As part of Dr. Vivek H. Murthy’s "Recipes for Connection" initiative, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General features Block Party USA as a resource that supports building social connection through gathering.
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This Moment Calls for More Than Flags and Fireworks
America is turning 250, and while we’ll celebrate with parades and fireworks, the most powerful thing we can do to honor this country is the simplest: walk out our door and meet our neighbors.
In honor of America250, Block Party USA is thrilled to announce “American Summer,” a nationwide call to revive the forgotten American tradition of neighborhood block parties.
We’re living through a loneliness epidemic where screens are replacing conversations, AI is blurring the line between what’s real and what isn’t, and kids are growing up without the face-to-face connection they need to thrive. Now more than ever, we need to build trust in each other and our communities.
The antidote is right outside your front door.
Block parties have always been where America happens. Where political yard signs don’t matter as much as who remembered to bring the potato salad, and kids run free until dark. Here, at these micro-local gatherings, neighbors become a network of support, even friends, and become a community that looks out for each other.
That’s what American Summer is all about. It’s not a top-down civic mandate, but a grassroots, neighbor-by-neighbor renewal of the social fabric that has always made this country strong.
What we do locally matters.
Simple, Local, Joyful, and Yours
American Summer is Block Party USA’s nationwide initiative inviting neighbors to organize micro-local celebrations anytime between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend 2026, with a special focus on the 4th of July and America’s Potluck on July 5th.
It will look different on every street, from barbecues on cul-de-sacs to potlucks in apartment courtyards. Either way, it will be a place for kids and adults to play and connect, often for the very first time.
Just imagine 250 block parties happening across every state in America. Decentralized, but unified.
This Summer, Your Street Could Be Part of Something Big
American Summer is open to everyone:
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Neighbors and families: Organize a block party with other neighbors to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary and be included in our goal of having 250 block parties in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.!
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Organizations like HOAs, houses of worship, schools and PTAs, local businesses, nonprofits, civic groups, towns and municipalities: Reintroduce block parties and inspire the people you serve by encouraging them to organize a micro-local neighborhood gathering and point them to free tools to make it easy.
Block Party USA provides free toolkits for both individuals and organizations with everything you need to make it happen, whether you're new to the street or have lived there for decades.
Making It Happen is Easier Than You Think
Block Party USA is built on one guiding principle: simplicity. You don’t need a fancy venue, elaborate menu, or pressure to make it perfect, because perfection is the enemy of connection.
Here’s the basic recipe:
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Pick a date between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend 2026
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Choose a spot, like your street, a driveway, adjoining yards, or a common area
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Drop off kid-made or print out invitations (we have them in your kit!)
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Go potluck by inviting neighbors to bring a dish
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Consider red, white, and blue decorations to make the occasion
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Let the kids run free, put phones away, and enjoy the people right next to you
Block Party USA’s free toolkit walks you through every step. If you are feeling stuck, have a question, or need more support to get started, join one of our monthly, free office hour zooms to get what you need.
An added bonus this summer: Your block party is a living history lesson. Ask the veterans on your street about their service. Find neighbors who remember the 1976 bicentennial. Let kids hear those stories firsthand, because that’s America’s story, told the way it was always meant to be told: neighbor to neighbor.
Ready to Bring American Summer to Your Neighborhood?
Once you've got a date on the calendar, come back and register your block party to be counted toward our goal of 250 block parties in every state, all 50 states and Washington, D.C., this American Summer.
Every registered party puts us one step closer. Which state will hit 250 first?