Organising a street party - a Guide for residents
Meet your neighbours in your traffic free street
Our experience shows:
- Involve all ages and people with different tastes - have something for everyone.
- Keep it simple - don't be too ambitious at first.
- Keep music not too loud, long or late, preferably live, acoustic and varied in styles.
- Best not to raise money in advance - do a raffle on the day if you need to.
- Bring food, games etc. to share.
This guide is only for residents organising a simple street party in a single street. A wider public event in more streets needs extra arrangements.
To meet your neighbours in a traffic-free street for a change. With busy, independent lives we have few chances to meet. It feels good to know the people around you, rather than being strangers.
There is something special about having an event right outside your house. The street is a shared public space, open to all and normally the cars get in the way.
During a street party the road is closed to traffic and people can mingle and meet neighbours of all ages and backgrounds. A quiet empty road for the day is a rare experience and the kids love it.
You will need to start planning it 3-4 months in advance of a summer event. September is good.
Sundays can be better as fewer people work. A basic plan for the day could be:
- remove cars by 11am
- lunch at 2 to bring everyone together
- tea party at 5
- finish by a time when you would not keep other neighbours awake
Start planning with a few keen neighbours in early spring and people are feeling like coming out more. Agree a date early on.
A good place to hold meetings is in the street as it is more welcoming and you can catch people as they go by. Or try different houses to meet, or in a pub or community hall.
Someone could take notes of who is doing what as well as copying invitations to all houses. It is best to keep meetings informal and not to let one or two people dominate things. Share out the activities and tasks.
Inviting people face to face is a must to get people involved. You need to send round paper invitations - this may be needed to show your council that you have 'consulted' everyone. Most street parties are for residents only and there is no outside 'publicity' which would make it a public event.
Most neighbours will normally want to take part so allow for all tastes. Some,
such as older people, can feel quite wary or vulnerable and so a little effort may
be needed to encourage them out, such as:
- invite them face to face
- assure them that your event is for all ages, and not just for kids - street parties used to be kids' tea parties
- put out chairs to sit on
- have a tea party and a cake competition
- have a quiz or display photos about the history of the street or neighbourhood
- celebrate the oldest person with a cake or something
- play music they like or ask them to show off their old dance skills
See our research about involving older people.
But you will not be able to suit everyone - as long as you invite everyone, respect differences and don't seriously inconvenience anyone, you should be able to have your event anyway. Talk to people to prevent any formal 'objections' to the council road closure.
The basics are:
- Food to share at fixed time(s) so you can all rub shoulders;
- Music for some time, especially live acoustic, but not too loud and finish early;
- Decorate the street e.g. with bunting - put it up early to get things going;
- Soft areas to sit - try a lounge with sofa and carpet for any toddlers;
- Focus activities together over a short time and in the middle part of the street.
- Games for all ages;
- Bunting - see our Guide;
More Ideas for Activities
Also see our photo gallery and videos
- Cake/biscuit/pudding competition
- Raffle to raise money for the day or charity
- Bring & Buy / swap table or auction
- Tug of war
- Celebrate / birthday of oldest person
- Stories or photos from 50 years ago in the street
- Take a photo record of every household
- Best front garden / decorated front of houses
- Chalk drawing (but no house paint)
- Guess-my-house-number game
- Hire bouncy castle (you will have to mind it)
- Football, basketball, skittles, swing ball
- Dancing - any sort, adults or teenage display
- Cycle course competition
- Survey or petition on local issue
This should be straightforward. While residents are inviting every house (and any business) in the street to be involved you are also effectively consulting them about closing the road.
You will need to apply 3 to 12 weeks in advance for permission from your council traffic/highways department or Events team to close the road.
Councils vary a lot in what arrangements they require. You or the council have to consult the fire, ambulance and police.
If your council wants to charge you for a road closures or has too complex procedures ask Streets Alive for help. We give detailed guidance to councils on this and some have made changes.
Think about alternative traffic routes. It is possible to close and move cars out from only part of a road, or even turn it from one way into 2-way.
You will need to have some 'road closed' and perhaps other signs. Your council may lend them to you or tell you where you can hire them, or you could buy signs for about £40 each for future use.
The road closure notice from the council will need to be posted up in the street in time for the event.
If you just can't close the road properly, think instead about using some parking bays, or front or back garden, driveway - or anywhere you can get people together.
Think about minimising any risks from electricity, accident, burns on a BBQ, damage, rain, breakages, etc. Agree in advance that everyone should take responsibility for themselves and watch out for each other, especially children - you might say this on the invitation.
Only a few street parties need public liability insurance - more detail on this. It may not suit your needs - insurance does not stop anything going wrong. But your council may require it and so you can buy it from as little as £80. Insurance when hiring a bouncy castle often only covers the equipment, not the people using it. Larger public events would need insurance.
You should not need to apply to your council for a Temporary Event Notice licence if any 'performance' is 'incidental' to the day or 'background', including recorded music. If you have a programme of bands etc. you would need to apply for one costing about £21 at least 2 weeks in advance. You would need a full licence to sell alcohol or food etc.
Following a note round all houses or on cars the day or week before, remind the last few people to move their cars. Get the bunting up early to get people going, along with the road barriers. And don't forget to clear up and move the barriers at the agreed time.
Some keen residents will be planning your next one already. Having some follow-up can really make the most of the event. Pass around or exhibit photos on a window/wall or even carry out a survey of what people thought. Do you want to talk about traffic, parking or social things? See our Traffic and Roads section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of your questions are answered here.
Streets Alive's vision is to make street parties widespread and a regular part of life. We are doing this by promoting best practice with communities, the media and councils. See our Street Party Charter for more detail.
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Streets Alive's vision is to make street parties widespread and a regular part of life. We are doing this by promoting best practice with communities, the media and councils. So please email us your thoughts about our website or whatever.
Important note: This Guide is to help in planning an event, but it is not intended to constitute a complete list of organisational arrangements, responsibilities or liabilities for the planning of a street party or event. Streets Alive Ltd. recommends that professional advice is sought if organisers are in any doubt.
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