Throwing a great party is one thing. Throwing a great neighborhood or block party is sometimes harder to do – the pressure is on, because these are people you see pretty much every day.
You want to make sure the neighborhood party is one everyone will remember (for the right reasons) and enjoy.
Learn How to Throw a Great Neighborhood Party
There are many factors to consider for a party. Most of all you want to create a fun and enjoyable atmosphere not to mention memorable. We know a thing or two about parties, so we felt it was best to share some tips to help make your event extra special. Here’s an overview of things you will need to decide upon, often months in advance.
Pick Two Dates
Right from the start, you want to have one date for the party and another rain date. You can control almost everything else in this situation, but not the weather.
Pick Your Party Boundaries
Do you want to invite everyone on your block? Everyone on your street? Everyone in the entire neighborhood (hopefully you’ve got a small neighborhood if that is the case)? Before sending out invites, make sure you have a set boundary. And then remember this very important rule: you must invite everyone within that boundary. There’s no way to have a great neighborhood party if you don’t invite everyone in the neighborhood.
Fees and Permits
Depending on where you live, there could be municipal or county fees involved with throwing your party. Check with you neighborhood association as well. No matter where you live, you will want to notify the police several weeks in advance if you are throwing a big neighborhood party, they then can share any regulations they have as well as possibly provide services such as road blocks.
Food
Deciding on what to serve is a decision that’s needed early, because then you can delegate out tasks like who will bring grill, plates and cups, napkins, hot dogs, burgers, popcorn, chips and salsa, etc. Keep it simple and keep it to items most people will like – now is not the time to introduce the kids to anchovy pizza.
Party Fun
Kids (and, frankly, adults) can get bored just standing around. You will want to line up a number of games and activities to keep them having fun. One option is renting a couple of party inflatables, such as a jousting arena or slide. There are also portable swimming pools or even video game trucks you can rent for the day. Depending on the age of the kids, you can also consider glow sticks, bubble wands, dodge ball, water balloons and sack races.
Consider Inviting Local Civil Servants
In some cases, it is considered good form to invite members of the police and fire department to your neighborhood party – it builds better community relations for officers of the law and emergency workers to know local residents.
Remember that not everyone will want to attend the party, but that’s OK. Let them know all the times and the sort of events that will be happening, anyway, and also try not to do anything in front of their houses if it can be avoided.
Following these simple steps will help make your party easier to host and more fun for all.
