I thought I knew everyone in my neighborhood. I can tell you who leaves for the gym at 5 a.m. every morning before work and who will be the first to put up their holiday lights.

But recently, I noticed a woman walking a golden retriever I’d never seen before. And a guy on a road bike who always turns down my street now. Maybe I didn’t actually know my neighborhood as well as I thought I did.

Somehow, even between driveway waves and quick chats during evening walks, many of us have settled into being familiar strangers and for whatever reason, figuring out how to make new friends as an adult just doesn’t come as naturally. Even when the potential friends live right down the street.

In the spirit of Moregetherness (a.k.a. sparking community by sharing homemade food), I wanted to do something to bring our neighborhood a little closer. Something where people could just stop by, grab something snacky and finally put names to familiar faces.

So I hosted a Neighbor Hour, and it was easier and way less intimidating than I expected. Here’s what I did, what I wish I'd known beforehand and what I’m going to do differently next time.

I Kept the Invitation List Small

It was tempting to invite everyone within a few-block radius, but that started feeling overwhelming fast. Plus, I was drifting into territory where I had absolutely no idea who lived there.

Start with Your Immediate Neighborhood

So instead, I started with the 10 houses closest to mine. And once I really thought about it, there were another handful of houses that naturally felt like part of our immediate neighborhood too.

Include New Neighbors, Seniors and Singles

Then I thought about the woman with the golden retriever and the guy on the road bike. I still didn’t know exactly which houses they belonged to, but I knew which homes had recently been built or sold, so I added them to the list too.

And of course, I invited the neighborhood OGs, the people who lived here back when this whole area was mostly trees, along with a few seniors and singles who I thought might appreciate an easy reason to get out and connect.

I Kept it Very Casual

I hosted our Neighbor Hour on a spring Sunday afternoon because weeknights are so busy with kids’ activities. On Sundays, everyone’s usually hanging close to home in comfy clothes, and I wanted the gathering to match that relaxed energy.

Go for Easy Invites

So I skipped formal invitations. I emailed, messaged and texted the ones I had contact info for and printed simple flyers that we tucked into everyone’s doors.

All it said was: “Hey, everyone! We’re having a casual neighborhood hangout in our driveway on Sunday from 2–4 p.m. Stop by if you can! Kids and dogs welcome. Bring your favorite beverage, and we’ll provide the snacks.”

The second I wrote the invitation, I felt myself relax, too. Suddenly, the pressure of hosting a full-on thing was off.

I Picked a Theme

The theme idea actually came to me before I had the guest list dialed in or had fully embraced the breezy Sunday afternoon vibe.

I already had a few pouches of Bob’s Red Mill Brown Sugar Blondie Baking Mix and Fudgy Brownie Mix in my pantry, and I wanted an excuse to play around with fun mix-ins and toppings.

Start with the Food

I found this recipe for Dalgona Coffee Brownies, with coffee in the brownies and a fluffy coffee topping, which gave me the idea to build this Neighbor Hour around a “Brownie Points Social” theme, with a coffeehouse spin.

The menu then became obvious: brownies, blondies, hot coffee, cold milk and ice cream with toppings. . .because brownie sundaes.

Picking the theme instantly made the rest of the planning easier. Even the invitations practically wrote themselves, including the font styles, colors and graphics.

Add Ambiance

As for decorations, I knew they were unnecessary, but still, I wanted something. So we strung a few strands of lights, and I set out some mason jars filled with coffee beans and tea lights—things I already had. They were cute, easy and definitely warmed things up.

Then I found an already-curated coffeehouse playlist on my phone, and that was it.

More importantly, choosing a theme kept me from overthinking every little decision. Instead of trying to plan an entire party, I just had to build around one simple idea.

I Leaned on Easy, Reliable Recipes

Hosting a gathering, casual or not, is no time to chance it on untested recipes or unfamiliar ingredients.

I already knew I was in good hands with the baking mixes for blondies and brownies. So I rounded out my menu with more easy treats using recipes I knew would work and reliable baking staples.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies were definitely the hit of the party. The blondies were ooey and gooey, and the sweet and salty topping was *chef’s kiss.* I was glad I printed out the recipe because everyone kept asking for it.

Peanut Butter Brownies were the ones most of the kids went for. It’s hard to say if it was because of the peanut butter swirl or the chopped peanut butter cups on top, but there was only a sliver left in the pan—I think everyone was just too polite to take the last one.

I rounded out the sweets with some bowls of salty chips, pretzels and popcorn.

