Event Ideas

Social events are the building blocks of your community. Until people get to know each other, they are unlikely to ask for favours, or offer them. We've listed a few ideas below to get you started, but feel free to come up with your own.

Whatever you're organising, post it as an event on the website. That way all of your neighbours will hear about it in their notifications email within three days time. We've also got a few posters, which you can put up around your hood with the event details written in. Click on the poster you like below for a high res version for printing.

Picnic or barbeque
The simplest idea of all – just find a spot, make a time and ask your neighbours to bring food and drinks.

Swaps
Another simple activity; a swap, or a 'really really free market' lets you clear out the house and discover others' discarded treasure. You can make the event simple (people bring their goods and anyone can take them away) or more formal (for example – bring six goods, get six tokens to exchange for six things from other people). This can be a good event to run in a busy public place so passers-by can grab stuff too.

Movie night
Get people together in your neighbourhood to watch films, at your house or a community space like a park or indoor venue. It could be fun to have a theme – maybe sci-fi, musicals, or westerns? Try to choose films that will work for a wide range for people. Classics always fit the bill.

Sports day
If there's a park near by, why not get some exercise? You could find other folks in your neighbourhood who like to play football, bocce, frisbee or croquet just as much as you! Plus, it's a way to interact with people from different language and cultural backgrounds too.

Super garage sale
You could arrange a garage sale in your street where everyone agrees to sell their unwanted items on the same day for a giant garage sale that can't fail to attract the masses.

Shared meals
Food always brings people together. You could have a progressive dinner where everyone goes from house to house for entrée, dinner and desert. Or just your average pot-luck dinner where everybody brings a dish to share.
Want to hear of a really fun new idea in the world of food and dining? How about a social networking site that allows you to plan funky little food events, post them online and then invite other food-loving locals to join in. This is the premise of Melbourne-based network Eat With Me and it has already enabled such fantastic functions as wonton-making workshops, bread workshops, curry recipe swaps, pot-luck dinners, brunches, restaurant outings, picnics and more. See Eat with Me website for details

Street party L
ocal councils often give small grants to people to organise street parties. Some also offer use of mobile BBQs or other items for free. There may be Council guidelines governing the organising of a street party so it may pay to check with your local council for details. Some examples of local council street party guidelines are here: City of Monash Street Party Guidelines
City of Darebin Street Party Guide