pie-eating contest, a three-legged
race, or a small parade. renting
a bounce house or hiring a clown
or balloon artist to entertain chil-
dren is another inexpensive way
to bring some fun to a community
event.
planning and delegating are
the keys to a successful event.
like Brookwood, you could form
a committee in your neighbor-
hood. three months before your
community event, you should
designate one person as the main
contact for publicity, another to
handle insurance, permits, and
other legal requirements, a third
to organize the food, and a fourth
to coordinate the activities. a
month before, send out the invi-
tations, perhaps in the neighbor-
hood newsletter. apply for any
necessary permits, and reserve
any equipment you will need. a
week before, follow through with
activities and food assignments
and make sure that everyone in the community knows about the party.
at the actual event, you should have name tags on hand, so that no one will
feel uncomfortable when they can’t remember the name of the person they’ve lived
next-door to for thirteen years (it happens!). enjoy the opportunity to get to know
your neighbors in a casual setting. a close-knit community is a happy community,
and a safe one.
How to Host the Perfect Block Party
Consider your neighborhood. are most of your neighbors families with small children?
you will want to plan activities to keep the little ones occupied while the adults
connect around the soda cooler. is your neighborhood a mix of families and retired
senior citizens? You might be surprised how much you have in common, and how
much you will enjoy each other’s company.
Pick your time. many neighborhoods plan block parties around special community
events, like neighborhood garage sales or holidays when more people are off work
and can attend. a memorial day picnic lunch or a fourth of July children’s parade
can be a fun way to connect with the people on your street. you might want to send
out a survey to see when the best time would be for the most residents.
Plan your menu. it’s easy to include everyone with a little forethought. maybe a few
neighbors with grills can barbecue hotdogs and hamburgers in a central location,
like a neighborhood park or a large driveway. divide neighbors up by address and
assign drinks, chips, side dishes such as salads, and desserts. or have everyone
bring their own meat to grill, and provide a fun treat like brownie sundaes or root
beer floats. Be sure to consider how you will handle and store the food safely (noth-
ing ruins a good party like salmonella poisoning!)
Keep it simple. don’t worry about planning too many activities. often the best neigh-
borhood get-togethers are casual affairs where you can connect and talk about
what’s going on in your busy lives.
Create community. a neighborhood block party is a good time to find out what’s going
on in your neighborhood. have there been burglaries reported in the area? is the
homeowner’s association neglecting a common area? has one of your neighbors re-
cently fallen ill, or lost a job? By talking about these and other concerns in an infor-
mal setting, neighbors can work together to help each other and to find solutions.
30 l www.eaglemagazine.com
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