Invite the Whole Neighborhood! | Entertaining and Family Fun

We had our annual block party a few weeks ago and as always a great time was had by all!  Once every year, after school starts and before the coastal autumn turns into chilly winter, we have a neighborhood block party in our cul-de sac. Everyone from preschoolers to our 90-something neighbor, Flo, shows up. These days its not really surprising that when I tell people about our annual party they tell me that they don’t really know their neighbors. If you want to get to know your neighbors, a block party is a great way to start and keep connections and it builds a sense of tradition and community. When we first moved into the cul-de-sac we didn’t know a soul on our street. Our now-friends and neighbors on the corner Rick and Colleen started the tradition with a potluck in their garage. The street we live on is only two blocks long so it was easy to make room for everyone! As our tradition grew so did the crowd and several years ago we moved the party into the cul-de-sac. Here’s how you can begin.

The first way we stay connected is through a list of names addresses and phone numbers that Kit, one of the neighbors, puts together. Kit contacts each household on the street and creates a list with the names and ages of everyone in the house. She then makes a copy for each house and the street and brings them to the block party. Its just one way we can look out for each other.

When school starts we sit down with our calendars and pick a date. I make the invitations and Rick and Colleen walk door-to-door and deliver them. If it is your first neighborhood party it will probably be best if you introduce yourself and let people know what you are planning. We keep it really simple and just ask that folks bring an appetizer, side dish or dessert to share. Rick and Colleen are beer connoisseurs so they bring a small keg of a small batch brewery beer. Other items that people contribute are: pop-up shade tents, card tables, patio chairs, table cloths, napkins, utensils and name tags. I suggest that people write their name in permanent marker on the back of any serving dishes they bring. I went to a kitchen outlet store and bought a couple of plastic platters for just this kind of purpose and they have come in really handy (sometimes we use them for hors d’oeuvres night at home, but that’s another story).

The day of the event people start pulling into the cul-de-sac about an hour before the party is to start. One year it was our next-door neighbor girl’s birthday and they rented a bounce house. That was a big hit. You can plan activities if you have the time. We simply set up the food under one pop-up and a table and chairs under another and the people and food just start pouring in. The adults sit and chat and the kids play. You could give out an award for the family who has lived on the block the longest or to the youngest and oldest guests.

We all eat some wonderful food. This year, our friends Kathy and Russ brought a fantastic marinated shrimp dish. Kathy marinates the shrimp overnight in brine with ginger and spices. The result is plump and flavorful and she adds a chili dip on the side to go along with it.  I’ll try and get the recipe!

I found a fun web site from the UK from an organization called Streets Alive. You may find some fun ideas here http://www.streetparty.org.uk/ . If you visit the site you will notice that they are big on “bunting.” Bunting is a stringer of flags that you hang to make the area look festive. I am going to look for some for next year.

Let me know if you have a block party and please share any ideas for fun activities. Finally, I want to send a big thank you to Rick and Colleen for beginning a neighborhood tradition that has become an event that many of us look forward to every year!