Welcome to the Fourth Annual Phoenix Day Block Party Program! This year, we’re excited to introduce a new focus on connecting block parties with emergency disaster preparedness. Block parties aren’t just about fun—they are an opportunity to strengthen community ties and build resilience in case of an emergency.
By organizing a block party, you bring your neighborhood together, create vital social connections, and establish networks that can be crucial during a disaster. Knowing your neighbors helps identify and support the most vulnerable members of your community, including the elderly and those with mobility issues.
Join us on October 20th, 2024, for Phoenix Day, and help prepare your neighborhood for any situation while enjoying the festivities. Let’s celebrate the power of community and build a stronger, safer future together!
***Phoenix Day 2024 Block Party Applications are CLOSED***
Participant Eligibility
- Be over 18 years of age
- Be a resident in San Francisco
- 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 a minimum width of 25 feet, 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
Location Requirements
In order to qualify for a Sunday Streets Phoenix Day Block Party permit, your street must meet the SFMTA’s eligibility requirements. All final decision on eligibility for a given block will be determined by ISCOTT, however streets that meet the following requirements are generally eligible:
- A one-block, residential street with a minimum width of 25 feet
- Free of transit service, parking meters, and emergency services (i.e. Fire or Police Station, Hospitals)
- No more than one lane of traffic in either direction
- Has no ground floor businesses, multi-car parking garages, social services sites like senior centers or libraries open the weekend, or places of worship
Outreach Requirements
To ensure a smooth and welcoming day for all, every block party will be required to do and document the following outreach to receive and/or maintain their permit:
- Get 60% of the households on the block to sign the letter of support (required to complete the Block Party Application Form). A printable or digital template is available above.
- Flyer every house and car on the block by the deadline listed above and document your outreach (i.e. photos of flyers on cars and houses).
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- IMPORTANT Must submit documentation of flyering by the deadline published above or your space will be forfeited.
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- Place a-frames barricades with no parking signs out once received and/or no later than the Friday before Phoenix Day, but can go out as soon as they are delivered on the Wednesday before Phoenix Day.
- Flyer every house and car on the block sometime between Wednesday-Friday before Phoenix Day.
Prohibited Activities
the following activities are prohibited all Phoenix Day block parties:
- Bounce houses or other large inflatables in the sidewalk or roadway
- Setting equipment in front fire hydrants, driveways without the neighbor’s permission, or on the sidewalk
- Motor vehicles or motor vehicle shows
- Physical stages, large structures, or inflatables
- Generators
- BBQ or cooking equipment in the public right of way (i.e. sidewalk or roadway)
- Distribution of individual, single-use plastic water bottles
- Sale of food
- Sales of any kind
- Distribution of food/groceries
- Promotion or use of products deemed to be in conflict with SFDPH’s HEAL Legislation, such as alcohol, tobacco, recreational cannabis, vaping, and other smoking products
- Gated, paid programming (pay rides, VIP lounges, etc)
- Commercial promotion or sampling of sugar sweetened beverages or junk food as deemed by SFDPH’s HEAL Legislation
- Promotion of products that conflict with sustainable transportation, such as private automobiles, fossil fuel companies, etc.