The 38th Annual Duddington Block Party!

Pictures:

The following (below the line) was the home page, preserved as it was the day of the 2008 block party.

		Block Party Blog 6/9/08 - Less than a week!! We're now only 6 days out from the main event. Things are shaping up nicely and all systems are go. Even the weather looks like it will cooperate (not that they can accurately predict this afternoons weather, let alone 6 days from now, but I suppose it's better than forecasting rain!) 6/1/08 - Tshirts are ordered. The T-shirts have been ordered. We ordered about 12 extra in the most popular sizes. If you still want a T-shirt, they're $20 (yes, you pay an extra $5 for not ordering by the deadline ;-), and are available on a first come, first serve basis. Contact me for availability. 5/29/08 - Now we're cookin'! Thanks for your continued donations everyone. Keep them coming! We're well within reach of our target now! 5/28/08 - Half Way There! Folks are coming through. We've raised almost $2000 in 24 hours! Well done people! But as good as that is, it's still only half way to our goal. In terms of volume, there have been far fewer donators this year, but those who have donated have been far more generous with their donations on average. If we could get the same participation that we did last year, we could have a record year! Please scroll down the page for an up-to-date tally of our efforts. 5/25/08 - Deadbeat Neighbors Please pony up folks! It takes about $4000-4500 to put on the block party as you know it. By now, we usually have about $3000 in collections. But this year, we have $230 so far. It doesn't take a math genius to figure out that this party isn't going to happen if people don't make some donations soon! THE DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS AND T-SHIRT ORDERS IS TUESDAY, 5/27/08. While we'll take donations up to and including the day of the party, the shirts really do need to be ordered by Tuesday if we're to have them in time. 5/14/08 - The Countdown Begins! No, I didn't forget about block party this year. We intentionally delayed preparations this year. The thinking was that instead of a long, drawn-out planning period that people grow weary of, we'd do more of a last minute sprint to get everyone fired up for the big day. At least, that's my story. But now that we're a month out, it's time to shift into gear. Preparations are underway! Here are some key dates to put into your calendar: Tuesday, May 27th: T-shirt orders and Donations are due! Friday, June 13th: Move your car off Duddington by 6pm, or be towed! Saturday, June 14th: Duh. Sunday, June 15th: Shake off your hangover and come help us clean up. Meet in the street at 10am.
		Fundraising Progress   --$5500 --$5000 --$4500 (goal!) --$4000 --$3500 --$3000 --$2500 --$2000 --$1500 --$1000 --$500 --$0     Total Funds Collected: $3936.50 Updated: 6/13/08 Click here to donate now!

Saturday June 14th, 2008. Rain or Shine. Events all day!

The Duddington Block Party is not to be missed! This tradition, the longest running block party in Washington DC, is a fun-filled day with features and events for the whole family. The party is put on by the residents of Duddington Pl and the surrounding streets. And of course, guest are quite welcome too! The details of the party follow.

Schedule
(Times are approximate, to say the least.)

9am Street Cleaning
10-12 Pony Rides
Noon Hot Dog Lunch
5pm Pot Luck Dinner featuring a Capitol Pig Pickin’
7pm Raffle and Prizes (Over 20 prizes!)
7-11 Music, Games and Dancing with DJ Patrick
Sunday Morning (10am): Come help clean up!!

Features:

• Block Party T-Shirts and Decorations
• Pony Rides
• Fire Trucks, Hoses and Open Hydrants
• Mounted Police
• Hot Dog Lunch
• “Front Yard” Landscaping Contest with Prizes
• Beverage Tent (Draft Beer, Wine, Soft drinks, etc.)
• A Raffle with more than 20 Prizes from Local Merchants
• Pot Luck Dinner (Burgers, Dogs and Pig Provided—you bring the rest!)
• Pig Pickin’ (Featuring the PigKiln3000!—Capitol Hill’s only wooden pig cooker!)
• Games for Kids and Adults (that line blurs on Block Party Day anyway)
• Live DJ with Light Show and Dancing

Things You Need to Know (even if you won’t be here!)

1. PARKING RESTRICTIONS

By order of the Police, the street will be closed from Friday night at 6pm through Saturday night at midnight. If your car is on the street during that period, YOUR CAR WILL BE TOWED (whether we ask them to or not! We don’t have a choice in the matter.) So if you won’t be here but your car will be, please make arrangements to get your car off the street. Furthermore, the city will bring street cleaners by on Friday night (around 8pm) to clean the streets. They can’t be effective if cars are left on the street.

