Great job, Excelsior Springs!!! You met the Mayor’s Block Party Challenge with creativity and enthusiasm! We hit 50 Block Parties on October 29th! Over 1600 people attended block parties this year!
Block Party Challenge
Calling all Excelsior Springs residents! The residents of Excelsior Springs are challenged to hold 50 neighbor gatherings between Easter and Halloween.
To promote social connection, the City of Excelsior Springs is encouraging our residents to get to know each other through neighborhood gatherings. These can be small and informal or a big production. The main thing is that you are spending time with your neighbors.
What kind of gathering suits your situation? Here’s a list of ideas to get started:
Invite neighbors for coffee and donuts in your driveway on Saturday morning.
Start a Flamingo Friday gathering in your neighborhood. Invite neighbors to bring a drink and a lawn chair to your driveway on Friday evening from 7-8 p.m. (or however long you feel comfortable) Mark your driveway with plastic flamingos.
Invite fellow dog walkers to walk together.
Host a dinner party or cookout.
Place a firepit in the driveway and invite neighbors to roast marshmallows.
Create a “Parent Relief Station” in your driveway on Halloween. Provide water bottles and snacks for parents.
Plan a big block party and invite the whole neighborhood! (Get some other neighbors to help. Getting to know each other at smaller gatherings will help you find a core group who can help with planning.)
When registering your block party or neighborhood gathering for the official challenge, remember that attendance by a minimum of 4 neighboring households constitutes a gathering.
Door hanger invitations are available at the Com Dev office (photo)
Want to organize a 4th of July bike parade? Toddler Approved shares the best tips & tricks for hosting an amazing bike parade for kids! PS- you can organize a bike parade anytime, not just for the 4th of July!
Tips from the Surgeon General: The US Surgeon General has declared isolation and loneliness to be epidemics in the United States. Connecting with our neighbors is an effective strategy in combatting isolation and loneliness. The Surgeon General’s webpage has lots of tips and even a booklet called Recipes for Connection that is loaded with ideas, tips and recipes to help us connect with our neighbors.
Tips from the Surgeon General: The US Surgeon General has declared isolation and loneliness to be epidemics in the United States. Connecting with our neighbors is an effective strategy in combatting isolation and loneliness. The Surgeon General’s webpage has lots of tips and even a booklet called