Innisfail's first block party of the summer was an unqualified success.
Last Saturday's block party on 46A Street Crescent was organized by Jack Hill, Arlene Sillings and Cuma Tailor. They put on an early evening barbecue, complete with salads, desserts and music for their friends and neighbours along the crescent, located just one and a half blocks off of Main Street.
Tammy Oliver-McCurdie, manager of the local Family and Community Support Services office, said the town's block party initiative produced five neighbourhood celebrations last year but the 46A Street Crescent block event was the first one in 2014. She said she hopes with recent advertising more applications to hold them will be processed in time to allow more in September.
“This feels like a little town,” said Tailor of their neighbourhood's second annual block party.
“We did one last year and the weather was quite a bit warmer so we all sat underneath the trees to stay in the shade,” said Taylor. “This year we're sitting in the open and get to feel the sun on our faces.”
Hill, a longtime resident of the crescent, applied for permission to close off the walkway in the middle and was granted approval on Aug. 11 by town council with a condition to allow traffic through the public access route if required.
“We got support from the local Dairy Queen, who donated an ice cream cake, received $20 from the Innisfail Coop, and $100 from Kevin's nofrills to help us with the food and such,” said Hill. “Anything else we needed, residents kicked in and donated that as well.”
The evening party included food, socializing, and entertainment from professional musician Murray Cameron who provided old-time music from his iPod and played the guitar for the singalong later in the evening.
“You get to know your neighbour,” said Sillings. “Nearly everyone who lives along here is over 50 years old, with the exception of a couple of young guys around the bend, so it is quiet. A night like this is really nice, and we all look forward to it now.”
New crescent home owners, David and Bobbi Forman, just moved to Innisfail the first week of August and were pleased to be welcomed by their neighbours.
“My wife and I moved here from Grande Prairie to be closer to her parents, and we do have some grandkids fairly close too,” said David, who freely mingled with his new friends. “We really could not ask for a better way to get to know our neighbours and become part of a community so quickly.”
Nearly 40 people joined the party, and enjoyed the evening of socialization until the setting sun sent them home.
“Next year, we'll do this again,” said Hill. “This is always one of the best parts of our summer.”
