Boston: Here’s How You Can Get Your Block Party Funded By The City
The bad news is that anyone interested in hosting a neighborhood get-together in the city has to apply for a permit. The good news is that in Boston, if your block party is approved, you can get it funded by the mayor’s office.
Mayor Wu and the Office of Civic Organizing are offering grants up to $750 to residents, neighbors, and community groups who want to build community this summer by hosting a block party on their street, their official application states in the opening.
What Do You Do With The Money?
Upon receiving the grant, you can use it to purchase the necessary items to throw your block party. This includes things such as water bottles or other drinks, lawn games, snacks, entertainment, and more. The catch is that these bashes must be open to the public and free to enter.
Application Process
All interested blocks must submit their completed application at least four weeks prior to the event date. There is no deadline to apply, however. The city will be reviewing such applications all throughout the summer. In addition, a permit must be filed. This is to review if street and traffic closures are required and to get the permission to do so.
Helpful Resources
If you want to explore the option to get your block party funded in Boston, here are a few helpful links you will need.
To start the process and find more qualifying information visit: Boston.gov/blockparty. Furthermore, this is also where you can learn about how to plan and properly throw a city block party if you have never done so before.
Concurrently, the official Boston block party application can be found here.
Lastly, there will also be an info session hosted by the Office of Civic Organizing on June 21, 2023, from 6 pm to 7 pm; residents can ask questions related to the grants. Here is the link to register for the meeting.
Workout For Free All Summer in Boston With Seaport Sweat
From May 1 to September 30 you can take free exercise classes outside at the Seaport. Boston’s largest free outdoor workout series, Seaport Sweat, will return for its eighth season. This community-driven program offers various workout classes for free all summer in this attractive region of the Boston seaport. Each class takes place in the Seaport Common.
“Seaport Sweat is back with a more diverse mix of workouts for all fitness levels. With the weather warming up, we can’t wait to welcome everyone across Boston and beyond to the Seaport. We are thrilled to bring the community together for some outdoor fun and fitness this Spring and Summer season,” says Claire Kilcullen, Senior Manager, Culture & Experience, Seaport at WS Development.
The Classes
100 different class options will be on the schedule this year. The new classes to the lineup include: Power Flow with Ashley Mitchell, Mind Over Mat(ter) with Lloyd Hawthorn, HIIT me UP with Dana Bogan, and Lit2Lift, as well as favorites like Kick It By Eliza with Eliza Shirazi, Peaches Guaranteed with Rob Velasquez, Sculpt That sASS with Alanna Perry, BronCore Bootcamp with Bron Volney, Athletic Conditioning with Michael Soares, Pilates Fusion with Britney Willingham, and Zumba with Nicole Derosiers.
Equinox and Lululemon, who have prominent locations in the Seaport, will continue to host select classes and participate throughout the summer as well. Furthermore, classes will be offered by new to Boston stores based in Seaport. Alo, a yogi clothing brand will have various Saturday classes. In addition, smart strength-training equipment company Tonal, will lead “Toned and Tight.”
When?
All Seaport Sweat classes will be held every Monday through Thursday at 5:30pm and 6:30pm. There will be Saturday classes at 10am. As a reminder, all classes are located at the Seaport Common.
For more information, a full class schedule, and details on what weeks have additional classes, you can visit www.bostonseaport.xyz/seaport-sweat .
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
