How to throw the perfect holiday event | Nextdoor

Are you in the holiday spirit?

You can spread festive cheer this holiday season by throwing a winter event in your community, whether it’s a cookie swap, menorah lighting, or a local parade.

Hosting a seasonal celebration is a wonderful way to spread kindness and goodwill among your neighborhood, meet new neighbors, and support small businesses and charitable organizations in your community as the year comes to a close.

You can create an event on Nextdoor to help spread the word and discover more seasonal events on Nextdoor with the help of our Events Map.

3 tips for throwing the perfect holiday event in your neighborhood

‘Tis the season for bringing neighbors together to celebrate the holidays! Here are some tips for hosting a special holiday event that your community will love.

1. Select a theme

The first step to hosting a successful holiday event is deciding what kind of get-together you want to host and who will be attending. A few suggestions when planning events around the holidays are:

• Consider an all-ages event – To ensure that every member of the family can attend, hosting a holiday event that is appropriate for all ages makes everyone feel included during the holiday season. A crafting session, tree lighting, or holiday sing-a-long is a great way to celebrate the season with neighbors of all ages.

• Host a seasonal event that celebrates all holidays – Many holidays fall during the winter months, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Incorporating popular traditions and elements from multiple holidays allows attendees to learn about and honor other holidays and makes your event inclusive for everyone in your neighborhood.

• Get inspired by your neighborhood – On Nextdoor’s Events Map, you can discover more local events and festive celebrations taking place in your neighborhood. Is your neighbor already hosting a Thanksgiving-inspired pie baking competition? Perhaps you would like to host a different kind of event, like a charitable fundraiser collecting toys for children in need, to complement other winter festivities already taking place in your neighborhood.

2. Ask your neighbors to pitch in

As your festive event nears, there may be lots of moving pieces coming together all at once. Enlisting help from your neighborhood will make party planning easier to manage, and it means everyone gets to play a part in making your holiday event a success.

Here are some tips on what you can delegate when preparing for your event:

• Renting a winter weather-friendly location or finding someone to host
• Holiday music playlist
• Seasonal foods and drinks
• Festive games and activities
• Themed photo booth with props
• Coordinating a gift swap or donation drive
• Set up and clean up for your event

Once your event planning is in motion, it’s time to…

3. Share your Event

To easily spread the word about your holiday event, you can create an event on Nextdoor so more neighbors can learn about how to join in on the festivities and RSVP to attend. Your neighborhood can also use the Events Map to discover Events like yours this holiday season and beyond.

To create an event on Nextdoor, simply:

• Create a post in the newsfeed and choose ‘Create an event’ as the option for your post type.
• Add important information, including the name, description, location, date and time of your event, as well as any relevant photos.
• Post the event to your public newsfeed or in a specific group so neighbors can learn about your event.
• You can also click the ‘Share’ button to spread the word about your event via email or other platforms.

Your neighborhood can find nearby Events like yours on the Events Map using the Discover tab on Nextdoor.

Head to the Nextdoor app or visit nextdoor.com to create an event and explore the Events Map, and have a safe, joyous holiday season.

To connect with your local neighborhood, download the app or login at nextdoor.com.