On Wednesday, April 13, the Associated Student Program Board hosted their annual Block Party event for the first time since the fall of 2019. In past years, Block Party was a night concert series that was typically held during the first week of the fall quarter. This year, ASPB marketed the event as a reimagined version of the iconic event. Instead of having headliners, Block Party was shaped to be more of a parking lot day carnival. The event was marketed as having carnival rides, inflatable attractions, tarot card readers and more. A serious departure from block parties of the past, this year’s event didn’t live up to the expectations in many ways.
Although Block Party was scheduled to start at 11 a.m., many students began lining up for wristbands an hour before. Wristband distribution, however, did not begin until around 11:30 a.m. In order for students to participate in activities or receive Block party merchandise, a wristband was required, which resulted in everyone being subjected to this initial line. With several students wanting to attend the event, a long line formed, causing people to wait anywhere between one to two hours to receive one.
After receiving a wristband, students were then free to participate in the events provided. Throughout the HUB Lawn, a ferris wheel, zipper ride and a large slide had been set up to create the carnival-like atmosphere. Other activities included caricature artists, fortune tellers, photo booths, a puppy petting zoo and inflatable attractions. A DJ was present the first couple of hours of Block Party, but no other performers followed once his set had finished. The music made the event feel more active, and when stopped, it created a more quiet atmosphere.
Free food was also advertised beginning at 2 p.m. There were two vendors present: a vegan food truck and a taquero. It is unclear how many people were able to receive food, but students who got in line by 2:10 were told there were no more food tickets available. It would have seemed that if you wanted to receive free food you needed to skip out on waiting in line for almost everything else. Also not present throughout the fairgrounds were hydration stations for students to get water. Most left disappointed and went to buy food throughout the HUB instead.
Overall, this year’s Block Party fell short of expectations. A new name for the event may have provided attendees with more satisfaction as it was unlike any previous Block Party. While ASPB did transform central campus and provide students with an exciting event, it felt more like a super-sized Wednesday club day and nooner. It would be in the best interest of ASPB to host a traditional Block Party next school year and rehost this carnival as a separate event in the winter or spring quarter. With not enough attractions or food and many students eager to participate in the fun, long lines became what most people saw and took away from the event.
