Fireworks may light up the sky this Fourth of July, but the real party happens on the grill. Honor America 250th birthday by firing up a backyard feast with meats and seafood from your local Strack & Van Til Food Market.

Celebrate Independence Day with the freedom to choose from thick and juicy, restaurant-quality pub burgers from the Meat Department. Experience the cheddar bacon burger, made with Wisconsin cubed cheddar cheese and smoky bacon, or turn up the heat with the Pepper Jack bacon burger. Enjoy a Swiss and mushroom burger or cheddar burger topped with grilled onions or the mozzarella Italian burger and add spice to your meal.

The blue cheese pub burger is what Meat and Seafood Director Gary Teachman calls “black and blue done right,” and the black pepper burger is a longtime customer favorite. “It’s a half-pound burger made from a blend of high‑quality Certified Angus Beef and is sure to be the best you’ve ever eaten,” he says.

No Fourth of July cookout is complete without sausage, and the Strack & Van Til Meat Department features 35 varieties made fresh from the finest ingredients, including Prime pork and Strack & Van Til signature seasonings. Opt for mild or hot Italian; chorizo; Cajun; Holiday Italian with Italian cheese, bell peppers and onions; apple; garlic Polish; andouille; and more, with selections that change seasonally. Specialty sausages include hot and mild Italian beef sausages and the unique Reuben, a sausage made with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, available seasonally.

Looking for unusual flavor? Bratwurst is the boss! Try Zombie Dust, pineapple, jalapeño and beer bratwurst, amongst others.

Kabobs are easy to make and colorful, and include a protein, fresh bell peppers and onions. Choose center‑cut top butt steak, hand‑trimmed fresh natural chicken, Smithfield Prime pork tenderloin, natural turkey tenders or seafood options such as farm-raised Atlantic salmon or tuna, and regular or seasoned skewered shrimp. Many Strack & Van Til Seafood Department locations will even grill them for you.

For big summer flavor without the meat, the Seafood Department has freshly made salmon burgers in flavors including zesty dill, Cajun, spinach feta and garlic Parmesan, each offering important omega‑3s.

Round out your celebration with bacon‑wrapped asparagus, made with fresh asparagus, bacon and Strack & Van Til special seasoning, cooked on your grill’s top shelf and ready in 20 minutes. Grilling tins filled with twice baked potatoes, potato skins, campfire potatoes or firecracker corn are tasty sides that enhance your meal.

This year, make our country’s 250th Fourth of July celebration one to remember with a grilling gathering and selections from your local Strack & Van Til.