Twice the size it was last year, the 2017 Lowland Block Party marks the second go-round for the event and the beginning of its partnership with the All Senses Festival. Last year was like watching an infant take its first steps; this year, we’re teaching the kid to swear (just kidding – it’s a family-friendly event).
Starting at the crack of 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 1, the block party closes out ASF at 5 p.m. Anyone who’s not sick of partying at that point can pop into Rozz Tox right next door. Ask to see their Japanese whiskey list and then dance to some Indo-European electronica.
Speaking of, in addition to block party founders Rozz Tox, Laborspace, and Future Appletree Too, new sponsors include Stecker Graphics (“We’ll put a graphic on anything!”) and Bent River Brewing Company, which will have a nice selection of craft brews available alongside the 20+ artists and vendors.
Charles Knudsen will be back with his face-painting booth that was so popular last year. That’s right – you can get an original work by a celebrated local artist on. Your. FACE. All up in your face.
Liv Carrow, who I’ve managed to name-drop in multiple posts over at Travel Iowa will be available to read your destiny in her tarot cards.
There will be a good old fashioned rummage sale with heavy contributions from Ragged Records. Come for the discount vinyl and stay to bash some piñatas made by The Adventure Orange.
And new since last year: a dunk tank! Patrick Stolley of Future Appletree is pretty excited about it – so excited, in fact, that it’s contagious and now I’ll be manning the tank for a bit. Come down and check it out because I’m gonna get really obnoxious with it. You’re going to love shutting me up by dropping me in a vat of icy cold water. You can pretend I’m that guy at work you hate.
“I think the biggest difference [between this year and last year],” Pat says, “is that we have more vendors, more music, more interest and it’s just a little easer for us this time having done it before.”
In addition to community-building and just having an opportunity to hang out with the neighbors, he’s also hoping this event will serve to build awareness of the goings-on east of The District.
“I hope it leads to an awareness of the grass roots nature of what we do over there. Not a lot of top down big money stuff. Just small biz types growing as the interest grows.”
Read more about the block party and the All Senses Festival:
While you might have missed some (or all) of the Quad Cities’ summer arts festivals, it’s not too late! You can ease your guilt and shame thanks to the inaugural weekend of the revolutionary All Senses Festival.
Closing out September, this community event is unique in its content, opting to focus on fringe arts from music to film to poetry. The kid-friendly psychedelic extravaganza runs from Thursday, September 28th through Sunday, October 1st.