Tuesday August 4th will be a nationwide Night Out event. This year the Seattle Police Department is using Night Out to thank Seattle’s strong community partners. Night Out is a great opportunity to celebrate your efforts to keep your neighborhood safe. It is also a great time to invite new neighbors to join you and talk with friends and family who may not enjoy the benefits of a Block Watch about getting one started.
My block has held a potluck on this night for the past 4 years and every year it gets better. We even had live music last year! Because of these events, our neighborhood has become a lot closer and I’d like to think, a lot safer, since we recognize faces and are encouraged to look out for each other. The yearly Night Out event has become a must attend event in our neighborhood, so I’m hoping EBCA can help more blocks in the neighborhood start this tradition!
The East Ballard Community Association is encouraging you to participate in this event by closing down your block for the evening for a community get together. Normally you have to pay for a permit to close down your street, but on this night, it’s free! We really want to have a good showing from East Ballard and to sweeten the deal, all EBCA participating blocks will be entered into a raffle to win prizes from local businesses!
If you’re convinced and you want to host a Night Out Block party in your neighborhood and become an East Ballard Community Association sponsored block, Here’s how to get started:
- Register your block with the Seattle Police Department by July 31st at https://www.seattle.gov/police/nightout/northregister.htm. The form will ask you for your census tract. Most of East Ballard is tract 47.
- Attend our first informational meeting for EBCA Night Out on Thursday July 9th at 6:30 pm at my home (1111 NW 60th St). if you are unable to attend, send me a note that you want to participate and we’ll keep you in the loop.
- Get the word out to your neighbors. The Seattle Police Department provides reminders and flyers on their Night Out Site. We’ll also have flyers available that you can use.
- Close down your block on Tuesday August 4th and get together with your neighbors, and don’t forget about the raffle!
Even if you’ve been organizing this event for years on you own block, please consider joining EBCA by becoming a sponsored block. This will give you an opportunity to meet other people in your neighborhood who care about their community as much as you and give you a chance to share your expertise in organizing a community event with those that are just starting out! Oh, yeah, it also gets your block entered in the raffle!
p.s. Those who live in my blockwatch area on NW 60th and 61st between 11th and 14th Ave NW are already signed up! Be sure to show up at 6PM on 11th Ave NW between NW 60th and 61st with your favorite dish to share. Contact me if you want to provide entertainment or help me organize the event!