Community comes together for Block Party

More than 700 people came together Friday for the fifth annual Bloomington Block Party.

The event took place at the John Waldron Arts Center and featured live music, face painting and various works of art.

 The Block Party was held inside the John Waldron Arts Center and outdoors on Fourth Street. It was free to the public, and most activities were free as well.

John Waldron Arts Center Director of Marketing and Development Ed Vande Sande said the Block Party was sponsored by the Bloomington Entertainment & Arts District and Finch’s Brasserie.  

Marc Tschida, performance/technical director of the Bloomington Area Arts Council said the Block Party featured various activities for children such as hands-on art projects  and musical performances by local performers.

“This year we are going to make sock puppets, Chia Pets, as well as help kids make their own laptop computers out of manila file folders,” Tschida said.

The local entertainment included music from Kid Kazooey & the BallRoom Roustabouts and Dr. Music’s Little Bands School. Ceramics demonstrations, a limestone carver, fortune teller, hula hoops and a LEGO playroom were all part of the evening’s festivities.

 Amy Brier, a limestone sculptor, said she wanted to give people an opportunity to see all that could be done with limestone.

This year was the first time that the IndyLug group was involved, Tschida said. Brian Alano, member of the nonprofit, independent IndyLug group, said using LEGO products can increase hand-eye coordination and give children the confidence to create and think outside the box.

“They are the ultimate toy,” Alano said. “It sparks their creativity.”

The IndyLug group is a hobby-based organization, and no one is paid for the time they commit to the organization, Tschida said.

 WonderLab tents had small toys and commercial items for sale and performed demonstrations for the children. WonderLab program manager Staci Radford-Vincent said WonderLab had a specific goal in mind when they decided to participate in the event.

“One of the reasons we did the block party this year is because we are very interested in partnering with the Waldron for other events,” Radford-Vincent said. “Because we are neighbors we want to develop a better relationship with them, and we hope that this partnership will grow. We want to tie science and art concepts together.”

WonderLab demonstrations included how to make “Gluep” and “Oobleck,” as well as “The Coolest Show on Earth” Radford-Vincent said. Gluep is a putty-like substance made of glue and borax, a laundry booster. Oobleck is a sometimes liquid sometimes solid substance made of cornstarch and water, Radford-Vincent said. The Coolest Show on Earth is an experiment using liquid nitrogen. In the experiment, they make a banana hammer and freeze many miscellaneous items, Radford-Vincent said.

 The John Waldron Arts Center was selling artwork from its Second Sale booth to raise money for their scholarship program.  John Waldron Arts Center Education Director Roger Meredith said the scholarships are awarded based on financial need for people to take classes at the Waldron. Most of the artwork was contributed by students who are currently taking John Waldron Arts Center classes.

The Block Party gives the community an opportunity to connect and discover more about the arts, said event attendee Brenda Meadows.

“It lets people get out, and it’s good for the kids to interact with one another,” Meadows said. “It also shows you more about what the craft stores have to offer.”

The Block Party has grown since its onset, and the Bloomington Area Arts Council is putting forth plans to expand the event for next year, Tschida said. 

“Eventually, I would like to see the event become a bit larger and invite a few more local organizations into the planning process,” Tschida said.