Neighborfest

Welcome to the online home of the 2023 Neighborfest Program.

Back for another year of fun and community building, Neighborfest is a program of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management’s Neighborhood Empowerment Network, managed by Livable City and funded with the support of Supervisors Mandelman, Melgar, Safai, and Stefani.

Residents of Districts 2, 7, and 8 can now apply to host a Neighborfest Block Party between August 5th and November 5th. The program offers participating communities:

• Application submission for the street closure and amplified sound permits with fees covered by the Program*
• Street closure equipment
• Event liability insurance
• Door prizes for registered event attendees
• Outreach materials, including customizable door hangers and flyers
• The Neighborfest Playbook, which guides the Host Committee in planning activities, and online host orientations
• Host support provided by Livable City Program Team throughout the event production process 
  * See the Program Overview section for more details regarding permit fees 

Program Overview

The Neighborfest Program provides participants with step-by-step guidance, resource, and technical support, to produce the world’s greatest block party intended for neighbors to help neighbors develop important connections and skills to support each other during major events.

Launched in 2016, the Neighborfest program was inspired by the lessons learned in New Orleans communities after Hurricane Katrina. Data showed that the more connected residents are to each other at the block level, the more likely they are going to help each other survive a major event and work together to rebuild their community. One important catalyst for connection for the communities in New Orleans was the dance troops they each had sponsored for Mardi Gras. We know that the most popular activity we have in San Francisco at the block level that emulates the fun and community-building qualities of Mardi Gras is the classic block party. With that, the Neighborfest program was born.

Neighborfest is part of the Strong Block Program, which provides helpful tips to participants on how to build and maintain a safer and more connected community using fun and meaningful activities. The second part of the Program called the Block Response Team, provides guidance on how to repurpose the partnerships, skills, and connections made by hosting the Neighborfest to protect the health and well-being of the most vulnerable neighbors.

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2023 Program Details

Participant Eligibility:

• Be over 18 years of age
• Be a resident in Districts 2, 7, or 8
• The applicant must be a resident of the block for which they’re applying to host a block party
• The street must meet the requirements for a neighborhood block party permit as determined by the SFMTA. The street should be residential with no more than one lane of traffic in each direction and not impact transit, metered parking, or emergency services, and the event should be free and open to the neighborhood

Benefits Summary:

• Application submission for the street closure and amplified sound permits with fees covered by the Program
• Street closure equipment
• Event liability insurance
• Door prizes for registered event attendees
• Outreach materials, including customizable door hangers and flyers
• The Neighborfest Playbook, which guides the Host Committee in planning activities, and online host orientations
• Host support provided by Livable City Program Team throughout the event production process 

Application Process:

Step One – Determine Host Eligibility Please review the following criteria before advancing in the Neighborfest Host Application Process. 1. Be at least 18 years of age and a resident of District 2, 7, or 8 2. Reside at an address that is on the block being submitted for closure 3. The event and the block of the street being submitted for closure meets the City’s street closure permitting process requirements, which include: 。The street is residential, and its closure will not impact the transit service and metered parking 。The event is single-day and one-block 。The event is non-commercial, meaning no admission fees and no sale of goods or services

Step Two – Identify the Host Committee Leads and Key Event Details The key to a successful block party is assembling a team and crafting a great event plan. The Neighborfest Host Playbook offers step-by-step guidance to: 1. Identify at least one Co-Host and Host Committee Team Members 2. Design a world-class block party 3. Form teams to implement the event plan, including safety and waste management, activities, potluck sign-ups, and more

Step Three – Complete the Online Neighborfest Application Submit the block party application at least six weeks prior to the event date. The application should include: 1. The exact residential address that is on the block being submitted for closure 2. The Co-Hosts’ contact information for the event and the permit applications 3. Details of the event plan, including 。Activities being offered 。Special activities being planned or equipment requirements 。Event safety plan 。Guest outreach strategy

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2023 Neighborfest Application & Host Info Session

Application Reference:

• 2023 Program Guidelines (TBA)
• Neighborfest Playbook

Application Timeline:

For Events During	Application Deadline	For Events During	Application Deadline	For Events During	Application Deadline
Aug 5th – 6th	Mon, Jun 19th, at 5 PM	Sep 9th – 10th	Mon, Jul 24th, at 5 PM	Oct 14th – 15th	Mon, Aug 28th, at 5 PM
Aug 12th – 13th	Mon, Jun 26th, at 5 PM	Sep 16th – 17th	Mon, Jul 31st, at 5 PM	Oct 21st – 22nd	Mon, Sep 4th, at 5 PM
Aug 19th – 20th	Mon, Jul 3rd, at 5 PM	Sep 23rd – 24th	Mon, Aug 7th, at 5 PM	Oct 28th – 29th	Mon, Sep 11th, at 5 PM
Aug 26th – 27th	Mon, Jul 10th, at 5 PM	Sep 30th – Oct 1st	Mon, Aug 14th, at 5 PM	Nov 4th – 5th	Mon, Sep 18th, at 5 PM
Sep 2nd – 3rd	Mon, Jul 17th, at 5 PM	Oct 7th – 8th	Mon, Aug 21st, at 5 PM

Host Info Session:

Please click on the date below to register for the corresponding info session. Please check back later for additional dates.

Tue, June 27th, at 7 PM. | Wed, Jul 12th, at 7 PM.

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Questions?

For questions about the program, including eligibility to participate or how to submit an application, please email:

• Livable City’s Neighborfest Program Team at neighborfest@livablecity.org
• Daniel Homsey, Director of the Neighborhood Empowerment Network, at daniel.homsey@sfgov.org