Four Steps to a Great Summer Block Party

By Jennifer Matthews

“For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people's love and concern for each other.” Millard Fuller

Who are the people in your neighborhood? Good fences may make good neighbors, but communities where residents take the time to connect over those fences have been proven to be safer and more satisfying to live in. Many cities are encouraging block parties as a means of encouraging neighbors to get to know each other – and to build stronger, healthier communities.

Whether you use your party to raise funds for a local cause or charity, to celebrate a holiday, or just for the fun of it, here are the four key steps to a hosting a great block party.

Step 1: Set up your organizing committee

About two to three months before you’d like to have the party, chat with your neighbors or drop flyers in their mailboxes to get the word out. Let everyone in the neighborhood know that there will be a meeting of those interested in helping to organize the party. You can host the meeting at your home or another local building, like a school, depending on how many people you expect.

Your committee should consist of at least the following: A block party chairperson, and co-ordinators for activities, food, drinks, permits, and cleanup. Be sure to get the kids involved in your organizing as well – they can run ticket-selling tables, games and refreshment stands.

Step 2: Develop a master party plan

Once you’ve established your organizing committee, you can work out the details of your block party. Be sure to host regular meetings (every week or two) to monitor your progress.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Potential themes:

1. Outdoor movie night: Set up a large projector screen or white sheet (over a firm backdrop), and get out the popcorn and the lawn chairs.
2. Culture Fest: Celebrate the multicultural aspects of your neighborhood by including something from each ethnic group. Different foods, music, even dancing lessons can provide opportunities to learn from each other.
3. “Host a Hole” party: Neighbors use plastic tubing, cookie sheets and leftover lumber to build elaborate and imaginative mini-golf holes in their backyards. The party travels from yard to yard where drinks and goodies are supplied and a spirit of friendly competition reigns.
4. Beach party: Drag out the kiddie pools and beach balls, and crank up the surfing tunes.
5. Holiday barbecue and fireworks: Celebrate Canada Day or the Fourth of July close to home. Check with your local fire department before organizing a fireworks show.

Street use:

If you plan to set up activities right on the street, you’ll need to block it off for everyone’s safety. Get in touch with your local municipal office or police station to let them know about your plans – permits are required to close off a street, and they’re usually available for a nominal fee.

Timing:

Weekends are obviously the best time for block parties, and many communities find that Sunday afternoons are a good idea. Plan the party to be no more than two to three hours long.

Drinks:

It’s a good idea to set aside designated areas for alcohol consumption, particularly if there will be a lot of children attending the party. Establish rules about alcohol in advance and be sure they’re clearly posted.

For non-alcoholic options, invite the kids to set up lemonade stands. You’ll need to make up big batches of whatever you provide. Check out our recipe for Big Party Punch or search thatsthespirit.com’s 3,000-drink recipe database for a few creative options.

Activities:

Plan activities that all ages can enjoy. To break the ice, consider awarding prizes for silliest hat or best/worst dressed neighbors (invite area businesses to participate by donating prizes). Pie-eating contests, tug-of-wars, and limbo and hula hoop contests are also great ways to get people laughing. Be sure to provide name tags for everyone, and encourage them to list their first and last names and street address.

Plan team-based games like volleyball, basketball or street hockey. Organize tournaments and make sign-up sheets available before the event. Someone with a large front lawn might be willing to set up a putting green, croquet course, or bocce ball tournament (check out our article for all the how-to’s). To take advantage of your large playing field, how about a neighborhood-sized game of Capture the Flag?

For kids and adults alike, traditional picnic games are always a hit. Water balloon tosses, potato sack races, horseshoes and relays are old-time favorites. Face painting is fun for the kids (the older kids often like removeable tattoos).

A master of ceremonies:

Choose someone outgoing (or nominate yourself) to take on announcement duties throughout the event. Rent a portable microphone or megaphone and have your organizing committee dress in the same colored shirts so they can be easily identified. Portable walkie-talkies for the party crew are a good idea as well.

Recording the event:

With the advent of Web technology, you’re likely to have someone in your neighborhood with a digital camera who can record the event and set up a Block Party Web site to post the photos. If you set the site up before the party, include its address in your flyers. A less technological option: Have someone take Polaroids throughout the party.  

In case it rains:

Establish an alternate date or a plan to move the party to a sheltered area (a pavilion in a neighborhood park, for example) if the weather doesn’t co-operate.

Entertainment:

If you have local musicians or performers, consider setting up a small stage so they can share their talents with the neighborhood. If it’s a holiday celebration, you might want to set up a small fireworks display to cap off the evening (delegate this to a few responsible individuals and check with the local fire department for any necessary permits first).

Food:

Depending on the scale of your event, you can provide food in a number of ways. For a smaller party, each family could sign up to bring a particular item. To make things interesting, the dishes could be specific to that family’s culture. For larger events, borrow as many grills and coolers as possible, and corral them in a designated area. Burgers, hot dogs (and vegetarian options) are simple and inexpensive, and corn roasts are always popular, as is typical picnic fare: potato and macaroni salad, coleslaw, chocolate cake.

Costs:

The biggest costs for the party are likely to be food and any permits or rentals required. To cover rentals costs, consider asking tournament entrants for a nominal fee. For food, if it’s a small potluck event, each family can contribute a set amount of money in advance or agree to bring a particular food item and cover its cost. If you’re planning a larger-scale barbecue, sell food and drink tickets. Prices should be just enough to cover your costs, or slightly more if you’re collecting money for a local charity. Don’t be afraid to ask local businesses for food and drink donations.

Networking opportunities:

Take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about the interests and concerns shared in your neighborhood. For example, if you’re interested in starting a plant exchange or tool or toy lending club, put up a sign or table during the block party to let your neighbors know. If you don’t already have a Neighborhood Watch or Block Parent program set up in your community, this is a great opportunity to get one started. And if there are local issues or petitions to deal with, it’s also a good time to get the word out – just be sure that your social event doesn’t turn into a political one.

Post-party cleanup:

Leaving your neighborhood a disaster zone is a good way to ensure that a block party never happens again. Start by having lots of garbage cans and recycling bins (labeled so they can be returned to their owners later) available throughout the party. And make sure you have a pre-appointed cleanup crew to pick up garbage (this may involve a trip to the dump if garbage pick-up day is a long way off), return items to their owners, and restore the street to its pre-party state.

Step 3: Delegate responsibilities

Half the fun of having a block party is working with your neighbors to make it happen. Be sure you have enough people on your organizing committee to carry out your party plan, and be sure each person is clear about his or her responsibilities.

Step 4: Invite the neighborhood!

Send out not only the details of when and where the event will take place, but also specifics like how people can sign up in advance for sports tournaments, the rules around alcohol consumption, rain plans, and the like. Be sure to request RSVPs to help with food and beverage planning.