"Block Party" set in Chinook for Thursday, May 3
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The area around the corner of Pennsylvania and 3rd Streets in Chinook should be hopping mid-day on Thursday. Five businesses and organizations located on and near the corner will be hosting a block party complete with lunch and door prizes. It will be a great time, hopefully, to enjoy some spring weather, have lunch and learn about the services and products of the groups hosting the mid-day event. The party will run from 11am to 2pm.
The block party is hosted by the Blaine County Library, the Chinook Post Office, The Grande Villa, Bear Paw Credit Union and Ace Hardware. The idea was first proposed among the hosting groups by Chinook Postmaster Leta Buck. She explained, “As a newcomer to Chinook I enjoyed the block party held last October by the businesses and museums at the south edge of downtown on Indiana. I learned a lot about the businesses and museums in that part of town. I thought it would be fun to do a similar event, in the spring, up at this part of downtown.”
Buck shared the proposed idea with businesses and organizations around that part of downtown and the library and five businesses/organizations decided to collaborate on the block party. Buck said, “We’re planning for 100-150 to attend and have lunch, enjoy the other goodies that will be available and learn what kinds of products and services the hosting groups provide to the community.”
Food, information and
door prizes
Each guest will be given a “block party card” at the first of the five locations they visit. Guests are encouraged, while enjoying food at each hosting location, to have their card punched or stamped. At the last location they visit they hand in their card with their name and phone number. At the end of the day a representative from each hosting group will draw a card and the person whose name is on the card wins the door prize from that host. The door prizes will be representative of each group that hosted the event. Winners will be contacted and do not have to be present to win.
Organizers of the block party say there is no particular pattern guests need to follow when
visiting the hosting groups during the block party. Since each host will be serving some sort part of the “progressive lunch” a little planning of the order a guest visits the hosting locales might make for a more normally sequenced lunch. Here’s what’s being served at each locale:
The Blaine County Library, on the corner of Pennsylvania and 4th Streets, will be serving appetizers. Library Director Val Frank, a well known cook and foodie in the area, is in charge of the preparations at the library and guests can expect a great start to their lunch there.
At The Grande Villa, Barb Jergeson said, “We’ll be serving a “traveling taco.” For those not familiar with the term, a traveling taco is a bag of nacho chips or Fritos with taco meat and seasonings added directly in to the chip bag. The taco is eaten out of the bag with a spoon. Because no plate is needed, the taco is completely portable and the diner is mobile. Jergeson added, “There are tables and chairs for those who would rather sit than stroll while enjoying a taco.”
Over at Ace Hardware there will be a demonstration of the Traeger wood fired grills now in stock. Ace owner Rob Reid said, “Weather permitting we’ll be demonstrating the various ways the wood pellet fired-grills can be used and hope to have some samples from the grill for our guests to taste test.”
From there guests can find desserts both at the Post Office and Bear Paw Credit Union. At the Post Office, Leta Buck said, “We’ll be serving mini-cheesecakes for our dessert.” Over at the credit union, Shannon St. Dennis added, “We’re serving cookies, cupcakes and coffee.”
The five sponsoring groups are looking forward to showcasing what they do and what they have to offer. Take a few minutes to join the block party, learn about these five businesses/organizations and enjoy lunch. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and there’ll be a chance to enjoy a pleasant stroll among the party locations. And don’t forget to pick up your card, you need it stamped and punched and left with one of the hosts for a chance to win one of the five door prizes to be given away after the party.
