How to Create the Perfect Neighbourhood Get-Together
How many of your neighbours can you honestly say you know? Really know. A wave over the fence from time to time, or an awkward smile as you put out your rubbish for collection doesn’t count. Not only does knowing your neighbours make it far easier to borrow sugar, but it can be crucial in times of emergency as well.Could it be time for a neighbourhood get-together to meet everyone on your street? Read on to find out how to pull off such an event.
Have the Right Cooking and Serving Equipment
Before you start planning and laying the groundwork for your party to go off without a hitch, make sure you have everything you need to make it a success. Most parties centre around food, so do you have the best barbecue to cater to the masses – such as a Weber BBQ?
Cooking in an oven is not practical when you’ve got dozens of mouths to feed, but a barbecue – when you choose the right one – can be. Why not take a look at the Weber BBQ range online to find out what is likely to work for such an occasion? You can then use it time and time again for other family functions and gatherings as well.
Once you’ve worked out what you’re going to cook on, you then need to think about serving ware. Paper plates and napkins are often the most convenient, but consider tinfoil trays for grilled meat, serving platters for nibbles, and plenty of tongs and utensils for each dish.
Give Plenty of Notice
If you want to make sure the whole neighbourhood can be present for your party, then give plenty of notice. Put an invitation in everyone’s letterboxes at least two months out from the event. Set a date, stick with it, and offer as much information on the invite as possible.
Include where it is, what it’s about, and what they need to bring (if anything). If you’re supplying all the food, then tell people to bring themselves and something to drink.
With one week to go, send out a reminder and include all relevant information in case people threw out your first invite. Copy paper is cheap, so all you need to do is make sure there’s plenty of ink in your printer!
On the day of the event, consider putting a sign on your lawn with balloons attached to your mailbox as a final reminder about what’s about to take place!
Create the Perfect Venue
Inviting a whole bunch of strangers to your house can be quite nerve-wracking, but you’re almost ready! Set your Weber BBQ up with all the serving ware, try to rustle up as many chairs as you can, and set all the condiments up on a table for people to help themselves.
Try to have much space available as possible, with tables for people to sit at and talk while they eat. Some fairy lights, vibrant table cloths, and outside heaters when temperatures drop wouldn’t go astray as well.
Choose the Right Food
You’ve purchased your Weber BBQ, but what are you going to put on it? Make sure you cater for both meat eaters and vegans. Consider sausages, chops, and kebabs for the barbecue, but create some vegetarian skewers as well. These are easy to whip up with red onion, capsicum, and cherry tomatoes.
If you’re struggling to come up with affordable side dishes, then there are options galore. Rice salad is always a crowd favourite, as is coleslaw, bread buns, green salad, and potato salad. You may also find that helpful neighbours turn up with extras as well.
Consider Activities
Food is one drawcard to get everyone to come to your home for a meet and greet, but why not think about something else? Consider sports events that may be on TV at the time, or set up your inflatable swimming pool and swingball if the weather allows. Once everyone gets to know each other, they’ll be more than keen to unleash their competitive sides.
Mix and Mingle
The whole goal of a neighbourhood get-together is to meet people you see on the streets every day. Make a point of striking up a conversation with everyone who comes through your front gate. Ask how long they’ve been in the area, what they do for a living, things they do in their spare time, and whether they know many of their immediate neighbours. You can then hopefully end the night with at least a fair idea of who lives on your street. Believe it or not, nearly a third of Kiwis want to know their neighbours, so you’re providing an opportunity for that to happen.
Conclusion
Once you move into a new area, it’s crucial to introduce yourself to your surrounding neighbours within the first one to two weeks. After that time, it’s harder to make the first move. If you’re interested in getting to know your neighbours, then it’s easy enough to make it happen with a get-together. Buy a Weber BBQ to feed the masses, send out an invite, and wait for people to turn up. You’ll be amazed at the new feeling of camaraderie that follows next.
Author’s Bio
My name is Theresa Le Roux, I am originally from Montreal, Canada but I have spent the last 5 years in beautiful New Zealand. I write Digital marketing articles for businesses that want a different perspective on subjects that are important to their content output. I regularly contribute articles to Clickthrough SEO New Zealand. I am a diehard Game of Thrones fan with a passion for novels and live music! My career goal is to one day write a novel of my own. Connect me via email theresa@clickthrough.co.nz.
