How to Throw a Neighborhood Block Party in 10 Steps
If you're seeking a means to unite your community or extend a warm welcome to new neighbors, there’s nothing like throwing a block party. Such a gathering transforms ordinary driveways and cul-de-sacs into lively hubs of excitement, where the air is filled with the sound of laughter and scent of barbeque, creating lasting memories for all.
Is this your first time organizing a block party? Maybe you're looking for ways to improve an annual tradition? Whatever your familiarity may be, allow us to guide you through the essential steps on how to throw a neighborhood block party that’ll leave your neighbors thrilled for the next one. With decades of experience hosting outdoor events across the nation, we have tons of helpful block party ideas for everyone to have an amazing time.
Benefits of Throwing a Block Party
- Strengthens bonds, fostering a high-trust community environment that enhances safety and livability.
- A perfect opportunity to celebrate a holiday or simply to allow guests to relax and have fun.
- Allows for new connections to be made, creating long-lasting friendships for kids and adults in the neighborhood.
- Helps support the local economy with the presence of food vendors or other businesses contributing to the party.
- Builds a sense of appreciation for the community, encouraging an atmosphere that current and future neighbors want to be a part of.
1) Coordinate with Neighbors
You'll want to have a team to support your efforts in throwing the ultimate block party. Find neighbors who are willing to help with budgeting expenses, booking vendors, marketing the event, providing food, or securing permits. Assigning responsibilities to different people helps divide the workload and guarantees that every facet of the event gets focused attention.
Initial planning should be conducted no later than a month in advance to avoid last-minute hiccups that tend to happen when coordination is rushed. Holding scheduled meetings leading up to the party not only allows your team to work more cohesively but also gives a space for ideas to be shared, improving the party at each assembly.
With careful planning and a team of neighbors willing to help, you can ensure an unforgettable block party experience for everyone in the neighborhood.
2) Plan the Activities
Activities encourage engagement and add entertainment, which can elevate a simple gathering to an incredible block party to remember. When selecting activities, consider the expected demographics of attendees and choose ones that everyone can participate in.
Block Party Activity Ideas
Host an Outdoor Movie Party
Hosting an outdoor movie party is a one-of-a-kind experience for everyone. Imagine hanging out on a blanket with your family under the stars, watching your favorite film on the big screen with the community. Organizing a professional outdoor movie party is easy with the help of your local FunFlicks®. An experienced event technician will arrive at your location, bringing a massive inflatable display, booming high-definition sound system, and crystal-clear laser projector for the ultimate viewing experience. This allows you to enjoy the event while we take care of managing the technology.
If you're struggling to find the best movie for everyone, consider hosting a double-feature that everyone will love. Kick-off the evening with a family-favorite film and end it with a movie for the adults. We can even help you put on a video game tournament, karaoke sing-off, slide show presentation, or pre-movie trivia!
Create Chalk Art
Transform the neighborhood sidewalks and streets into vibrant canvases adorned with chalk art at your neighborhood block party, infusing the gathering with a burst of color and leaving behind cherished memories of the event. This engaging activity is fun for children of all ages as they unleash their creativity, crafting their own unique artworks, while adults come together to collaborate on stunning murals, adding an extra layer of beauty and community spirit to the festivities.
Design Face Paintings
Inspire creativity by setting up a face paint station, allowing children to let their imaginations run wild. With simple strokes from a palette of colors, watch the grins on their faces as they transform into their favorite animals, superheroes, or characters. It’s pretty easy to arrange; all you need are water-based paints, brushes, sponges, and artists who are eager to make dreams come true.
Solve a Scavenger Hunter
Embarking on a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt is an exciting way to launch your block party festivities. It provides children with the opportunity to mingle with other kids in the neighborhood while learning the value of teamwork in problem-solving. To get started, establish the main objective and the coveted grand prize. Next, brainstorm hiding spots for clues, which could range from behind street signs to neighbors' yards or even under rocks. As participants embark on their quest, adult supervision is necessary to ensure their safety. With careful planning and creative hiding spots, the scavenger hunt sets the stage for a memorable and engaging block party activity.
Play Cornhole
Cornhole is one of the best block party activity ideas for all ages to play. It's the perfect game that brings neighbors together with its straight-foward rules and exciting play. Place boards in the street and watch as it brings life to the party. Elevate the experience by hosting a tournament, igniting friendly competition and determining the neighborhood's cornhole champion. Beyond entertainment, this game serves as a cornerstone of any block party, igniting lasting memories and fostering stronger community connections.
