Street parties have long been a tradition in the UK. It is thought that street parties organised by residents across the UK were ‘started in 1919 as ‘Peace Teas’ after World War I as a treat mainly for children in those times of hardship’.
Today, street parties are typically thrown on national days of celebration, from Royal weddings to coronations.
With the Coronation of King Charles III on the 6th of May quickly approaching, you might be looking for inspiration to throw your own street party to celebrate the occasion.
When throwing a street party, you should inform your local council of your plans and apply to hold a street party at least 4 to 12 weeks in advance to close a road.
Aside from asking your local council in advance, there are many tips out there that will help you when it comes to throwing a street party.
Tips on how to throw a street party include, but are not limited to:
- Involve your neighbours
- Provide varied food options
- Organise a range of drinks
- Find entertainment
- Decorate the street
- Hire furniture
1. Involve Your Neighbours
The first tip to consider when throwing a street party is to involve your neighbours.
Street parties are all about communities coming together, so sitting down with your neighbours is a great way to collaborate and bounce ideas off one another for your street party.
That said, letting your neighbours know you’re hosting a street party, even if they don’t want to come is a common courtesy that you should never skip.
Delegating jobs to the neighbours that are coming will ease the pressure, and will also ensure that everyone feels like they’re involved in making your street party a success.
It is thought that street parties organised by residents across the UK were ‘started in 1919 as ‘Peace Teas’ after World War I as a treat mainly for children in those times of hardship’.
2. Provide Varied Food Options
There’s nothing like a street party to bring people together to enjoy and celebrate good food, so providing varied food options is another essential tip.
As your friends and neighbours will likely come from a range of different backgrounds and have specific dietary requirements, it’s important to cater for a range of diets.
Providing meat, veggie, vegan, and halal options is essential to be as inclusive as possible.
You can also ask all your neighbours to bring a dish, as this is a good excuse for everyone to get involved and will help ensure there’s a good mix of foods.
Alternatively, you can hire catering to take the pressure off yourself and attendees. At Urban Food Fest, our team has years of experience in serving street food from our vintage food trucks for a range of private and corporate events.
If you’re looking to hire a street food truck to serve a variety of delicious dishes and food options at your street party, get in touch with us today.
3. Organise A Range Of Drinks
Another tip for throwing a successful street party is to organise a range of drinks.
From bowls of punch to cocktails and mocktails, a street party is a perfect opportunity to experiment and try new flavours as well as celebrate the classic tipples we all know and love.
Having a bottomless drinks station set up and offering instructions for people to create their own is another fun way to get people involved, which could include classic drinks like Pimm’s or Gin & Tonic to name a few options.
It’s also worth noting that it’s a good idea to offer a range of soft drinks for non-drinkers and children, as well as plenty of water on hand to ensure people remain hydrated throughout the day.
Providing meat, veggie, vegan, and halal food options is essential at your street party to be as inclusive as possible.
4. Find Entertainment
While food and drink are equally important at your street party, entertainment is also crucial to prioritise.
For most, street parties are an all-day affair that people can pop into when convenient, meaning you need a way of keeping the entertainment going for the entire duration of the event.
Our team at Urban Food Fest can curate entertainment options that complement your street party perfectly.
From a range of performers and musicians to giant board games, we have a wide range of entertainment options to keep the kids and adults at your street party entertained all day.
5. Decorate The Street
Another essential tip to consider when throwing a street party is to decorate the street.
In an ideal world it will be bright and sunny on the day of your street party, but knowing you can’t control the unpredictable British weather, decorations are important to build a jolly atmosphere and inject colour into the day.
From bunting to balloons, decorations set the ambience and can make all the difference to brighten the street on a cloudy day.
After all, it’s not a party without beautiful decorations for the occasion.
Decorations are important to build a jolly atmosphere at your street party and inject colour into the day.
6. Hire Furniture
Street parties owe their name to the fact that they’re traditionally hosted outdoors in the street.
However, you’ve got to consider people’s comfort, especially when it comes to hosting families and elderly individuals.
This is why hiring furniture is a great way to ensure everyone has a place to sit whilst they eat, chat and enjoy the party.
At Urban Food Fest, we have a range of vintage furniture for hire that is perfect for street parties, weddings, corporate events and more.
From vintage chairs to wooden tables and rustic armchairs, our curated selection of beautiful, hand-made furniture is ideal for creating the perfect setting for your street party.
We hope that this article has provided you with some useful information and inspiration for hosting your next street party.
If you’re planning a street party and are interested in our services, be sure to contact us at events@urbanfoodfest.com or on 02075633021 for more information.
