Hosting Not Really a Block Party

February 25, 2025 7:33 PM

In an effort to get to know my neighbors, I want to host an open house in my driveway. I thought I would deliver a paper invitation to people one block in either direction on my street and invite them to stop over and say hello. I am not sure how to make this most successful. [Some ideas to get started on the inside]

Everyone invited lives within walking distance, and can walk right up to us from the street with good visibility. No need for bathroom access, etc (unless it was an emergency).

Starting ideas:
- I could have a big bowl of chips & cookies, or no food at all
- a really well drawn hopscotch board
- just me and my family with chairs (and nametags?), chatting with people who stop by

The purpose of this event is to meet neighbors I don't know or don't know well, as an effort toward local community building. It would be on a warm, dry day and extremely casual.

I know people on this website are more likely to be introverted and may scorn events like this which would be largely small talk. I know it will be largely small talk. People who would hate it don't have to come. If your opinion is "that sounds awful" you're probably not the right audience for this question <3

posted by Emmy Rae to Society & Culture (19 answers total)

I would do this, or have been to something like this. I’d say food and drink would get you far! Invite to say something like “we’ll have some snacks and drinks - feel free to bring something to share or just yourself!”

If you hear from anyone who says “oh I wish I could come but I’m working that day,” pack up a couple of cookies and drop them off at their house.

These two moves have gotten us far in our current neighborhood!
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 7:54 PM on February 25

I sort of attempted this on Halloween, with very mild success. My tips would be
1. Give people at least several days advance notice. I had left invites on mailboxes and saw some still there on Halloween and several days after.
2. If your area is experiencing good weather, take advantage of walks around the block to chat up people who might be outside doing yard work and invite them personally (or even by text if you have their number).
3. Make it easy to stop by for just a can of coke/one beer, a cookie, rather than an unknown amount of time (people may be shy to attend if they think they need to stay for 2 hours).
4. A “theme” food like popsicles can be easy to distribute and keep a budget reasonable (also no worries on communal germs, etc.)
5. Probably not the right draw seasonally, but a fire pit drew people in to hang out for a moment. Is there something else that’s similar for adults?
6. Follow up on connections. Try to grab phone number where you can (but don’t put people in a group chat unless they’ve explicitly asked for that) and follow up after to say it was nice to meet them and thanks for coming by.

Be prepared for people to just not be interested :( I was sad to see that reality but was glad to chat with others who did attend
posted by raccoon409 at 8:02 PM on February 25

Oh, my other suggestion if you want mingling is to try to have tall tables that people can stand at, but if you want people to stay a while invite them to bring lawn chairs. But once people are seated, you often just end up with a large circle format and people are reluctant to move their seat (or risk accidentally stealing someone elses’
posted by raccoon409 at 8:04 PM on February 25

I know in my extended neighborhood it tends to break down into two kinds of families/residents. Some homes have 1 or 2 car garages that allow entry into the home itself. Others (like mine) just have "vault" garages (attached to the house but no passage door).

It has been my experience that people who keep their garage doors open and have folding chairs near by are more outgoing and friendly. People will chat them up when they are walking their dogs or just taking a walk for exercise. I just thought this might be one small way to break the ice (if your home/garage/driveway arrangement is inviting). FWIW.
posted by forthright at 9:18 PM on February 25

Have you ever heard of National Night Out?

One of our neighbors hosted this one summer. They (the host neighbors) provided the barbecue grill and the hamburgers and some side dishes, and the rest of us brought food to share. We also brought our own lawn chairs. We basically had a picnic on their front lawn. They invited everyone up and down the street by leaving invitation flyers on our doors. I was amazed at how many people showed up. It was a huge success and a great way to get to know the neighbors. It showed me that people really want to connect and that they care about their community. My fantasy is to do it again but to provide a food truck ... if I ever win the lottery ($$) that's what I'm going to do!
posted by SageTrail at 10:15 PM on February 25

Having an ice chest with drinks and making individually wrapped snacks, like roasted seaweed sheets or mini Kind bars, available feels friendly to me because 1) it makes it easy for someone to partake without feeling pressured to commit to a longer stay and 2) as a guest I'm not worried about who didn't wash their hands before grabbing from the communal bowl of snacks.

Making it pet- and child-friendly, for example having dog treats and a water dish out for the pets, helps because both pets and children get adults out of the house and are a reliable source of amusement and breaking of ice amongst strangers.

Have some upbeat but not overly opinionated music to draw positive attention!
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 10:18 PM on February 25

I have neighbors who do this! Some things that I think help them succeed:

- It’s a regular thing at a regular time in a regular place (for them, neighbor coffee hangouts every Saturday morning, at the same neighbor’s garage). Because it happens routinely, it takes pressure off of potential attendees who might miss (or social-anxiety their way out of attending) any one event.
- They put out some chairs and a blackboard sign welcoming anyone walking by to stop and say hello.
- They have a WhatsApp group.
- Sometimes people bring extra coffee or food to share, but it’s more of a BYOB event, which lowers pressure on attendees - no one needs to make deviled eggs in order to meet the neighbors.

