Community events serve an important purpose in building stronger neighborhoods. They bring neighbors together to get to know each other in a positive environment. But it can be hard to come up with good ideas for community event entertainment.
The good news is that there are simple, easy-to-use ideas that can get you started toward planning a great community event. Once you have a team of people who will work together, picking community event entertainment is one of the biggest decisions you will make. The following can help you make better choices.
Planning for a Community Events
Before choosing your entertainment, it’s important to take time to plan a community event. A lot depends on the type of event and the people expected to attend. A community event can include a neighborhood block party, talent show, outdoor movie night, “battle of the bands” and arts and crafts festivals.
Things to consider include:
- Setting a goal for the event
- Delegating oversight of different sections of the event to specific people
- Contacting vendors for food, entertainment, etc.
- Coming up with a plan to publicize the event
- Establishing a plan for setting up before and cleaning up after the event
Choosing the right community event entertainment is also an important part of the planning process. What you can get will depend on your space and the anticipated makeup and size of the crowd.
Choosing the Right Community Event Entertainment
Before contacting a party rental company to line up your entertainment options, take the time to measure the space you have and estimate (as accurately as possible) the number of people you expect to attend. Also, have a good idea of the age groups who will show up.
Once that information is in place, it’s time to consider some community event entertainment options.
A Centerpiece Attraction
You don’t have to rent a 36-foot Gator slide as the centerpiece for your party, but it’s good to know you can! It’s the sort of thing everyone will want to try at least once (and probably take a selfie in front of). Other attractions that meet the centerpiece standard include large inflatable slides, water slides, and inflatable games such as jousting, Zorb tracks and Patriot Wipeout. Essentially, this calls for something everyone will remember once the party is over.
Carnival Games
There aren’t many traveling carnivals left in the United States, but people still love to play carnival games. It’s become popular in recent years to give people carnival midway-style games at events, festivals and fairs. You can also provide popular games such as Giant Jenga, cornhole and LED and electronic carnival games.
Sports Games
Depending on who you think will attend, it might make sense to plan some field games, if you have the room. This can include soccer, volleyball, whiffle ball and basketball, depending on the venue. You also can rent inflatable games that test sports skills, such as pitching a baseball or kicking a field goal.
Basketball, Football and Soccer Game
Food Options
The simpler, the better. Set up an area for people to bring potluck dishes. Or work with a local restaurant or two to provide the food. If the event coordinators end up cooking their own food, some ideas include barbecue, pizza, a pancake breakfast or getting Frosted Cookie Creations.
Custom Printed Frosted Cookies
Plan a Service Effort
This is not necessarily entertainment, but it provides community members a purpose when they come together. By tying in a service component to the event – either before, during or after it ends – people can take part in bettering their community. Service could include:
- Raising money for a local charity
- Signing up to donate time to a charity (such as Habitat for Humanity)
- Starting a community garden or other beautification project
- A voter registration drive
- Inviting local police, firefighters and other first responders to make a presentation on things people can do to improve community safety
Choosing the right community event entertainment will go a long way to creating a successful party. It’s a great way to build strong relationships between neighbors and improve your local community.
