Want a way to combine two of your favorite summer activities: pool parties and taco bars? How about a FLOATING taco bar! Obviously, the first rule of a floating taco bar is you’ll need calm waters, so a pool. Not the beach or a lake because if the tide comes in or the wind picks up, your taco bar will be lost at sea.
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Once you’ve settled on a pool (or pond) location, here’s how to set up a taco-tactic floating taco bar.
The Float
You’ll need to get yourself an inflatable buffet bar. This bad boy will come in handy for all future pool parties, not just the one involving tacos. You can use it for drinks or other snacks next time. For now, this is the base for which our floating taco bar will be built. Make sure you get enough ice to keep the food stuff chill while it’s floating in the pool.
The Menu
Due to the arguably precarious nature of having a floating food bar, we want to keep food stuff as simple as possible. And since the float can only hold so many things, unless of course you want to have TWO floats. We recommend building out your taco bar “taco in a bag” style. This will be easier for party guest to manage and less mess/cleanup.
Besides, if you go with plates and a plate of tacos is dropped in the pool, the guest will cry, you’ll cry, we’ll all cry over the lost tacos.
Here’s what you need for “taco in a bag”:
- Single-serving bags of Doritos or Fritos
- Ground beef or turkey (pre-cooked with taco seasoning)
- Black beans (if you want a vegetarian option)
- Shredded cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced onions
- Diced jalapenos
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Diced tomatoes
Want some tacos-in-a-bag inspiration, check out all these ideas on Pinterest.
You’ll want to get some plastic serving containers to sit in the floating buffet. One cool trick to try with the salsa and sour cream is to put those in squeeze bottles.
Some Fun Add-Ons
Taco Bar Cards
If you just want to add some flare to the float, add taco bar cards to label everything. You can make these yourself or you can buy some pre-made taco bar printables on Etsy. Whether you buy some printables or print themselves, we’d recommend buying some laminating sheets and laminate your cards. Paper and water aren’t friends.
Taco Balloons
Who doesn’t love balloons?! Make it a real party by adding a taco balloon. It’s easy to get these filled up at a grocery store or party store the day before or the day of your taco party.
Everything Else
That about covers the basics for hosting a floating taco bar. Don’t forget things like plastic forks, napkins, bags of ice, containers with lids if you need to cover anything or leftovers, etc.
You’ll also want to make sure you have drinks, like water, fruit juice, adult beverages if you so desire. But be smart about alcohol consumption. Few things kills the vibe at a floating taco bar party like irresponsible drinking.
Enjoy the party and be prepared to become the most popular person in the neighborhood. And if you’re looking for more fun taco stuff for summer, we’ve got you covered with taco towels and more!
Top Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash
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