Enjoy Live Music
Invite a neighborhood garage band eager to play for an audience at your block party. Featuring local talent not only instills pride in the community but also provides abundant entertainment, amplifying the enjoyment of your event. If finding local musicians to perform proves challenging, curate a playlist tailored for the occasion and blast it at your party instead.
3) Find a Suitable Location
A location that has enough space for the anticipated number of guests and activities should be chosen. Cul-de-sacs are excellent due to their minimal traffic, ensuring the safety of everyone. To further protect guests, consider blocking off the area with cones to prevent cars from driving through. On the other hand, if there is a park in your community, that's an even better place to host the event with ample room for everyone. The party should be held in a spot that's easy for guests to find in the neighborhood.
4) Select a Party Theme
To fully immerse guests in the party experience, it's crucial to select a theme that seamlessly ties every element together. For example, decorating the yard with tiki torches, serving skewers and jungle juice, playing adventurous music, dressing as a safari explorer, organizing a scavenger hunt, and showing Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) on an outdoor movie screen are all excellent ways to theme an Indiana Jones party. Take into account the reason for the event, the season, and the overall audience demographics when choosing a theme.
5) Spread the Word
Promoting your neighborhood block party through physical means, such as distributing invitation letters door to door, placing invites in mailboxes, or posting vibrant posters on community bulletin boards or around the neighborhood, are all effective methods to spread the word.
Also, harness the power of digital platforms by engaging with neighbors through your community Facebook group or sending out personalized texts to ensure widespread awareness. To grab attention, design captivating graphics that vividly showcase the theme, location, start time, admission details, and any other pertinent information.
Utilize our free promotional materials or request tailor-made graphics to elevate your party's visibility and decorate the event space with flair.
6) Set Up & Decorate the Area
Bring your party to life by decorating the area before guests arrive. This may include preparing tables, hanging streamers, welcoming vendors, or putting up signs. By attending to these details before the party kicks off, you create an immersive environment that sets the stage for an unforgettable celebration.
7) Fire Up the BBQ
There's nothing that says “block party” like a classic outdoor barbeque. From burgers and hot dogs to marinated kebabs and grilled corn on the cob, the menu should reflect the diversity of tastes within the community, ensuring that there's something for everyone to enjoy. For those less inclined to wield the spatula, encourage neighbors to contribute by bringing their own dishes for a potluck feast. Alternatively, booking local food truck vendors not only adds convenience but also supports the local economy, offering an exciting array of culinary options to elevate the festivities.
Block Party Food Ideas
Mini Grilled BBQ Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 packet McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 8 street taco size flour tortillas
- 1 cup broccoli slaw
- ½ cup cilantro - roughly chopped
- ½ cup bbq sauce - I like Stubbs, another member of the McCormick family
- 2 tablespoons cotija cheese
Easy Prime Rib
Ingredients
- 4 ½ lb boneless prime rib - at room temperature flaky sea salt - to taste
- 1 large brown or white onion - peeled and sliced into half moons
Spicy Hawaiian Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- 1 cup pineapple - finely diced and well drained of excess juices
- 1 jalapeno - finely diced
- 1/4 onion - finely diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 4 bacon strips - cooked til near-crisp
- 1 cup hawaiian bbq sauce - see below for recipe
- 4 hamburger buns
Block Party Appetizer Ideas
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups shredded chicken - rotisserie chicken works well
- 3 cups cooked bowtie pasta noodles - or another short noodle
- 2 ears of corn
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt to taste
- 2 avocados - sliced
- ½ cup black beans
- 1 bunch cilantro - chopped
- ½ red onion - thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled cotija - or queso fresco cheese
Potato Wedges
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes - about 6-8 potatoes
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika - may substitute regular paprika in a pinch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- pinch black pepper
Chicken Enchilada Dip
Ingredients
- 1 small can red enchilada sauce - (OR 2 cups of my favorite enchilada sauce)
- 1 chicken breast - cooked and shredded, (rotisserie chicken or slow-cooked chicken will work great!)
- 1 small can black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen yellow corn - thawed
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 ½ cups shredded mexican blend cheese - (cheddar or jack cheese would work well too)
- ⅓ cup cilantro - roughly chopped tortilla chips for serving
8) Welcome the Guests
Kick-off your block party with an entertaining icebreaker game to create a welcoming atmosphere. Along with encouraging interaction, icebreakers offer a great way for new neighbors to introduce themselves and for old friends to get back in touch. Activities that promote conversation for guests of all ages include games like "Would You Rather," "Two Truths and a Lie," or a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood.
