Thanksgiving Outside. Family Doesn't Pile Up Indoors.

Three things: a mid-to-high-BTU gas fire table (60-85K BTU is plenty), two patio heaters (46,000 BTU Bromic or Infratech for broad coverage), and warm blankets. The fire table is the social center; the patio heaters cover the "away from the fire" zones. 10 people comfortable at 35°F — tested on our team's actual Thanksgivings.

If you order by November 10 and buy ready-stock. Elementi concrete tables, American Fyre Designs stock pieces, and most Modern Blaze SKUs ship in 10-14 days. Hand-forged Corten (Ohio Flame, Starfire) is 6-8 weeks built-to-order — order by October for Thanksgiving delivery. Each product page shows live lead time.

If you have a natural gas stub at the patio, use it — no tank swaps, no refilling at midnight. Propane is still fine for 1-2 hour Thanksgiving dinner (a 20-lb tank runs a 60K BTU fire table for 10-12 hours). For bigger gatherings or longer evenings, a 100-lb propane tank or buried line beats the 20-lb exchange tank for cold-weather vaporization efficiency.

Two Bromic Platinum Smart-Heat (500 series, 46K BTU) or two Infratech 61" electric units covers an open patio for 10 guests. Each unit throws comfortable heat about 8-10 feet. If the patio is enclosed on 2-3 sides, one unit may be enough. If fully open to wind, consider three.

Blankets — Pendleton or Faribault wool throws elevate it from "camping" to "intentional." A hot-drink setup: cider warmer, insulated carafes, hot cocoa station. A rolling bar cart for drinks keeps traffic out of the kitchen. A couple of weather-resistant outdoor speakers for ambient music. We don't carry those — but the fire feature is the one piece that makes everything else make sense.