Many people can say that they can count the number of times that they have had a conversation with one of their neighbors on one hand. Throwing a neighborhood block party will give you and your neighbors a chance to get to know each other, which is beneficial for many reasons! Throughout the planning and at the actual event, you’ll get to know your neighbors, learn about some of the issues in the neighborhood, and bond with new people.
Step 1: Start the Planning Process
The first thing you will want to do is get a few of your neighbors to plan the block party with you. By getting the people in the neighborhood to get involved in the planning process, you’ll get them to be a lot more invested in the actual event. You probably know some of your neighbors a lot better than the others, so start by getting them on the planning committee. Perhaps your friends could then talk to the other residents and get them excited about the party.
Step 2: Pick the Party Date
Never book your neighborhood block party on the same date as a national or religious holiday. You don’t want to find out that half of the neighborhood has gone away to religious observations or their last family vacation of the summer season.
The time that you hold the block party is also critical. If your neighborhood has a lot of kids, plan it for a weekend afternoon so that it will take place after activities and athletic games. If your neighbors tend to fall on the advanced end of the age spectrum, you can hold the block party in the early evening as most people won’t have to get babysitters.
Step 3: Pick the Location
Once you choose the date and time, make sure that your desired location is available. Unfortunately, your preferred date and time of the block party will not always match your location’s availability. In this case, you will need to begin the location scouting all over again.
Make sure you or a member of the HOA committee ensure that you’re following neighborhood or city regulations. For example, your neighborhood association might require that you get a permit before you can block off your street. If you plan on using a green space, you might need to get permission from the city.
Step 4: Invite Your Neighbors
Now the time has come to invite your neighbors to the block party. If you put yourself on a neighborhood email list, you can invite people through email. You can also go the old school route and create poster board signs. If your children have made friends with the other neighborhood kids, you can get them involved in sign making and make a fun day of it. On the signs, include contact information where neighbors can learn more about the event.
A third option for advertising is flyers. On the flyers, include the day, location, and time of the event. You should also put on the flyer what you and the committee will provide at the party (if anything) and what the guests will need to bring (if anything).
What better way to kick off spring and summer than to get to know those around you? For more information about neighborhoods around our area, please feel free to contact us at Team Kuptz.