Block parties
Celebrate your block!
Block parties are one of the simplest ways to bring your neighbors together - whether that means a casual gathering with folding chairs and lemonade, or a full-scale event with bounce houses, food, and entertainment. Quite a few Kenmore blocks have a long tradition of annual block parties. Others have never held one, and their first is often the start of something that becomes a tradition. Here are some ways to help you plan yours.
How to get started
1. Request approval from the Village Board. Your block party must be approved by the Village Board. Submit a letter requesting approval at least one month before your planned date. The letter should include:
2. Get our free Block Party planning booklet. The Block Club Committee has put together a booklet filled with planning tips, theme ideas, timelines, and everything you need to make your party — simple or elaborate — a success. Contact KVIS and we'll send you a copy. There's no cost.
3. Plan the party that fits your block. Your party should reflect the neighbors who live on your block. Some ideas to spark thinking:
The best block parties are usually the ones that emerge from conversations with your neighbors about what they'd enjoy. Start simple. The block party you host this year doesn't have to be bigger next year -it just has to happen.
Block parties are one of the simplest ways to bring your neighbors together - whether that means a casual gathering with folding chairs and lemonade, or a full-scale event with bounce houses, food, and entertainment. Quite a few Kenmore blocks have a long tradition of annual block parties. Others have never held one, and their first is often the start of something that becomes a tradition. Here are some ways to help you plan yours.
How to get started
1. Request approval from the Village Board. Your block party must be approved by the Village Board. Submit a letter requesting approval at least one month before your planned date. The letter should include:
- Your name, address, and phone number
- The date of the party (and a rain date, if applicable)
- The start and approximate end time
- The location, including side-street boundaries of your block
2. Get our free Block Party planning booklet. The Block Club Committee has put together a booklet filled with planning tips, theme ideas, timelines, and everything you need to make your party — simple or elaborate — a success. Contact KVIS and we'll send you a copy. There's no cost.
3. Plan the party that fits your block. Your party should reflect the neighbors who live on your block. Some ideas to spark thinking:
- Talent show
- Limbo or dance contest
- Water balloon games
- Board games and yard-game contests
- Treasure hunt
- Sidewalk chalk drawings
- Karaoke
- Horseshoes or croquet
The best block parties are usually the ones that emerge from conversations with your neighbors about what they'd enjoy. Start simple. The block party you host this year doesn't have to be bigger next year -it just has to happen.
