Every city street is actually a block party waiting to happen, a coiled spring of neighborly hangouts and community come-together yearning for a release. Kevin Van Lierop decided to make that process a little less daunting with his “Block Party in a Box”. Now your neighbourhood has no excuse not to get down.
For $US10, the Resource Kit serves as training wheels for the first-time block party organiser, with a step-by-step how-to manual and a bunch of additional printable guides that help you navigate some of the legal requirements that might crop up. More seasoned party planners can opt for the manual alone for $US5.
The coolest part, though, is the promise of getting a custom-tailored block party kit developed specifically for your town. Right now, Van Lierop has just such a kit for his hometown of London, Canada, but you can request a custom package for your city, or even for your specific street.
That’s the neat thing about “Block Party in a Box”: it attempts to lower the legal and logistical hurdles that might discourage people from hosting great, neighbourhood-enriching social events. In our digital, world-as-one-community age, there’s something refreshing about the notion of chatting face to face with someone who lives down the block, making “Block Party in a Box” a sort of analogue guide to re-discovering your physical neighbourhood. Free sample images appear below. [Block Party in a Box]
