Rock Your Block with These Neighborhood Party Planning Tips
There’s nothing like a neighborhood block party to bring different families together. It does take considerable effort to plan a successful block party, so it’s a good idea to enlist some of your neighbors to lend a helping hand. Delegate tasks to ensure everything gets done in time. Someone else could be in charge of spreading the word about the event, while you coordinate the event rentals, for example.
Keep it legal.
It’s likely that you’ll need a permit to host a block party. Check with your municipality. Be sure to adhere to all of the requirements. Depending on where you live, you may need to:
- Submit your permit application at least two months before the event
- Limit your event to just one block and just one day
- Keep your event open to all neighbors on the block
Additionally, you may need to obtain other permits if you wish to:
- Sell goods or services
- Serve alcohol
- Solicit donations or hold a raffle for a fundraiser
- Have amplified sound or a live band
- Use a generator
Decide which food and beverages to serve.
Most neighborhood block parties serve carnival-style food and beverages. You could serve snacks, like warm pretzels, hot funnel cakes, and popcorn. You could also offer barbecue fare, like hot dogs, grilled chicken, and burgers. Plan to have plenty of bottled water and soda on hand for thirsty partygoers. Remember that your municipality may prohibit you from charging an entrance fee to cover the cost of the food and party supplies, so you’ll have to get together with your neighbors to determine a fair way to split the costs.
Publicize your event.
Design some simple posters to hang around your block to draw attention to the upcoming party. To ensure your event will be well-attended, you could also print individual invitations. Mail them to each family on your block.
At American Party Rental, you’ll find everything you need to host a fun block party, including carnival games. Our party store in Austin, TX even offers cotton candy machines, funnel cake fryers, and snow cone machines! Get in touch today at (512) 236-5773, and let us know how we can make your event one to remember!