to ask for ideas to make a community event a success? What needs to be there?

[AnnaWombourne]

We're trying to attract people, especially families, to a local event.

What should we include besides the usual bouncy castle, tombola and food stalls?

Access to plenty of clean toilets. Too often at events the organisers have just plonk down the minimum number of portaloos and forget about them. There is always a long queue and they have usually run out of toilet paper within an hour which no-one replaces. I don't mind using a horrible loo (have been to enough festivals) but wouldn't take my DD into one when she is potty trained.

Face painting and someone doing balloon animals usually go down well at that kind of event. Maybe a arts and craft stall. Some organised games (a treasure or scavenger hunt perhaps?) with small prizes might be good - you can get some large inflatable gladiator-style games. Music (a live band?) and somewhere to dance. Somewhere shady to sit too if it is an outdoor event in the summer. Although I guess really what to include depends what kind of event it is, how big it will be, where it is, what the budget will be and what the main focus is meant to be - some or all of those may really not be relevant.

I was coming on to say bouncy castle, but I see you've already thought of that. I'll be there.

Have a look at local facebooksellers and ask if any of them would like to take a stand to sell their wares. At our school fair we just charged £10 for a table. It just added to the amount of things there for people to walk around and look at. Likewise, a local farm shop might want to sell fresh fruit& veg etc

Face painting!

If you are having a bouncy castle and/or face painting ensure you have the correct indemnity insurance in place. Sorry to be a H&S nut, but you need to cover yourselves, and ensure that you write a risk assessment for the entire event- i.e. fire routes, parking etc.

What's the event in aid of? A raffle is always popular and good for raising funds, especially if you can get local businesses/restaurants/cafes/supermarkets/hairdressers/beauticians to donate something...

If the children are entertained life is easier! Hook a duck, guess the name of a teddy, both face painting and transferable tattoos!

Other companies like Usborne Books, Stella & Dot jewellery, Jamie at home etc. also like having stalls!

Sweetie buffets, popcorn, candy floss, chocolate fountain, face painting, glitter tattoos.
My sister does these sorts of things for all sorts of parties and they're always a hit!

A stage with local groups such as baton twirlers, dance schools, pipe bands etc to get people to come along and watch their children perform. A parade for uniformed organisations such as girl guiding, scouting, Boys Brigade/Girls Brigade.

If you have face painting have more than one and have them organise themselves to avoid grumpy people in hour long queues (perhaps operate diary slots that people can book in and wander off) everyone loves a face painter but the queue is frustrating!

Have affordable/free activities any many of them

Have people who man the stalls who are confident enough to tell boisterous kids and families to consider other people

its all about the advertising - try and advertise your local radio - which usually has a community advertising event slot IME

have you got insurance - just i have had bad experiences of litigious types and bouncy castles

It sounds daft, but free food and drinks always works... If you feed them, they will come! You might be able to get a sponsor from a local business/caterer. Smelly food works even better - think bbq

Pony riding (local riding school?), entertainer, pet show or limit it to cats or dogs or rabbits.

Oh, and an art competition for local secondary schools with a prize. Barbecue run by local primary school for their funds. Local school demonstrating country dancing.

Bunting.

Pimms stall :)
Food
Covered seating area

How about contacting any clubs and ask if they would do a show case performance or exhibition. I am in an art club and we would love an opportunity to exhibit. Dance clubs, Martial Arts, Folk Music (or any music) clubs.

If children's clubs are involved then maybe their parents and siblings will come too.

What about organising a cake baking competition? I would really love this. You could have a theme. What about vegetables? Cakes with hidden veg?

Oh and you can get around licensing by selling a strawberry for £3 with a free glass of pimms :)

Sorry maddy68 that's not legal! It is dead easy to get do an event notification to serve alcohol at your event. My council charge £21. Then you can legally sell Pimms and other alcoholic drinks.

A great cafe with plenty of tea and cakes for the oldies and sweeties for the kids to spend their pocket money on!

somewhere to shelter from rain! doing slots for face painting rarely works as people wander off and don't come back ime!

teddy bear best dressed comp with good prize is a good draw and if you can hire someone who does candy floss/food

def invest in a few gazebos and have seating for the elderly

Sounds obvious, but try and make sure if possible that the date doesn't clash with any other big local events or even Wimbledon final, World Cup final etc.

Try and get the local ice cream van to come.

I agree with Lack, get local children (dance groups, gymnasts, cubs etc) to do some sort of demo. The parents will all come.
Decent parking.

A Phoenix cards rep will usually pay to take a table. I have also seen lots of people selling nappy cakes (I think they are called), but I don't know the name of the company.

Our one gives stalls to various charities, usually local, and they are each allocated a stall for which they provide the goods. Things like second hand book and toy stalls, bric a brac etc. Each charity asks for donations of all goods from its supporters, and they are shared out appropriately on the day.

A fortune teller always sold out within, literally, minutes at DD's primary school fair.

Different sorts of tombola, such as bottle tombola, chocolate tombola, jam jar tombola (jam jars filled with sweets, small toys, beads etc). You might be able to ask local primary schools if their pupils could donate the jam jars. I have also seen a fruit tombola, where the prizes were baskets of fruit, wrapped in coloured cellophane and ribbon. They looked lovely!

Fire brigade might provide a fire engine and a couple of firemen for the littlies to explore.

It is perfectly legal to give away free alcohol with the purchase of something else www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/free-alcohol-shop-not-breaking-4809147.
We regularly do this at our PTA fundraisers and we sought legal advice

Further to what winner said- don't forget your first aiders, v important!
Other than that, food and stalls are always a winner :)