dress in head to toe red, white, and blue. Grab some light-up headbands and necklaces from Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts. What’s the 4th of July without a little bling, let’s get tacky! Grab some glow sticks and American flag sunglasses and have a blast. Make sure to take lots of pictures.

You might also enjoy:

7 Firework Safety Tips: With it already being July 1st summer has definitely arrived in Northern Michigan. Just driving around Petoskey you can tell there is more traffic and most of our summer residents have finally arrived. July 4th is only a few days away and everyone is already stocking up on fireworks.

4th of July Layered Drink: With this week being July 4th already (can you believe it??!!), I thought I’d put together some yummy and really cute kid-friendly July 4th inspired beverages.

Mini Patriotic Fruit Cups:I thought I’d share an easy patriotic fruit cup recipe. As most everyone knows, I am all about easy entertaining. Northern Michigan summers are gorgeous but they also don’t last as long as I’d like so I love making the most the most of it!

Alternative Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July from Grandpa Shorter's Gifts in Petoskey, MI
Tags: 4th of July, bbq
Share Post

About author

Erica

About Author

Erica

Other posts by Erica

Related posts

Now that winter finally showed up, children have a renewed hope of getting a snow day or two off from school. There are a lot of legends and superstitions about “rituals” that will make it snow and keep the big yellow buses off the roads. We can’t guarantee any of these methods work, but if you want to skip class, building a snowman, or enjoy some extra R&R, you can give one of these a try.
General
Read more

Seven Rituals to Try When You Want a Snow Day

The snow finally came to Michigan! Now that we have some white stuff covering the ground the Ski resorts are open and buzzing with activity,... Continue reading
Frosted Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Recipe from Grandpa Shorter's Gifts.
Holiday Love
Read more

Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookie Recipe

Family traditions during the holiday season are what memories are made of. One tradition the Shorter family has each Christmas is making Mari Shorter’s famous... Continue reading
Our Letters to Santa mailbox out in front, lightly covered in freshly fallen snowflakes. It's a tradition all of us at Grandpa Shorter's Gifts love.
Holiday Love
Read more

Letters to Santa Clause

If you’ve ever driven down Lake St. in Petoskey, Michigan, after Thanksgiving, you might have seen our Letters to Santa mailbox out in front, lightly... Continue reading
The best ski resorts in Michigan are all within a day trip of Petoskey and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Holiday Love
Read more

The Best Ski Resorts in Michigan

The best ski resorts in Michigan are just a few miles from downtown Petoskey, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Northern Michigan has... Continue reading
Green bean casserole is a staple on the dinner table Thanksgiving day, a creamy and crunchy side dish that everyone enjoys.
Holiday Love
Read more

Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole is a staple on the dinner table on Thanksgiving day, a creamy and crunchy side dish that everyone enjoys. If you make... Continue reading

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

Categories

Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts is Petoskey’s original souvenir store, since 1946. Family owned and operated in the heart of downtown Petoskey, Michigan, specializing in Petoskey Stones, mixed stone jewelry, Minnetonka Moccasins, Michigan merchandise, Pendleton, and much more.

Call us to order: 1-866-SHORTER

Store hours may vary and change, please call ahead

Grandpa Shorter's Gifts

Monday-Saturday 9 am-6 pm | Sunday 11 am-5 pm

J.W. Shorter & Son Mercantile

Monday-Saturday 10 am-6 pm | Sunday 11 am-5 pm

The Katydid

Saturday 10 am-6 pm or by appointment

Our Stores

  • Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts
  • J.W. Shorter & Son Mercantile
  • Trapper’s Cabin
  • The Katydid
  • Hiring
  • Virtual Tours

Helpful Links

  • Customer Registration
  • GS Gift Certificates
  • Gift Certificate FAQ
  • Privacy Notice
  • Shipping & Returns
  • Terms of Service
  • Product Categories and Brands
  • Account Login

Category Favorites

  • Petoskey Stones
  • Leland Blue
  • Lake Products

© All Rights Reserved. Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts | Web Design by Eco-Office Gals • Social Media Consultant Sommer Poquette | Keep it Real Social LLC