NNO Neighborhood Block Party

Take photographs of your neighborhood National Night Out party on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 then email your five best shots to karl.anderson@orlando.gov by October 11, 2024. Each photo must feature the NNO logo and one of the following:

• Law enforcement personnel or police vehicle
• Orlando Fire Department firefighter or vehicle

When submitting your photo:

• Photos must be .jpg attachments 
• Photographer's last name must be included in the file names
• Name and contact information must be included in the body of the email, along with information about each photo (i.e. Summer Storm neighborhood, John Smith in his National Night Out cape)
• Photos will be judged on theme, creativity and neighborhood involvement

One winner will be chosen and receive a prize. Don't forget to share your NNO photos with the hashtag #OrlandoNNO on social media.

By submitting your photos, you grant the right to the City of Orlando and the Orlando Police Department to full use of the photograph which depicts the faces of adults and children at a public event.

• NNO Newbie Party Package – this special bonus package will be given to all first time NNO participants. Your newbie party package will contain cups, plates, plastic utensils, napkins, a plastic table cloth and garbage bags sponsored by Target.

• Early Registration – You may complete your registration here or call the Neighborhood Watch Unit at 407.246.2369, and a registration packet will be mailed to you. Submit your registration form by August 1, 2024 and receive an entry into the grand prize drawing.

• National Night Out Block Party Package – This package contains a National Night Out banner, t-shirts for you and your committee and other party supplies.

• All parties registered by September 2, 2024 are guaranteed to receive a Party Package. Registrations received after this date will be issued a Party Package on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. 

• Party Package Pick Up - pick up your NNO Party Package from the Orlando Police Headquarters (1250 West South Street). You will receive an email with pick up information after you register. 

Q&A with local police

Host a question and answer session with your local police to learn more about their roles and how to prevent crime. 

Community food bank collection

Give back to the community by holding a food drive for a local charity or organization.

Scavenger hunt

Send the kids (and any adults desiring) on a scavenger hunt for unique finds. Be sure to have prizes for the winners!

Update on neighborhood affairs

Start a tradition and have designated community members share events, accomplishments and concerns.

Beautify a common neighborhood space

Beautify a common neighborhood space like a local garden or cleaning up a subdivision. 

Photo Booth Contest

Print out the following items:

• Local sports team mascots
• Beard/Mustache cut outs
• Hats
• Glasses
• Speech bubble with a unique hashtag

Cut out and tape the things you printed onto sticks (you can purchase bamboo skewers at a low cost).

Set the props in a basket/box and use a wall for a backdrop. Dress it up with a fun shower curtain or tape some streamers hanging down.

Make it a group contest by saying that if over a certain amount of people take a silly photo, the officers in the department will take a silly one and post on their website/social pages.

All-ages activities

• Book exchange
• Book swap
• Tug of war
• Food bank collection
• Cake walk
• Organize a book club
• Dance
• Ring toss contest
• Live music
• Movies
• Sing-along/karaoke
• Sports
• Water balloon fights

1. At the event: Assign a specific neighbor to look for and greet the officer(s), fire fighters, paramedics, and city officials attending your event. Introduce them publicly or individually to the neighbors attending your party.
2. Prior to the event, assign specific neighbors to specific duties. Praise the volunteers, publicly, and send Thank You notes to them.
3. Consider name tags for everyone at your event. Maybe the children and teens could design/make them.
4. Consider inviting area businesses to your event.
5. Keep good records. If you have a root beer float event for 50 people, keep records of how many tubs of ice cream and two-liter containers of root beer you used. This will make next year's event much easier to plan.
6. Involve children and teens. One coordinator had a great response because she told the kids in the neighborhood well in advance about the parade plans and what the kids could do to prepare.
7. Plan in advance, keep organized, and utilize volunteers.
8. Assign a neighbor to photograph your party, and then consider posting the photos on Facebook, Nextdoor.com, or send photos via email to the neighbors. Be sure to enter your best ones in the NNO photo contest.
9. When you send Thank You notes to businesses/organizations who have donated to your NNO party, include a photograph.

View more party planning tips

Congratulations to our 2023 theme contest winners!