Borough Block Party At 10: Still Free, Now On A Saturday
In their early years of hosting a free block party, the owners of Borough & Parlour were mostly just trying to get attention, to draw people into this still-evolving neighborhood with a little music on a summer Sunday.
A few things have changed since then: the block party is now in the fall, on a Saturday, and the North Loop is the “hottest neighborhood in town” (according to Mpls St Paul Magazine). But the party is still free and it’s bigger than ever.
“It’s a community event now, which we love,” said Brent Frederick, chief manager of the restaurants’ parent company, Jester Concepts. “We’ve been here for 10 years now, we hope to be here for another 10, 20 years. And just to bring everybody together like that feels good.”
The 10th annual Borough Block Party is set for Saturday, October 7th at 8th and Washington, featuring Private Oates (1-2pm), Dylan Salfer Trio (2:30-3:30), Faith Boblett (4-5), Nur-D (5:30-7:30) and Viva Knievel (8-10).
“We love doing it free,” said Frederick. “As long as people show up and eat, drink and be merry, it all ends up being worth it.”
In the first few years, when the block party was planned in June or July, Frederick says it always rained “without fail.” So they moved it to the fall–and eventually to Saturdays to avoid conflicts with the Vikings.
It now features more tents and stations around the perimeter and an in/out bar on the patio.
“Just getting people out, having fun together, that’s what North Loop is,” Frederick said. “It’s a great community. We’re happy to be a part of it, and this is the way we kind of give back.”
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer