Local residents and visitors lined the streets of Block Avenue during the first ever Block Street Block Party in 2011. Organizers of the event this week announced that the event will return in 2012.
Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
Last spring, the Block Street Block Party became one of the most successful first-year events to happen in Fayetteville since…we don’t know when.
This week, the businesses along Block Avenue in Fayetteville officially announced the party will be back for a second year in 2012.
The date is set for Sunday, May 20, and vendor applications, as well as applications for local community groups and sponsorship forms have already appeared on the Block Street Business Association website.
The Block Street Block Party debuted on May 22, 2011, and included 20 bands, dozens of vendors and community groups, beer gardens, live music stages, and several family-friendly activities during the all-day event.
The festival was originally organized as a tribute to the eclectic avenue between Dickson Street and the downtown square.
“We wanted something to celebrate the unique, eccentric, amazing community of people and businesses that we have here on Block Street,” said Hannah Withers, owner of Little Bread Company and one of the event organizers.
Withers said that after a successful debut in 2011, she and the other businesses on Block Avenue are intent on raising the bar in 2012.
“Last year was amazing, but we have some really awesome plans for the second year,” she said. “We should be ready to announce some really cool things in the next few weeks.”
Withers estimated around 5,000 people turned out for the block party in 2011, and said that preparations are being made to accommodate twice that amount of attendees in 2012.
To make room for more attendees and vendors, organizers will add an extra block of vendor space around the square this year.
Withers said the goal is still to keep the festival as unique, and as local as possible.
“We’re looking for the same type of vendors that showed up last year,” she said. “Local artists, folks who make things by hand, and awesome community groups.”
Vendor applications are due no later than Sunday, April 1, and booth fees are $85 for food vendors, $50 for other businesses and free for community groups and non-profit organizations.
Where do bands go to sign up? Or do they have to be picked? Im in a band from Fort Smith and we would love to play. I also know quite a few others that play with bands like Swimming and Fauxnz and they would also love to get in on the fun.