West Hollywood’s National Night Out Filled with Friendly Faces and Lots of Food

The City of West Hollywood celebrated its National Night Out event on Tuesday night.    There was a Block Party for every neighborhood.    National Night Out is an annual community event that promotes sheriff and community partnerships and builds neighborhood camaraderie.

The City of West Hollywood donates approximately $4000 or more to each watch group for their event.  Monies are used for tables and chairs and to cover food and other events at each event as planned by the neighborhood watch captains.    Restaurants throughout the city partner with their neighborhood groups to provide a fanfare of fun and food to WeHo residents.  My shop Block Party also donated a WEHO BAG to all the neighborhood associations for their raffle, – The WEHO BAG was with a WEHO embroidered cap, WEHO flip-flops, West Hollywood drag fan, WEHO Bear and Magnet, and was offered All participated except two.   Sorry to those groups that your watch captain was too lazy (or partisan) to follow up.

Tri-West was where I began.   My own neighborhood group has grown due to the efforts of Michael Cautillo and Robert Steloff.   Complete with band and more food than any other Neighborhood Watch Group, and I attended 5 of them.    It was an incredible effort for the home team.

The Cynthia-Sunset Neighborhood Watch took place along Hammond Drive.   Fresh tacos and many tables welcomed residents.   Neighborhood Watch Captain Wendy Goldman worked for weeks putting the event together.   Traffic seemed light but I was there early.    There were many tables to host local residents and a hot taco bar.

WeHo Heights, on the top of Horn Ave. always has some of the most fun.   Fresh margaritas, and tacos, as well as neighborhood watch group captain Elyse Eisenberg’s world famous Alice’s Sweet Tooth cookies, which she generously donated to her neighbors.    Traffic seemed soft compared to many of the past celebrations.. but I was there early and thats a late crowd up on Sunset that parties into the night.

The Ogden Owls had lots of fun events to choose from.   Fresh food, community serving businesses lined their street with freebies for all around.   Mike Carter did a fantastic job planning out his event with food, and games for all to play.

Gelson Heights Neighborhood watch was filled with so many tables and chairs.  Neighborhood Watch Captain Edd Holman was leading the raffle.  It was the most family friendly event with games for kids and lots of goodies.    But traffic seemed light again.

My last stop was the West Hollywood West Residents Association event, located at Sherbourne and Ashcroft.    It was the largest and most crowded event of all.   Tables and Trucks were active, and teh WHWRA team were all in high gear including Leslie Karliss, Midge Barnett, and Johnathan Finestone.   Over 300 people packed the event.  

And then there was the WEHO Bag raffle that BlockParty had donated.   At the WHWRA event our good friend and part time contributor Carleton Cronin was the proud winner.   The WEHO Bag could not have found a better home.

It was a evening of love for community and a grand celebration of the best of West Hollywood.    I could only make it to five of the events so apologize to the others.   Sorry that I did not bump into a single city council member to shoot a photo but did run former Council members John D’Amico and John Duran.  The Sheriff’s were at all the events and the community fully engaged.     It was a fun night for all.   

Thank you to the Los Angeles County Sheriff for keeping us safe, Thank you to the City of Weho and the city council for sponsoring this years National Night Out Event and most of all thank you to all the local businesses who gave generously to support their community, the neighborhood watch captains who worked months and months to plan the event and the residents who chipped in and participated.