Le Paris Weekend: Fête des voisins

La fête des voisins: 

As an American, who is used to warm greetings from neighbors and block parties during the summer months- this festival hits a sweet spot for me.

This festival is due to the initiative of Atanase Périfan, who had launched the idea in 1999 in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, with the association he had founded some years earlier, Friends of Paris.
But this was  not the first, many Belgian municipalities had similar initiatives known as the neighborhood barbecue, Street Party, Dinner neighbors.

The following year,  the Association of Mayors of France, then social landlords (HLM), supported this initiative which later developed throughout France. From 2000 to 2009, fête des voisins was held on the last  Tuesday of May but in 2010 the festival was moved to the last Friday of May. After the creation of Voisins Solidaires in 2008, the festival has since been gaining support of city counsils, housing organizations, and local businesses.

Also known as Neighbor's Day, this festival is also celebrated in more than 30 countries!