2. STREET CLEANING

Along those same lines, we really like the street to shine for the day. So please do whatever you can to spruce up your front yard and tree box. There will be prizes this year for best landscaping! It would also be a good idea to sweep your sidewalk in front of your house. If you do it before Friday evening, you can just sweep everything into the street and the street cleaning machines will get it so you don’t have to bag anything.

3. COST

There is a suggested minimum donation of $30 per household for residents (ie, anyone in the general vicinity of Duddington). If you want to give a bit more, all the better. If you only want to give less, that’s okay too. Guests are more than welcome. The more, the merrier; however a $15 donation per guest is suggested (you can either just pay for them or send them to our website where they can pay themselves (there is a note on the site aimed towards guests). There are no tickets—we work on the honor system and trust everyone to contribute fairly. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you please get your donations in by May 27th and not wait until the last minute. We plan the food/drinks based on donations. So if you donate at the last minute, our quantities will be off. That said, donations will be accepted up to and including the day of the party and all are welcome, whether they’ve paid in advance or not. You can drop cash or check (Payable to “Duddington Block Association”) at 135 Duddington. Or better yet, pay online with your credit card: www.duddingtonplace.com. In-kind donations are also very welcome. If you or someone you know could donate goods or a service that would either help our party and/or make a good door prize for our raffle, please let us know!

Click here to donate now!

4. POT LUCK DINNER

It’s VERY IMPORTANT that every household AND GUEST contribute to the pot luck dinner. You should bring enough for your group plus 10 additional people to ensure that there is plenty of everything to go around. You can bake it or buy it, but please don’t forget it!

5. T-SHIRTS

T-shirts are available for $15 each. Orders can be placed below (or by writing down your order and dropping it off at 135 Duddington). This year we are offering two colors, both in men’s and women’s styles. Samples below. T-Shirt orders must be placed by Tuesday, MAY 27th!

T-shirt options are as follows:

• Men's: available in "Yellow Haze" or "Stone Blue" in S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Women's (fitted): available in "Soft Pink" or "Baby Blue" in S, M, L, XL, XXL

Click the thumbnails below for a larger view:

Sorry, T-shirts have already been ordered. Contact Brent if you're interested in purchasing one of the extras that we ordered.

6. GUESTS

Friends, family, co-workers, kids and pets are all welcome. But residents should be responsible for their guests—in terms of making sure they contribute to the fund and pot luck, making sure they act appropriately, etc. Please remember that this is a family event—not a frat party. (Along those lines, please note that the point of the block party is socializing with your neighbors—not mastering your flip cup technique or defending your beer pong title. As such, we ask that you don’t start your own little back-yard party or take dinner/drinks from the street, as that defeats the purpose of the event.)

7. VOLUNTEERING

Some of your dedicated neighbors have shouldered the burden of getting everything ready and organized so that you can just show up and enjoy the block party. Please don’t make them do everything on the day of the party as well! On the day of the party, we need lots of help: people to help clean, set up, decorate, man the grills, get the kegs, set up the tables, set up tents, etc. These sound like chores, but I promise you half the fun is just coming out and being around all your neighbors. Come out early (the pig goes on at 6am, which is usually when things start ramping up), so come out early, lend a hand, and meet your neighbors! There is no signup list. If you see a job that needs to be filled, fill it. If you’re not sure, just ask someone what you can do. Most importantly, please do you fair share and show up Sunday morning (10am) to help us clean up the street. It only takes about a half hour if people pitch in.

8. CLEAN UP

Unfortunately, the magic street fairies don’t appear at the end of the night or the next day to clean up. So please come out and help us clean up Sunday morning. Don’t assume someone else will do it. Meet outside on the street at 10am.

9. EMAIL UPDATES

If you are not on our email list, please send a blank email to residents-subscribe@duddingtonplace.com to subscribe. From here on out, we will use email to communicate important up-to-the-minute information about the block party (and other block happenings.) For questions, you can email Brent (brent@taoti.com) or stop by 135 Duddington.

10. Past Block Parties

Click here for pictures from past block parties.