Community Socials

This 50's-style sock hop is all about turning up the music and dancing to rockabilly tunes. When you add a DJ and some light refreshments, it’s sure to be a fun night for all ages and full of great exercise as well. Promotion Get residents excited well in advance by sending out some 50’s trivia questions to test their knowledge of the decade, or put together a simple 10s music word search as part of the monthly newsletter. You can also post similar trivia, games, and old photos on your social media pages to engage residents ahead of the event. Playlist Most rockabilly classics are perfect for dancing, but here’s an “ultimate” playlist that will help...

To foster a sense of team spirit in your community celebrate the first away game of the season with a parking lot tailgating party! 1) Encourage residents to set up their chairs, ice chests, and grills safely in the car park areas and lawns. 2) Aim to set up about three hours before game time. This may mean late afternoon on a weekday or mid-morning for weekend away games. 3) A big part of tailgating for the adults is alcohol. Remind residents to drink responsibly and have security present the day of the event just in case things get heated. 4) Decorate as much as possible with your team’s colors. Aim for balloons, banners, streamers, and even giveaway stickers or temporary tattoos. ...

Fall is a great time for garage sales. As the weather cools down it becomes easier to spend time outdoors walking around and it’s a perfect time for getting rid of things that families aren’t using anymore, minimizing clutter, and making room for new in our lives – just in time for the holiday season. We’ve already written on some of the best ways to plan a community swap and shop or spring cleaning party – but here’s another idea to make your annual community sale a more participatory event. Incorporate a scavenger hunt as part of the event 1. A few weeks in advance, encourage residents to send a photograph and description of their strangest, funniest, most interesting, or most unusual item that they are planning to put up for sale. 2. Create an album...

A classy village sampler is a great way create buzz for a Class A community while also giving residents the opportunity to get all dressed up and donate to a worthy cause. The goal of this type of event is four fold: 1. Build partnerships with local press and businesses 2. Gather donations for a good cause 3. Create a classy, exciting, and memorable event for your residents 4. Generate positive buzz for your living community Additionally, if you incorporate live entertainment and a silent art auction into the event you can generate interest and exposure for local musicians and artisans as well. Here are a few tips for making your Village Sampler event a stunning success: Keep it upscale ...

September is National Potato Month, and what better way to celebrate than inviting residents to take part in a fun potato-themed event. Here are a few activities to keep everyone entertained at your spud-tacular event. Potato Games Potato Car Races / Potato Derby Potato car races are a great activity for all ages. Kids especially love to make their spud vehicles and race them to see how they compare to others’ creations. To make a mini potato racing event you’ll need very few things – a racetrack, potato cars, and lots of excitement. Image source: Cruise Oregon Building the racetrack is a great handyman project to beat monotony of regular community repairs and activities. Here are instructions for building your own derby track. The cars...