How to Throw the Perfect Block Party

Having neighbors is not the same thing as having a community. If you really want to build strong relationships with the people around you, it’s important to get together every once in a while—and a block party is a great way to do it.

Whether you just moved to the neighborhood and are looking for a novel way to meet everyone and get off on the right foot or you’re a longtime resident who wants to put together a fun, family-friendly event, block parties provide an excellent excuse for people to get outside, mingle, and get to know one another. They can also help strengthen community bonds and deepen relationships beyond a casual “hello,” which comes in handy later on when someone needs to borrow a cup of sugar or get some help shoveling the driveway.

As for putting it together, a block party requires a bit more work than your standard open house or backyard barbecue. Here’s how to do it right, with helpful tips for throwing a neighborhood bash that everyone will appreciate.

8 steps to planning your block party

Throwing a block party is a decent amount of work. Go in with a plan so that you don’t get overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done, and get other neighbors to help you out so that you’re not left shouldering all of the responsibility.

Step #1: Pick a date for your block party well in advance

There’s quite a bit to arrange with a block party, including permits and a (possible) street closure, so the more time you have to work out the details the better. Ideally, you’ll want to pick a date that’s about two to three months out, which will give you plenty of time to organize.

Make sure that you provide your neighbors with enough notice so that as many of them as possible can attend. To increase attendance, you may want to skip any weekends where people are likely to have other plans, such as Fourth of July or Halloween. Alternately, you could choose to do a themed block party around one of these dates—it just becomes even more pertinent that you provide advance notice.

Keep in mind that many towns have limits on when block parties can occur and only offer permits at set times of the year. They may also require at least three months’ notice in order to grant the permit, so you’ll need to account for that as well.

Step #2: Apply for your permit

You will need to get a permit for your block party if you plan to host it on any sort of public lands, including your street or a nearby park. You can skip this step by opting to host in someone’s yard or house instead, though if you plan to play music on loudspeakers or provide alcohol it’s probably a good idea to check in with your town anyway. As a nice bonus, many towns provide free barricades and trash cans with the permit, which is one less thing you’ll have to take care of on your own.

Step #3: Get some help

While it’s not impossible to plan a block party alone, it’s a whole lot easier if you’ve got multiple hands on deck. Ask around to see who wants to get involved, then assign each person a specific task, for example: working out the permit with the town, arranging the food, handling RSVPs, or rounding up speakers so you can play music. Check in with everyone as needed to ensure that each task is moving along smoothly.

Step #4: Set your budget

Is your block party going to be a free event or will there be a cover charge? Getting a permit for your party usually isn’t too pricey (and many towns actually provide them for free), but there are other costs to consider too—such as food, drinks, and entertainment. If you want to keep costs as low as possible, opt for a potluck or BYO-type party, or ask for donations toward the event.

Step #5: Define your boundaries

Decide who you are going to invite to your block party and where the limits are. Will it be just the people on your street or will there be neighbors from other streets included as well? Can people bring guests who don’t live in the neighborhood? The number of people you invite will obviously have a big effect on how much space you’ll need to block off, so you’ll want to iron this out early on.

If you’re worried about taking on more than you can handle, stick to just the natural boundaries of your street. And when getting RSVPs, ask for a head count of attendees from each house so you’re not taken by surprise later on.

Step #6: Choose your entertainment

A mix and mingle block party can be fun, but why not take it a step further with some entertainment? Outdoor games and music are a great way to go, especially for the neighborhood kids. Other ideas include having a face painting or tie dye station, hosting some sort of contest or raffle, and setting up a novelty food station, like an ice cream or sno-cone bar.

Step #7: Figure out your food situation

As mentioned previously, a potluck of BYO food and drink set-up is a good way to keep costs down while ensuring everyone gets fed. If you prefer though, you can arrange food for everyone yourself (with your helpers, of course). A barbecue is a nice option and a good way to feed a crowd. You could also hire a local food truck or two to come out.

Step #8: Send out invites

Speaking of RSVPs, have a plan for spreading the word that goes beyond simple word of mouth. You can leave invitations with details about the event at your neighbors’ front doors or in their mailboxes, or you can hang flyers in common areas where they’re likely to be seen by everyone.

Information that you will want to include on your invitation includes the date, time, and location of the event, what (if anything) people are expected to bring, and the cost per person, if applicable. Give a quick overview of what people can expect at the block party too in terms of entertainment and refreshments.

Managing your block party on the day of

Organizing the block party is the hard part, but there are still some things that you will want to do on the day of to ensure smooth sailing.

- Setting up the party. How long and complicated your set up is will depend on where your block party is, what it entails, and how big it is. Still, as with any event, plan on giving yourself plenty of time to get everything ready to go—and make sure you’ve got helpers there to take some of the load off.
- During the party. As a host, it’s your job to set the tone for the event. Greet and socialize with your neighbors, introduce neighbors who might not know each other, and encourage people as needed to enjoy refreshments and activities. Hopefully everyone will be having plenty of fun without much intervention and you can spend most of your time enjoying the block party that you worked so hard to arrange.
- After the party. Once the party is finished, it’s time to get to work cleaning up, including breaking down tables and returning any rentals that you had for the event. If you start to instigate cleaning up at the end of the event you should have people around who will be glad to help.