In a word, my street rocks. We have had a block party for 6 years in a row, and they have all been awesome, so I thought I’d share some of the things we’ve learned and some of our favorite parts of the whole affair, the most important being to appreciate our neighbor Elise who does most of the prep work. We are so grateful to you, Elise!
1. Get the paperwork done for the City permits EARLY. It takes longer than you could possibly imagine for the permits to be approved, insurance secured, street signs posted and barricades issued. And you have to do all that and maybe more to get your street blocked off, a basic requirement of a block party. 
Because you do NOT want this to happen:
2. Rent tents. It’s no fun to sit in the hot sun, or to have the food sitting in the hot sun. 
3. You need tape and scissors — you just do. 
4. A bouncy house is a must. 
5. A Baking Contest is a fun competition for neighbors. But it’s a win-win; everyone gets great treats and I always make sure everyone gets some sort of prize. (Hint: each baked good can be a category of its own.) 
6. A raffle is fun and helps raise money for next year’s block party. 
7. A dunk tank can’t be beat. 
8. A live band is a great addition, especially if one of the members is your husband. (On the left.)
9. It’s helpful to have a beer brewer (and his beer) at the party, especially if it’s great beer like Angel City. 
10. Have great neighbors who all want to celebrate living in a great community!
Comments
6 responses to “Ten Tips For a Great Block Party”
Y’all are awesome! Way to get the neighbors together!
Sarah, thanks for this & for your amazing blog. (I love House of the Week!). I’ve been thinking for awhile that I’d like to get involved in the neighborhood and do something festive to connect up with my neighbors. This looks like quite an undertaking — do you have any suggestions about how to start on a slightly smaller scale? Mitra
Mitra, thanks for reading! I’d suggest a theme dinner night at one neighbor’s house to start. We’re doing our annual chili cook-off and movie night (you can add that if someone has a big living room they’d like to share) next month, and for something like that you don’t need to get a permit or close the street.
Or you can skip the movie part and do a BBQ/pot luck with the neighbors. Then you’ll see how many are interested in doing something on a larger scale and enlist people to help.
Have fun!
thanks Sarah, that sounds doable (and fun) ! 🙂
Sarah, you do have the best block ever!
This is a fun little article on boosting block spirit from a writer in Los Feliz …Although I’m not quite ready to turn my front yard into a farm 🙂 http://www.good.is/post/neighborhood-pride-ten-ideas-to-boost-block-spirit