9) Capture the Moment
Through videos and photos of the event, guests can look back on great memories with family and neighbors. Whether it's candid shots capturing the fun of children playing, group photos immortalizing the bonds of friendship and kinship, or detailed snapshots showcasing the great activities or food, each image tells a story of community connection.
These visual memories not only celebrate the unique culture of the neighborhood but also inspire a sense of communal harmony that fosters ongoing improvements and welcomes future neighbors with open arms.
10) Follow-Up & Clean-Up
As the evening draws to an end and guests begin to leave, show your appreciation by taking a moment to personally thank them for coming. Following their exit, have a clean-up group help you tidy up the area, making sure that all garbage is collected and disposed of. Uphold the integrity of your neighborhood, but also cultivate a positive reputation as a responsible host.
How to Throw a Neighborhood Block Party During Summer
Supply plenty of water at your summer block party to avoid dehydration. If the sun's up and the weather's hot, provide shade with tarps and fans for cooling. Transforming the event into a water party by providing access to a backyard or community pool offers a refreshing escape from the heat. You can also opt for an evening celebration to minimize exposure to high temperatures, creating a cooler and more comfortable environment for guests to relax and enjoy the festivities.
How to Throw a Neighborhood Block Party During Spring
Spring offers the ideal setting for a neighborhood block party, with its cool weather and a community eager to embrace the outdoors after the winter hibernation. However, should rain clouds loom over the forecast, it's wise to entertain the idea of rescheduling the event to a different weekend. This flexibility ensures that guests can fully enjoy the festivities without the interference of bad weather, fostering a more enjoyable experience.
How to Throw a Neighborhood Block Party During Fall
Celebrate the beauty of autumn with a neighborhood block party, complete with beloved fall festival activities such as bobbing for apples and carving pumpkins set against a backdrop of swirling leaves and the scent of freshly baked pumpkin pie. These enduring traditions infuse the gathering with a cozy ambiance, fostering a sense of camaraderie among neighbors.
How to Throw a Neighborhood Block Party During Winter
To ensure warmth and comfort at your winter neighborhood block party, set up heaters and offer steaming cups of hot cocoa or coffee. Engage in beloved seasonal activities like admiring Christmas lights and spreading cheer through caroling, fostering unforgettable memories and a festive atmosphere that captures winter.
Conclusion
At any time of the year, neighborhood block parties serve as fantastic opportunities to build friendships and enhance the sense of belonging within your neighborhood, ultimately contributing to the improvement of your community as a whole.
Event Rentals for Your Neighborhood Block Party
FunFlicks® Inflatable Movie Screen Rentals
FunFlicks® inflatable movie screens are professional quality at an affordable price. There's a size for everyone, whether you're throwing a massive film festival with thousands in attendance or a small birthday with family at your house. To make sure everything runs smoothly, a local FunFlicks® event technician will arrive at your location on time, set up the screen, oversee the technology, and pack it all away at the end of the screening. Booming high-definition sound, crystal-clear laser projection, and a larger-than-life display are all included when you book an event with us.
Backyard 16'
12'x7' Display
100 Guests
20 Cars
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16'x9' Display
250 Guests
50 Cars
Blockbuster 26'
20'x12' Display
500 Guests
75 Cars
Elite 32'
26'x15' Display
750 Guests
100 Cars
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30'x17' Display
1500 Guests
150 Cars
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40'x22' Display
3000 Guests
250 Cars
FunFlicks® LED Screen Rentals
FunFlicks LED screens are perfect for day or night display in almost any environment. Utilizing electroluminescent technology, our LED screens generate light effectively at any time of day. Each panel is rated IP65, meaning they are both rain and dustproof. Day or night, rain or shine, you get to decide when the magic happens. All of our mobile LED trailers have onboard generators for portable power. Therefore, no power supply is needed. Similar to our inflatable screens, our fleet of LED screens comes in a variety of dimensions for a variety of crowd sizes. Local event technicians across the country are available to bring our LED trailers anywhere for you to enjoy video games, live sports, movies, advertisements, or almost everything else!
8'x5' LED Trailer
75 Guests
15 Cars
12'x7' LED Trailer
100 Guests
20 Cars
15'x8' LED Trailer
250 Guests
50 Cars
17'x10' LED Trailer
500 Guests
75 Cars
23'x13' LED Trailer
750 Guests
100 Cars
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