Partay

We were super busy last week preparing for our first Annual Block Party that we were hosting in our front yard. We live on a sleepy street and our properties are large, so I think that the demographic is that who want to keep to themselves. We have lived in our house for 3 years and still only know the neighbors whose property is connected to ours.

The home/neighborhood I grew up in had an annual Neighborhood Pot Luck every Sunday before Labor Day. It was a date that people could count on, however, it was a fair weather ONLY party meaning if it was raining it was cancelled. I think it started a couple years before we moved in, I just remember how fun it was, I am sure it was even better for the adults so they could network and such. I tried to base our party off of what I remembered attending when I was younger. The hosts would hand deliver the invites to the new neighbors but the others just knew the tradition. A couple of flyers were posted around the mailboxes and it was a Pot Luck/BYOB.

We think it was a success with 8 houses attending. It was fun getting to know neighbors we have seen at the mailboxes and even those I have never seen. (Except when I walked the street hand delivering the invites!). We had great food and conversations. I have a greater sense for our community in our neighborhood and I am hoping that we have an even better turnout next year. I am pretty sure that we will as people will talk about it. I am sure there will still be a few of those grumpies but it is so nice to know who your neighbors are and many of them were appreciative of our effort eventhough they were unable to attend.

It was a ton of work but totally worth it. If you just moved into a new place or even have been living at your place for a while and you don't know many of your neighbors, I totally suggest hosting a Block Party. We had ours set up as a Pot Luck so we didn't have to make all the food. We learned a lot and its going to be a lot of fun next year.

I have to apologize that I failed at taking ANY pictures just know that the weather was beautiful!