I am so impressed by this group. Cheers to you for trying to support and connect with your own neighbors!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 12:28 AM on February 26

just me and my family with chairs (and nametags?)

Chairs are definitely good (at least a few) for people who can't stand a long time.

Personally I'd find nametags a little much, but that's just me.
posted by trig at 1:13 AM on February 26

Make lemonade. Super easy, and about 6 lemons will make a whole lot. My metric is 2 lemons=1 pitcher.

- Squeeze lemons and/or limes. If you don't have a citrus juicer, a fork will do the job.
- Add some sugar. "Some" varies according to taste.
- Add a sprig of mint if you're feeling fancy
- Fill the pitcher with water and stir it up. Taste a little, and add more sugar/lemon juice/water as needed.

For large quantities, you can have your lemon juice/ sugar mixture ready in advance so you can make further pitchers as needed.

Bake cookies if you can. If not, just lay some supermarket cookies out on a nice platter or in a large bowl. Have separate bowls for gluten-free, vegan, etc. Probably best to avoid nuts.

Have speakers set up to play some cheerful music at a reasonable volume. Have plastic bags ready to put ove the speakers if it rains.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:49 AM on February 26

Maybe this story will inspire you: Man, 87, goes viral for party invitation
posted by XtineHutch at 6:29 AM on February 26

^^ This. You could boost attendance with a little humour by piggybacking off the recent Doug's Winter Party meme. Put on the invite: "Emmy's Spring Block Party, 4pm until the cops arrive".
posted by kitcat at 6:37 AM on February 26

Lots of good suggestions - I would also say that if you already know any of your neighbors, get them on board/plan it for a day/time they will be able to come. One family/household sitting in their driveway = a family doing their thing; two or more households = a party!
posted by mskyle at 7:34 AM on February 26

+1 for a variety of snacks (sweet, salty, fruit, etc.), drinks, and some music - I'd go with upbeat instrumentals. And yes, chairs for those who can't stand for too long, but I also like the idea of tall tables to encourage mingling.

Some neighbors last summer did an informal karaoke event off of their porch - a good number of people participated. I don't know if they handed out invites (I live several blocks away), but they did put up some big signs in the blocks near their house - so you might consider doing that - will potentially get more people who may regularly walk/jog by your house.

For kids, sidewalk chalk is an easy activity.
posted by coffeecat at 8:17 AM on February 26

You might put out a water bowl in case people stop by with critters.

We had a skating party a few weeks ago and the music really transformed things. Hot dogs and hot chocolate (it was a cold day in Alberta).
posted by ginger.beef at 8:28 AM on February 26

We have what is basically a cul-de-sac neighborhood of about 12 houses and we have done this a few times with different participation levels. Our house has a pool so I invited everyone for a pool party where we supplied snacks/drinks and chairs, simply invited people to join us anytime during a 2 hour block. I distributed flyers to the 12 houses involved, and asked that they rsvp using text or email so I could compile a contact list. This was then shared with everyone. About half the neighbors dropped by.

Last summer we also got together for a potluck at one person's house, and during the holiday time at another person's house. The second gathering had many, many more people as the person hosting simply knew more of the surrounding neighborhood residents than the rest of us. It turned out to be a great way to meet the people in our (really local) area and we all greet each other now as we walk dogs and do outdoor chores.
posted by drossdragon at 8:34 AM on February 26

- I could have a big bowl of chips & cookies, or no food at all Have food. Chips, dip, cookies, sparkling water, maybe coffee and tea. Eating together brings people together, mostly.
- a really well drawn hopscotch board Great idea. Also, try to borrow a cornhole board, or volleyball net, or whatever. Set out a card table with a puzzle; doing puzzles with others is oddly fun.
- just me and my family with chairs (and nametags?), chatting with people who stop by. Have a mental list of things to chat about, and pen and paper, ask people about the best car repair shop, how's the library, is there a dog park.
posted by theora55 at 8:46 AM on February 26

National Night Out
Actually, I was hoping that if I get my event in a few months before NNO, I can find a like-minded individual to co-organize a NNO event for our neighborhood.

until the cops arrive
I will have to work on the wording, the cops happen to live next door to me.
posted by Emmy Rae at 9:22 AM on February 27

My neighbors LOVE to have block parties (which are great) and honestly we don't do anything special. Someone just sends out an email to our listserve and says "hey let's hang out." It's always a bit of a potluck people contribute drinks and snacks, someone has a cooler with ice. One neighbor sets out a long table and the kids and adults play nonalcoholic beverage pong. People bring frisbees and balls to toss. Everyone has a great time!
posted by brookeb at 10:16 AM on February 27

Quick update/idea in case anyone else in hosting something like this - I am going to have a seed exchange. Just a bin people can put seed packets in to give away or take what they want from.
posted by Emmy Rae at 12:34 PM on March 10