Host a block party and get to know your neighbors. When neighbors interact and connect, neighborhoods become safer!

Plan a Block Party:

1. Fill out and submit an application and petition (obtain signatures from a majority (more than 50%) of your neighbors on the Neighbor Petition). 

• Email Recreation Staff

2. Staff will review your request within 4 business days.

3. After approval, staff will contact you for payment.

Block Party:

Application & Barricades (drop-off/pick-up): $82.93**

Block Party - Application & Neighbor Petition

Barricades: You are required to block your street off with City of Albany barricades. These will be delivered to your street by 5 pm on the Friday prior to your event and picked up on the Monday following your event by Noon.

Bounce Houses: The City of Albany requires that bounce houses be placed on private property (e.g. front lawn or driveway) to allow street access for emergency vehicles.

*Unfortunately the City of Albany does not allow street closures on all blocks due to safety and traffic considerations. 

**Invite the Fire Department to host a Disaster Preparedness training and receive 50% off the application/barricade fee.

Guidance for Outdoor Events: Please refer to the Alameda County Public Health Department or CDC for health and safety guidance for outdoor settings.

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Ideas for your next block party:

• Make it a theme party
• Have a costume contest (invite pets to participate)
• Pie contest or better yet a pie eating contest
• Clothing swap, toy swap, sports equipment swap
• Live music (i.e. is anyone on your block musically-inclined?)  
• Bike races in the street - mark off a course with chalk
• Water balloon toss
• Create an outdoor photo booth
• Start a babysitting cooperative
• Make it a movie night
• Take the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training and do a short presentation for your neighbors
• Disaster Preparedness Training - do you and your neighbors know what to do in the event of a disaster? Invite the Albany Fire Department to your event to perform a disaster preparedness training and receive a 50% discount on the application/barricade fee. Trainings are subject to availability.

Other Tips:

• Recruit - invite other neighbors to help with the planning and organizing
• Nominate a few neighbors to be in charge of clean-up
• BYO - ask people to bring their own plate, cup, utensils, something to throw on the grill, chair
• Collect money ahead of time - ask for contributions while you are collecting signatures for the Neighbor Petition.
• Start a block map - collect names of everyone that lives in the house (including children), pet names, profession/special training (is anyone a nurse, doctor, veterinarian, certified in CPR/1st Aid), location of emergency gas shut-off valve.
• Name tags - believe us...they help!