Next-Level Neighborhood Block Party

Throwing a Next-Level Neighborhood Block Party

Summer is the perfect time to gather all your neighbors. With kids out of school and everyone looking to get outside and enjoy the weather, there is no better way to start the summer than with a neighborhood block party!

Does anyone else feel like you always make plans to see friends then realize months have passed and your lives have just gotten too busy? Sometimes summer becomes the perfect time to truly stop and make time to be outside. We love the idea of a block party because it brings together anyone new to the neighborhood as well as those you just haven’t seen in a while! And of course… we have to throw a party in style.

Your neighbors will love a planned party to get together and enjoy food, fun, and friends. Follow our tips for everything from prepping your block party to personalizing with custom cups to an easy cleanup to keep you focused on the fun.

Pre-Party Preparation

Take the stress out of party planning by giving yourself plenty of time to pull together the block party. We also love dividing up the work so everyone gets involved! TFG tip: set your block party up for success by making sure you get all the necessary permits for your neighborhood.

Head to your local grocer and make sure you have a detailed list of everything you’ll need. The last thing you want is to run out of food or drinks on the big night!

We know how busy summertime can get, so allow for lots of time for neighbors to clear their schedules. Hang up invitations on neighbors’ doors to get the word out – we love this template from Online Labels!

Now back to the good stuff… what you’ll serve the night-of! If your job is making sure everyone has a drink in hand, we have you covered.

Take any block party from average to awesome with our personalized Styrofoam cups. Adding this custom touch will make your block the talk of the town! With cups this fun, your party will instantly become Instagram-able, so set up a table where guests can snap a pic of their block party products. Fill them up with a refreshing summer sip that everyone can enjoy. Try out these summer drinks for all ages from The Spruce Eats.

Recipes for the Grill Master

What’s a block party without a little summer grilling? Turn up the heat with some of our favorite slider recipes. We love sliders as a grilling go-to so you can experiment with a few flavors that everyone can try! Also… they’re smaller so you can eat more, right? Always a win in our book. It’s important to remember that not all your neighborhood block party goers will be meat friendly, so try to put out a few veggie options as well.

Hot Off the Grill: Barbecue Bacon Swiss Sliders

Recipe courtesy of The Bitter Side of Sweet

What you’ll need:

1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 cup onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 egg
4 slices cooked bacon
3 slices swiss cheese
6 tablespoons barbecue sauce
dinner rolls
skewers to hold sliders in place (we used our customizable drink stirrers!)

Time to flip ’em out:

Preheat your grill to medium heat.
In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, salt, bread crumbs, and the egg. Mix with your hands until everything is incorporated together.
Make patties to the size you desire.
When the grill is ready, brush a little oil to prevent sticking. Place sliders on the grill for 4 minutes then flip! Another 4 minutes will bring them to medium rare, so keep cooking until you’re happy with their temperature!
For the last two minutes of cooking time, brush on some barbecue sauce, add swiss cheese and bacon, and close the grill lid until cheese has melted.
Remove your sliders and enjoy!

A Very Veggie Slider

Recipe courtesy of CookingLight

What you’ll need:

1 slice of whole grain bread toasted and torn into pieces
1/4 cup grated onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 can unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons olive oil

Hit the grill:

Place torn and toasted bread pieces in a food processor and pulse about five times before transferring to a bowl.
Combine the onion, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, lime rind, and black beans in a processor. Pulse about four or five times then add in the walnuts, hot sauce, egg, and crumbs. Mix well and divide into patties.
Cook on the grill, about four minutes per side.

Ready for that Instagram-able moment we talked about earlier? Gas up the grill + serve this summer snack on custom printed personalized plates that are cute and also great for easy cleanup (we are all about the easy cleaning here)! Keep messes to a minimum and decorations on point with matching custom linun paper napkins.

Block Party Bake-Off!

After a long hot day grilling in the sun, we can guarantee the neighborhood will be ready to dive into something decadent. Satisfy any sweet tooth with a little friendly neighborhood competition. Invite everyone to bring out their best baking and go for a bake-off… ask the neighborhood kids to be the judge.

It’s a win-win situation here, with everyone getting to try a sweet snack and show off their baking skills! Since everyone is a winner, offer up a personalized prize with a sleeve of pre-printed patriotic party cups!

Cleanup from a night in the neighborhood will be easy with all your disposable products and having everyone chip in a helping hand. A neighborhood block party really is the best way to celebrate summer and bring everyone together. Customize from start to finish for next-level neighborhood fun!