SPRINGFIELD – Downtown Springfield transformed into what some called “the best party in Lane County” last Friday night.
What is the Springfield Block Party? It is five blocks of Main St. from Pioneer Parkway to S. 7th St., and roughly 9,000 to 12,000 people fill the streets. Approximately 150 vendors, activities, and businesses were available for the public to explore and receive free “swag.”
The party was initiated at 4 p.m. with the Springfield Chamber’s largest ribbon-cutting in its history. A 30-foot ribbon was strung across Main Street near 4th as the party organizer, Benjamin Wilkinson, snipped it with giant gold scissors. Next to him stood members of the chamber, city staff, Selco Community Credit Union workers, and citizens of the party.
This was Springfield’s sixth run at the party, with the first one initiated by Nita Loveall. Loveall said she and her husband, David Loveall, Lane County Commissioner, had just finished a project downtown and wanted folks to see it.
“It was kind of just a fly by the seat of our pants, and it kind of got too big really fast for us, so we passed it on,” Nita said.
So, the party was passed on to Wilkinson.
“It kind of feels like the right transition for me and for Springfield,” Wilkinson said. “They were looking to hand it off to somebody, and I was looking for a cool, fun thing to do. I didn’t want it to die, so I just said yes, and look at it now. It’s amazing, it’s quite the spectacle,” he said.
During the event, across from the famous Furthur bus, five artists touched up the Ken Kesey Mural on the east wall of Plank Town Brewing. Artist Ashley Elliott said she and the crew started working on Tuesday prior and were expecting to finish by Sunday. Elliot’s favorite part of the mural is the little tractor sitting near the bottom of the bookcase that Kesey leans on.
There was plenty of stuff for folks to do, from bull riding to singing karaoke to learning CPR, and meeting Homer Simpson. Street performers juggled pins and knives, the plaza fountain at the library hosted Herencia Hispana, and restaurants opened their doors to patrons.