The Neighbor Hour Party Planning Checklist I Wish I Had

By the end of the night, I had already started a mental list of things I was glad we did and a few things I’d definitely change next time. So if you’re thinking about hosting your own Neighbor Hour, here’s the prep list I wish I’d had going in.

Start smaller than you think. A smaller group made it easier to actually talk to everyone. Even four to eight households would have been plenty, as long as no one felt left out.
Pick a theme immediately. This cut my decision fatigue way down and made food, drinks and even decorations easier to figure out.
Let the invites convey casual and what to expect. Ours basically said, “We’re setting out snacks. Come as you are.” Include whether people should bring a drink, snack or lawn chair.
Let recipes do the heavy lifting. Reliable recipes with dependable ingredients and easy baking mixes keep things simple.
Don’t think you have to clean the whole house. We blew off the driveway, wiped down the bathrooms and called it good. People came to connect, not check our shelves for dust.
Go easy with decorations. String lights add instant atmosphere with almost no effort
Ask people to bring chairs. We thought we had enough seating. We absolutely did not. Thankfully, neighbors just dragged extras over.
Put food where people naturally gather. We created little seating areas, but everyone still ended up around the snack table most of the night.
Have a weather backup plan. We had the garage ready in case it rained and figured we’d move to the kitchen if things got really bad.
Disposable plates are completely acceptable. Anything that cuts down on cleanup makes the gathering more enjoyable for everyone, including you.
Expect people to stay longer than planned. Our two-hour Neighbor Hour happily turned into three because once everyone settled in, nobody wanted to leave.
Keep the momentum going. If everyone seems to be having fun, casually throw out a “We should do this again sometime.” Hopefully, someone else is thinking it, too.

What Surprised Me Most

All in all, our first Neighbor Hour went better than I’d hoped. We didn’t run out of food, nobody seemed uncomfortable, and the driveway filled with lawn chairs, kids and dogs more quickly than I thought it would.

At one point, my playlist accidentally switched over to my cardio-walking music, which somehow sparked an impromptu dance party among the adults, much to the horror of the kids, of course. Proof that sometimes the most unplanned moments end up being the most fun.

But what surprised me most was how little any of the stuff I worried about actually mattered. Nobody cared that we were all in sweatshirts and leggings. The paper plates and napkins were a mishmash from different packages, so nothing matched, which somehow made it feel even more comfortable and relaxed.

People settled into conversations pretty quickly, and before long, neighbors who had mostly just waved to each other were standing around talking like old friends.

What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Start earlier. I picked 2–4 p.m. on a Sunday because it felt like the least intrusive time of day, but several people had to head out for evening plans just as the conversations were getting good.
Try a different theme. I will definitely do another themed Neighbor Hour. I was thinking about a “Citrus and Catch-Ups” on the patio with mimosas and lemony brunchy things, or a “Bring a Bite Night” where everyone brings their favorite appetizer. And I can already picture a taco bar setup for a “Nacho Average Neighbor Hour.”
Add a mix of sweet and savory options. The “Brownie Points Social” theme was definitely a hit, but next time I’d add a few wraps or more substantial finger foods to balance out all the sweets.
Have name tags. I ended up scrambling for a sheet of labels at the last minute, and they actually helped more than I expected.
Include a few lower-key activities. We had frisbees, footballs and bag toss games in the yard, plus conversation cards scattered on tables. Next time, I’ll also set out decks of cards or dominoes for people who’d rather relax, sit and chat.
Set up a separate drink station. Everyone gathered around the snacks, so having drinks in a second spot probably would’ve helped people spread out a little more.
Take more photos. I got so caught up with visiting and enjoying everyone that I think I only took three photos by the end of the night. And, shockingly, no one else took any either. Next time, I think I’ll recruit a neighbor for this.
Worry less. I spent way too much time wondering if anyone would show up, if there’d be enough food and if people would actually have fun. Turns out, they were just happy someone invited them over.

As the sun started to set on my first-ever Neighbor Hour and people began rounding up their kids, dogs and coolers, several neighbors asked when the next one would be.

In just a few hours, over simple brownies and coffee, the neighbors I had previously referred to in my head as “the lady with the dog” and “the guy on the bike” suddenly felt like friends, and the street we lived on felt more like a community.

I wonder if that’s the secret to Moregetherness, and making new friends as an adult. Nothing forced or formal. Just a few simple snacks and a place to gather.

What I do know for sure is that I’ll definitely be hosting another Neighbor Hour. Unless one of my neighbors. . .correction: new friends. . .beats me to it first.