With the holidays fast approaching, you should get together with your neighbors before going across the country to see family. While block parties are often synonymous with summer, you can have a great time with everyone in your community this upcoming New Year.

Ready to put together an epic party that everyone on your street will remember fondly? Read on to learn how to organize and execute one of these memorable events.

It’s Not Rocket Science

Regarding hosting, some events require every detail to be planned down to the letter. Block parties aren’t one of these moments. Yes, you need to put together a plan, but don’t go overboard. This is a get-together with longtime friends and neighbors, so don’t make this more stressful than it has to be.

Sure, create some flyers or invitations, and definitely plan for amazing food, drink, and matching decor. Do you need to hire a DJ? Probably not. Would it be helpful if you had decent audio equipment and a playlist of tunes on your tablet or phone to play? Absolutely. Just remember to keep things simple when getting creative with your theme.

Picking the Date and Location

Before you choose the next upcoming Saturday with beautiful weather, double-check with your neighbors and friends about the day that works best for them. For example, you never know when there’s a concert in town or a wedding going on that could cut down on your number of attendees. Plus, it’s better to wait until dinner time to hold your festivities instead of having an all-day event.

With that said, you also need to figure out the best place on your block to set up. If you live in a cul-de-sac, or if one of your neighbors does, you’re all set. But if you live on a busy neighborhood street, you’ll need an especially long driveway or amply-sized front yard. This will minimize the risk of an accident and avoid impeding traffic. Then, of course, you can always go to your municipality for permission to shut down that section of the street for the duration of your party.

Another important aspect of holding this type of celebration is lighting. Your guests need to move around the party zone safely, so pay attention to the lighting situation. While renting, a few gas-powered light units may be able to illuminate things by keeping a garage door open, installing additional yard lights along curbs and stairs, and installing party lighting.

Outfit Your Party Zone

As mentioned earlier, while decor is nice, there are other priorities for block parties. Your neighbors are there for food, drink, and entertainment, so plan your event area accordingly. Ensure you have ample signage to help folks find food stations, restrooms, and garbage cans. A banner is also a great idea, along with tablecloths and drink dispensers.

Wherever you plan to set up your grill, you can erect a condiment table with everything needed to make burgers and hot dogs just how they want them. Remember napkins, utensils, and disposable dishware. Food boats are especially helpful and are multi-functional. Whether someone just wants some extra dip for their chips or a bowl to hold multiple food items, these trays are extremely versatile and budget-friendly.

Have Everyone Bring a Covered Dish

Remember how it’s important to keep things simple? When it comes to arranging for the massive amounts of food and drink you’ll need, opt for a potluck instead. Not only does this take some of the planning stress off your shoulders, but you’ll find a few new favorite recipes on party night.

Make sure you take an organized approach and create a list of wants and needs. Then have your guests RSVP what they’re bringing in those categories. You want to avoid three people bringing potato salad, right?

Remember the Drinks!

Block parties are about having a great time. You have the food covered, but what about the drink options? BYOB is always a great plan, but you could also have designated drink stations that offer favorites like margaritas, wine, and draft beer. Remember to include non-alcoholic selections for those who don’t drink alcohol. Offering a variety of specialty fruit teas, sodas, and virgin treats is essential.

If it’s a smaller neighborhood party with just a few households participating, self-service is easy enough. But if you plan to have a hundred people or more, definitely consider having a bartender. You want to avoid risking someone drinking too much or youthful partygoers partaking.

Keep Guests Comfortable

It’s important to have plenty of seating for your block party attendees. Depending on the size of your gathering, you may only want one primary area for kicking back. This will ensure that foot traffic between different entertainment and food areas is unimpeded. Of course, it never hurts to have extra chairs and blankets on hand when groups move around to different areas to avoid crowds. Also, ensure these spots are within the grill.

Keep Waste Under Control

The downside to any block party is the cleanup. However, you can make this a more manageable process by providing conveniently located waste receptacles throughout the party area. Of course, you must keep an eye on their capacity and regularly replace them, but managing garbage during the event is less tedious than waiting until after it all has ended.

Another efficient way to handle the garbage generated by your party is to rent a dumpster (or two). Depending on the size of the event area, one strategically placed roll-off may be the perfect solution. These hold a large capacity of refuse and are easy to spot, so guests will immediately know where to throw away bottles and plates.

You should also have quick wipes, a broom, and other cleaning supplies on hand for when accidents happen. This, too, will make your clean-up process much easier.

Final Thoughts

Block parties are an amazing opportunity to build relationships with your neighbors and simply have a great time as a community. While these events aren’t overly complicated to put together, it’s important to do some planning to ensure everything goes smoothly. This small step will ensure that you and everyone attending have the best times filled with food, drink, and countless good times.

Author

Northern girl Laura is the epitome of a true entrepreneur. Laura’s spirit for adventure and passion for people blaze through House of Coco. She founded House of Coco in 2014 and has grown it in to an internationally recognised brand whilst having a lot of fun along the way. Travel is in her DNA and she is a true visionary and a global citizen.

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