Best Block Parties

National Night Out™
National Night Out™ is an annual evening in August designated for neighborly get-togethers. But block parties aren't limited to that night. Get one together anytime.

Find block party recipes, tips and more.

Simple summer shortcuts

Block parties can – and usually are – super simple. All it takes is one person (it could be you!) to get the word out. Set up a few food tables in a yard, and tell the neighborhood to bring food to share and some chairs. That's it. To take it a step further:

• Add a few games.
• Get donations from the neighbors and rent an inflatable jumping thing for the kids.
• Hire a few babysitters at one house, and send the kids there; make the block party a wine and cheese party for the grown-ups.
• Make it an impromtu event, like Flamingo Friday. Get a kitschy flamingo that you and the neighbors share. When you want to host a block party, put it in your yard signaling to the neighbors that this Friday, the party's at your place.
  

 

Potluck party food
What's a block party without fabulous food? Get everyone together, ask them to bring a dish to share, and sit back and enjoy the spread. Need some ideas to get you started?

 

Appetizers

• Burger Bites
• Ham and Cheese Crescent Squares
• Mini Soft Pretzels
• Cheese Crescent Triangles

 

Main dishes

• BBQ Cheese Dog Pizza
• Biscuit Taco Casserole
• Reuben Bratwurst Burgers
• Layered Caribbean Chicken Salad

 

Side dishes

• Grilled Herbed Corn
• Celebration Tortellini Salad
• Quick and Easy Onion Rolls
• Light All-Time Favorite Potato Salad

 

Desserts

• Easy Berry Fruit Tart
• Zebra Brownies
• Southern Peach Pie
• Peanut Butter S'more Bars

 

Wondering how much to make? Use our handy food amounts chart.

 

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Games and fun

 

Plan ahead for a few simple activities to get neighbors mingling and kids giggling.

• Ask neighbors to bring a cake to the block party, and hold an old-fashioned cake walk.
• Fill water balloons ahead of time and have a grown-ups vs. kids water balloon fight.
• Local fire departments are often willing to send a fire truck to a block party for kids to get an up-close look – and a short lesson on fire safety.
• Provide a clipboard with paper to pass around the party, and ask neighbors to jot down phone numbers, then after the party, print and distribute a directory. As you all keep a watch on your neighborhood, it's great to have contact information so you can report anything unusual.
• Bend the triangular part of wire coat hanger into a circle. Bend the base of the hanger hook at a right angle to the circle. Fill a basin with a few inches of bubble solution, and make giant bubbles for kids (and kids at heart) to pop.
• Allow some time for neighbors to introduce themselves and tell how they came to live in the neighborhood.
• If there's a creative parent or teen on your block, line him or her up as a face painter. (Inexpensive face paint is available at craft stores.)
• Ask shops in your area to donate small toys or treats, and fill a pinata.

 

Don't forget...
Just a few details to make the block party easy, extra-fun and trouble-free!

• Assign neighbors supply paper products, beverages, grills, chairs and tables.
• If you deliver invitations by hand, you can encourage people to come – and to volunteer to help.
• If you are blocking off the street, you'll most likely need a permit. Allow at least a month to get the OK from your city.
• Haul out a few big trash bins. If they're handy, folks will use them and cleanup will be all the easier.
• Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. See our Food Safety Tips.

 

Before it gets too dark, gather everyone for a photo.