MUSCATINE, Iowa – While summer will soon turn to fall and many favorite outdoor activities have come to an end, the Community Block Party will provide another opportunity for people of all ages to connect, get to know different local businesses and organizations and try some of them out. fun and free activities. Set for September 9th from 5:30-7:30pm at Discovery Park (located at 3300 Cedar Street in Muscatine), this year’s Community Block Party welcomes people to come together again in person and take advantage of the benefits of living nearby. woven community
12 years ago, the first Community Block Party was held to help people learn about different organizations in the Muscatine area, learn about their services and see how they could access them if they needed it. Now, more than a decade later, the party continues, offering people a fun way to learn about the different resources available to them in the community and spend an evening away from home. Each, the committee that organizes the Community Block Party selects a theme that they think fits the year’s event. This year, organizer Lindsey Phillips shared the committee that selected the theme of Fostering Community and Connections as people and organizations reconnect after separation caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Over time, the Community Block Party has grown. Nearly 40 companies and organizations will attend this year’s event, including Crossroad’s Inc, Hy-Vee, Muscatine Social Action Center, Muscatine Power and Waterthe Salvation Army of Muscatine County and the Muscatine Y Community, and many others too. In addition to learning about each of these groups and the ways they can benefit local families, attendees can also enjoy a free hot dog dinner and win prizes from participating organizations. Kids can have a blast too, making balloon animals for themselves, jumping on bounce houses and lots of great crafts, including the friendship bracelet station run by the county’s Girl Scouts of Muscatine.
To make attendance easier this year, Muscabus can offer free transportation to and from the event for anyone who calls them at 563-263-8152 before 4:00pm on September 9th and arranges a journey. For those who would prefer to drive to the community block party, crossroads has graciously provided overflow parking on its lot at 1424 Houser Street, avoiding congestion at Discovery Park, which Muscatine County Conservation has graciously allowed various community groups to fill. There will be frequent free shuttles from the Crossroads parking lot to Discovery Park and back, so attendees can spend plenty of time at the block party instead of trying to find parking.
From enjoying a delicious dinner courtesy of Hy-Vee, to checking out the various organizations the committee brought together, to trying out the fun activities each group carefully planned, the Community Block Party will provide a night of quality entertainment that will help bring all attendees closer together. together “We have close to 400 families attend each year and it’s always exciting to see connections made,” shared Phillips.
