Tag Archives: Block Party

Arts & Culture

Celebrating Black Culture in the Central District: Loving Room and Made Space Team Up for Multidisciplinary Block Party Books Bites n’ Beats

by Jas Keimig

Nestled near one another on 20th and Union, events venue Made Space and salon Loving Room opened during the pandemic and have quickly become generative, Black-centered, and creative safe spaces in the neighborhood. And from July 29 to 30, the two businesses are collaborating to throw Books Bites n’ Beats, a neighborhood block party celebrating the Black diaspora in the Central District with food, music, dance, films, and books.

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Arts & Culture

Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute Celebrates 50 Years of Black Arts

by Amanda Ong

This Saturday, Sept. 10, the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a block party from 1 to 5 p.m. LHPAI’s 50th Anniversary Block Party will include food trucks and acts, including its own Teen Summer Musical, spoken word artist Arami Walker, and music from Black Stax and DJ Yaddy. The mayor and City Council will also be in attendance. But most importantly, it is an opportunity to gather with neighbors and community members.

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Arts & Culture

Summer in the South End: An August Roundup of Live Music and Block Parties

by Amanda Ong

Last week, we interviewed some rising local and BIPOC music artists performing in the city this summer. These artists are only some of the many incredible South End singers and musicians, part of a thriving and dynamic local music scene. 

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Community

Love Train Community Block Party Provides a Wealth of Community and Care

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by Elizabeth Turnbull

On Sept. 11, families and community members young and old are invited to the Angel of Hope Engagement Center on 75th Avenue South where they can pick up free back-to-school supplies, play games, eat food, get COVID-19 vaccinations and flu shots, and even join in a dance with former Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin.

The event, which will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., promises to be a joyful and loud community moment, and Tony Benton of Rainier Avenue Radio will be there to capture it all on livestream.

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Arts & Culture

The 27th Year of Beatwalk Brings Free Live Music Back to Columbia City

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by Mark Van Streefkerk

After over a year of empty stages, live music has officially returned, and Columbia City Beatwalk is one grassroots organizing team that’s making it happen. Now in it’s 27th year, Beatwalk is bringing folks together from all walks of life for free outdoor music and entertainment right in the heart of Columbia City. 

Their next Block Party event on Saturday, July 31, is something you don’t want to miss. Partnering for the first time with B.U.I.L.D. 206 — an organization with the vision that Black men are empowered leaders and mentors making positive changes in the lives of Black men and youth — the Block Party will feature games, contests, prizes, and a star-studded lineup of DJs, ending with neo soul and hip hop conscious group Black Stax. The family-friendly event will also include mostly Black and POC vendors with a focus on locally-made wares like oils, jewelry, candles, clothing, and more. The party takes place at “The Patio” on Rainier Avenue South and South Ferdinand Street between Geraldine’s Counter and Lottie’s Lounge. 

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Community

PHOTO ESSAY: Families Return to Union for a Reunion

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by Susan Fried

More than 50 families with roots in Seattle’s Central District attended the second annual “Reunion on Union, Community Dinner and Block Party” on Saturday, July 17.

Many of the families no longer live in the area, having been displaced by gentrification, but they gathered with one another to reminisce and reconnect with old friends and neighbors. 

The joy was palpable as friends and relatives hugged and greeted each other, many for the first time in years. The event included food, music and vendors.

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