Forest Hills residents participate in the annual water balloon toss contest at the end of the neighborhood's block party.

SALISBURY — On Saturday, June 15, the Forest Hills neighborhood hosted the third annual block party, an event that has revived a community tradition that used to be common in Salisbury neighborhoods.

The celebration in Forest Hills was a potluck-style event with hamburgers and jerk chicken on the grill, various side dishes cooked by neighbors, music playing from a boombox, a bounce house for the kids and wrapped up with a water balloon toss contest and sparklers.

Several decades ago, neighborhood block parties like this were common. Unofficial coordinator Rena Taylor said that when she and some neighbors were looking to revive the event, they went to the library and looked at old newspaper articles for inspiration. She found articles detailing lively block parties in Forest Hills, Meadowbrook and Eagle Heights, complete with their own community event organizers.

Those community events have become more important as families have moved to and from the neighborhood more often.

“A neighborhood once bustling with young growing families is seeing a resurgence of youth with three new families joining the neighborhood within the past year. This was the most well-attended neighborhood event in the past decade with more than 55 people in attendance. Community fellowship opportunities like these offer a glimmer of hope in polarizing times,” wrote Taylor in an email on Sunday.

The block party has only grown in popularity since its inception in 2023, said Taylor, as almost everyone who turned out in 2023 continued to attend and even more families have showed up.

This time, it wasn’t only Forest Hills residents in attendance. Salisbury Public Works Administrative Services Manager Elise Tellez  and Matt Kestner, stream restoration project manager with the McAdams firm, attended the event to present plans for the Mahaley Branch stream restoration and corridor design project and ask for feedback. Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions and to provide perspective and feedback on the plan, which will utilize native plants and environmentally-friendly stream restoration strategies to mitigate flooding in the area, as well as offer new play areas and educational opportunities for children.

“It was well received by the community and it was super exciting. It’s really nice to know there are things that are coming (for our neighborhood) and to see it. It was well received because it does back up to our neighborhood, with several houses, including mine, next to it” said Taylor. “It was sweet seeing the kids get to talk to their parents about their votes and being excited about the play equipment, and I was personally excited about the native plants and the educational side of it.”