Forget the neighbors you plan to impress or the grandparents visiting from out of town. The grill will be the center of the celebration at tomorrow’s Fourth of July barbecue.

And there’s a good reason for that — it’s the most popular grilling holiday of the year, with 71 percent of grill owners declaring freedom from indoor ovens, opting instead to fire-up their outdoor grills in pursuit of delicious food.

The enjoyment of preparing a meal with no pots and pans to clean up, coupled with the enjoyment of the outdoors, are among the top reasons area residents are buying grills at a steady pace in preparation for tomorrow’s festivities.

His trusty grill was a casualty of a recent move from a home in Myrick to Laurel, said Chris Livingston, necessitating a trip to the Laurel Wal-Mart’s lawn and garden department to purchase a new one.

“Everything else made it to our new house in north Laurel except for my grill,” Livingston said ruefully. “Since I’ve got to grill the meat for 10-15 people tomorrow, I thought I’d come over and buy one so I’d have plenty of time to test it out.”

Livingston had his eye on a Uni-Flame three-burner gas grill that regularly costs $200. A pre-holiday sale reduced the price to $165, which leaves a little extra cash to purchase the “hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks” he’ll grill tomorrow at his family’s backyard cookout.

Department manager Linda Cocroft said the model Livingston was eyeing is one of the store’s biggest sellers due to its versatility and low price. The store also sells Brinkmann grills, which manufacture a variety of both charcoal and gas grills.

One of Wal-Mart’s major selling points, especially for women, is that the store offers free assembly of all grills. However, Cocroft advised those in need of this type of assistance to make purchases by today to insure their grill is ready to go by tomorrow.

Cocroft said Fourth of July week is the time period during when most grills are purchased. She said sales have risen “at least 25 percent” as more homeowners finalize plans for a holiday weekend of grilling. While some go for the high-end gas grills, sales of small, no-frills charcoal grills, which sell for around $25, continue to be strong, Cocroft said.

Memorial Day weekend officially kicked off grilling season and sales were strong prior to that holiday. The last rush for grills will be experienced as Labor Day weekend approaches, she said.

“We are a community of grillers; there are a lot of families and area neighborhoods where people like to gather,” Cocroft said. “”Grilling is convenient, saves time, tastes good, and, perhaps most important to women, it’s a time when you’re not in the kitchen.”

As for Cocroft, she plans to do the grilling at her family cookout, where baby back ribs and steaks will sizzle on her charcoal grill.

“I’m a big believer in charcoal,” said Cocroft, who does a lot of grilling and barbecuing at home. “Gas is good, but I think charcoal is better.”

Alexander’s in Ellisville sells the latest craze sweeping the barbecuing industry – a grill called the Big Green Egg. Oval in shape and racing green in color, this backyard accouterment is an enameled ceramic oddity that’s part grill, a little bit oven and at least one-fourth heavy-duty smoker.

It’s not lightweight – the large model weighs 140 pounds. And not inexpensive – some models cost as much as $900. But when you hear about the lifetime guarantee and the wondrous things the Big Green Egg can do, this new toy is well worth it, says Susan Alexander, one of the store’s managers.