To contact us, click here.
To reserve event resources for free, click here. (Read below for details.) • Also: Everyone may rent these items at low cost using this form.
Already existing reservations for future dates are listed here.
To read more about the neighborhood potluck group, or to sign up to receive invitations to neighborhood events, click here.
The neighborhood potluck group provides event resources at no cost. Anybody in the area who wants to host a public neighborhood event may freely borrow event supplies.
What is a public neighborhood event? This is any event open to the public. This can include events with a LIMITED number of guests. This can also be an event that only neighbors in a specific neighborhood are invited to. This can be a block party, or a half-block party. For example, a host might invite only the ten or twenty neighbors neighboring their home.
We also provide these supplies (for free) to all active members of the neighborhood potluck group for any purpose, including private events (such as birthday parties, wedding showers, Eid, iftar, estate sales, bat mitzvah/bar mitzvah, garage sales, graduation parties, quinceaneras, etc.). Plus, we provide supplies (for free) to members of a few associated groups (listed in the dropdown menu on the reservation form), for use at public or private events.
We can help you organize an event for any size group, from four people and up. If you are considering hosting an event, we will be able to answer all of your questions and help you decide for sure if you want to do this.
Does the event you host need to be a potluck dinner? No. That is the type of event neighbors host most often. But we can help you host other types of events, or simply help publicize your event and invite the neighbors who have signed up to receive invites. Other types of events include putluck lunches, potluck breakfasts, non-potluck dinner parties, "eat out" events (at restaurants), birthday parties, watch parties, book club, etc.
The main thing that the host provides is the location. Typically hosts also decide on a theme (if any) and make decisions about what type of food guests are asked to bring.
Hosts do not need to do anything for the guest list. Hosts are of course welcome to invite people they know. But we already have a list of people on your block and in your neighborhood who have signed up to attend these events. This could be a neighborhood-specific event, or general event open to anybody on the list. We can handle everything with regards to invitations, RSVPs, guest lists, etc.
We can provide chairs, tables, tablecloths, ladders, eating utensils, cooking utensils, serving utensils, silverware, plates, bowls, glasses, electric balloon inflators, etc. We currently have enough tables to seat over 500 people.
An 8-foot rectangle table can seat 10 people.
A 6-foot rectangle table can comfortably seat 8 people.
A 5-foot rectangle table can seat 8 people.
A 6-foot round table can seat 10 people.
A 5-foot 9-inch round table can comfortably seat 9 people, and a maximum of 10 people fit a bit more tightly.
A 5-foot round table can comfortably seat 8 people, and a maximum of 9 people if chairs are arranged tightly.
Note that we have enough cloth tablecloths to cover all rectangle and round tables. The round tablecloths are 107 inches or 108 inches in diameter, providing significant drop (about a foot above the floor) on our 5 ft. round tables.
We look forward to hearing from you, and getting your event on the calendar.
For active members of the neighborhood potluck group and other authorized users there is no restriction on the type of event they can borrow items for, for free. Their purpose does not even need to be an event. One group member borrowed a table to use as a temporary replacement kitchen table while she packed up their dining table in preparation to move to a different house.
One restriction on borrowing items for free is that group members may not borrow items for free to use at times that conflict with open, general neighborhood events. For example: If the neighborhood group's big anchor event for the month is on the evening of Friday the 10th, then that is the activity planned by the group to bring group members together. It is the group's hope that group members and neighbors will gather there and enjoy each other's company. A group member may still reserve items for use at a private event of their own on that same evening, but that would be a paid rental instead of a free reservation.
This does not mean that group members may not borrow items for free during ANY neighborhood event. There are MANY events on the neighborhood calendar, and not all of them have available spots or are open to all group members. For example, the Ladies Game Day events held every other Friday at 11:00 AM are only for women and have limited seating. A group member could borrow items for free for events that take place during the same time. Another example is the group's weekly pickleball activities. These events have limited available spots which routinely fill up. Group members may certainly borrow items for free for events that take place concurrently.
Another restriction pertains to tablecloths and other linens. When these items are borrowed, there are actual expenses involved, including laundry detergent, Oxy stain remover, electricity, etc. The labor and expenses involved mean that these items must be treated differently than other items such as tables and chairs. Tablecloths and other linens (table runners, napkins, etc.) may indeed be borrowed for free for neighborhood events. But for private events, tablecloths and other linens are not available to borrow for free, but may be rented at a very low cost using the rental form.
-Preston Hunter, list coordinator
To contact us, click here.
Q. What does it cost?
A. These are free to use for anybody hosting neighborhood events. These are also free for any active member of the neighborhood potluck group (and a few associated groups), to use for any purpose.
Q. May I borrow supplies without organizing an event through the neighborhood group?
A. Yes.
Q. Is this only for the Shalimar neighborhood?
A. No. Many of the neighbors in the group live in the Shalimar neighborhood. But most neighbors in the group live OUTSIDE of the Shalimar neighborhood. These resources are for people throughout Tempe as well as neighboring neighborhoods adjoining Tempe.
Q. What is the minimum size of an event I may schedule/organize through the group?
A. 4 people
Q. What is the maximum size of an event I can schedule/organize through the group?
A. There is no maximum. You can schedule "unlimited seating" events.
Q. Who can host?
A. Most events are hosted by individual neighbors. But pretty much anybody in the community can host events, and many other types of groups have hosted events: church, synagogue, mosque, political party, business, fraternal organization, non-profit, government department/agency, club, etc.
Q. I am interested in hosting an event, but I am unsure about how to go about doing it.
A. You really don't need to know anything. We can walk you through the steps. But really, hosting a neighborhood event is far simple than you might think. If you have nothing more than a place to invite some people to and a desire to do so, you can do this with minimal effort. You don't even need to know any people to invite. The neighborhood group already has the list of neighbors who want to be invited to these events. And of course you can invite people who are not on that list, whether it is individuals or an entire group you belong to.
Q. Are you able to provide the location/venue?
A. Most hosts provide the location for the event. But we can typically provide a location/venue if necessary.