Scare up Good Times Year Round With a Block or Driveway Party

Halloween is a good reminder that a neighborhood block party is an opportunity to scare up fun any time of year.

"A neighborhood block or driveway party is an opportunity for neighbors to get together, meet each other, have fun, and maybe work together on an everyday activity," said David Burton, a University of Missouri Extension community development specialist.

According to Burton, there are seven good reasons to have a block party at any time of the year, including Halloween.

1.     To provide an opportunity to know your neighbors and where they live. This helps reduce fear.

2.     To increase a sense of belonging within your community. Organize a simple Halloween custom parade as a simple step toward this goal.       

3.     To learn a little about each other and know who might need help occasionally.         

4.     To meet neighbors on your block and discover the skills, you offer one another. Nametags are a good place to start if you asked them to write something about themselves on the tag.

5.     To help with safety/crime prevention by knowing who lives around you.

6.     To develop an opportunity to meet some older neighbors and learn history.

7.     To have fun, because no excuses or reasons are needed to celebrate.    

According to Burton, there are several things to consider when organizing your event.

"In general, it is best to find one or two neighbors that will help plan an event. You can take the Lone Ranger approach, and it can be a great event. However, it may make finding someone else to organize the next event more difficult," said Burton.

If this is the first time you have held a neighborhood event, you may want to send out a flier (door-to-door is best) explaining the event, encouraging attendance, and sharing some of the benefits. It might also be a good time to offer a survey to gather input on handling the food and maybe even the best dates and times for the event.

Burton recommends enlisting as many neighbors as you can to help with the event. Get help distributing those fliers, calling neighbors, being a host site, or helping with food or children.

"Neighborhood events or block parties can take a lot of different forms. My best advice is to keep it simple. If you go overboard, it will make people feel like the event is too much work," said Burton.

Some of these event ideas are time tested: neighborhood garden tour, neighborhood barbeque cookoff, neighborhood potluck, neighborhood picnic (bring your own food), or even catered with sharing the costs.

Burton says the “idea-friendly method” is best, and the community development strategy is to start small and grow the event. Perhaps start with your cul-de-sac, then expand it to your street or your whole block. If the party is restricted in size, make that clear in your flier.

Getting the word out can be accomplished with a delivered flier or a mailed letter. But the personal touch and personal invites are always best. Encourage neighbors to call each other and invite those living around them.

"Word of mouth is most likely to get a good turnout, and it also forces neighbors to get acquainted and visit with each other," said Burton.

For more information on the value of working with your neighbors, enroll in University of Missouri Extension’s "Neighboring 101" course as part of the Engaged Neighbor Program.

MORE INFORMATION

Are you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com. Individuals who take the pledge do get special privilides and get invited to future events online and in person. Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.