Get this Street Party Started
It’s a common scenario: Your family is good friends with the next-door neighbours, but you only exchange nods of recognition with the fellow down the block. So how do you make your little corner of the world a little more social?
“A street party is a great way to get the people in the community together to get to know each other and make it a safe and more fun place to live,” says Garth Ritchie, a dad of two boys and one of the organizers of an annual street festival of 100 or so houses on Toronto’s Roseheath Avenue.
So if this is the year that you’re finally going to organize a bash on your block, here’s how to make it happen.
less talk, more action
Just deciding to have an event is often the hardest step. Get started by distributing a letter to your neighbours outlining your idea for a block party and some of the benefits—meeting new people, creating a sense of community and of course, just a fun day out. Include a questionnaire asking them to indicate what dates work best, what kind of event they prefer and their interest in participating and volunteering. Timing Two to three months in advance (depending on size of party)
get organized
So the neighbours are on board. Great. And more than a few are willing to volunteer. Even better. Now’s the time to have a planning meeting to hammer out the details, from the date (plus rain date), size and length of the event, theme (if any), food, budget and suggested donation (it’s $10 per household for the 11-hour Roseheath event), a list of possible activities and the date of your next meeting. Timing Six to eight weeks in advance
permit process
Most special-events applications for a street closure can be downloaded from your municipal website. Ask your municipal office about permit fees, how to obtain liability insurance, where to rent traffic barricades and about noise bylaw exemptions if you are planning on running your event into the evening hours. This is also a good time to contact your local fire service and police departments about having a fire truck and police cruiser at the party—a surefire hit with the kids. Timing Six to eight weeks in advance
serve it up
Will food and drinks be free with a donation, will you sell tickets or does everyone provide their own food to grill? Will you prepay an ice cream truck driver to provide open-bar style treats? If you are asking people to contribute to a potluck, design a sign-up sheet. Timing Five weeks in advance
see all contests
