by Emerald Staff

The Othello Block Party is back with a second volume of music, dance, and arts on Martin Luther King Jr. Way July 27. And this time with an expansive lineup of Seattle artists bringing songs, dance, and poetry to the of 42nd Avenue near Othello Street.

The Othello Block Party Vol. 2 features music by DoNormaal, Abyssinian Creole (reuniting Gabriel Teodros and Khingz on stage again). Emcee and poet Rell Be Free will perform and will be bringing other poets and artists along as well. The Hydrant will bring a youth hip-hop showcase, and Northwest Tap Connection will perform.

Othello Block Party Organizer Jesiah Wurtz said the event is unique in that there is no one person planning the programming. Multiple people brought on performers for the event, putting together a schedule of stage performances representing a wide range of people supported by the community. Wurtz said this brought artists from lots of different pockets of the community, making the event more representative.

“It’s a really great model for booking this,” he said.

It’s a neighborhood festival to support and represent the area, but Wurtz hopes that it will draw people from outside of the Othello neighborhood to come and celebrate.

The Othello Block Party began in 2018 as a celebration of art, culture, music, and community in the South End. The MLK Business Association is sponsoring the event along with an array of organizations, including Homesight, The Stranger and the South Seattle Emerald.

Wurtz described this year’s event as similar to the 2018 block party, but on a larger scale.

The event begins at 12 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m. at 42nd Avenue South and South Othello Street, just behind Café Red.

A schedule of performances is below:

Featured Image: The Northwest Tap Connection performs at the 2018 Othello Block Party. (Emerald Archived Photo: Carolyn Bick)