North Bend Downtown Block Party adds fashion show, bloodmobile, welcomes back car show, bike valet

Published 8:30 am Wednesday, July 13, 2016

North Bend’s annual community celebration of downtown is back this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, community members will be treated to children’s activities, food, games and two stages of live entertainment.

North Bend Way will become a pedestrian plaza for the two-day event centered on the two blocks between Bendigo Boulevard and Ballarat. It will also be bicycle-friendly as the bike valet service that launched at last year’s festival returns this year.

Hosted by the Mount Si High School Mountain Bike Club, the valet service is easy to use — just check in your bicycle and get a tag when you arrive, then present the tag to have your wheels returned to you when you’re ready to head home. It’s free, too.

“They’re just trying to promote people getting on their bikes and riding down to the festival,” explained Block Party organizer Stacey Cepeda.

A lot of the Block Party events have an active, or healthy component this year, from the mock battle action of laser tag and paintball alley (located in the alley between Bendigo Boulevard N. and Main Ave. N.) to the body-and-mind effort of the second annual scavenger hunt.

“Basically you stop by the city booth to pick up your map to visit city businesses,” said Cepeda. Find the clues at each business, earn a stamp on the map and turn it in for a chance to win a prize.

A new health-focused component of this year’s Block Party will be a visit from the Bloodmobile, encouraging people who are eligible to give blood during the festival.

Even the fashion show, new this year, has an emphasis on activity. The North Bend Fashion Extravaganza, 4 p.m. on the Main Stage, will feature clothing accessories, modeled by locals.

“It’s a two-leg and four-leg fashion show,” said Cepeda. “Pet Place Market will be outfitting all of the dogs.” Models will also sport clothing from Selah Gifts, Birches Habitat, Pro Ski Guiding and Ace Hardware.

Yes, Ace Hardware. “They’re going to have a fishing theme,” Cepeda said. Ace is also the event’s biggest sponsor.

Exhibitors will be active, too.

“Camille has some people coming who will be doing live art,” said Cepeda, referring to the artists’ alley organizer, Camille Bodey.

Artists Alley will feature local artists displaying and selling their art works. Some will also be working on pieces throughout the day. Artists who want to exhibit can contact Bodey at camille193701@hotmail.com or (425) 888-2886.

“We’ve always tried to incorporate an artists’ alley,” Cepeda said.

Other events expected to be a hit this year are the always popular children’s petting zoo, the Mini-Mountain rock climbing wall, bounce houses and a visit from King County Search and Rescue’s search dogs and their human partners, noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The live entertainment starts on both stages at noon, with a family- and community-centered lineup including past Valley Idol Jr. contestants, a youth rock band, and the Reptile Man on the Community Stage, and diverse musical acts from one-man band Dakota Poorman to the rockin’ headliners Spike and the Impalers at 7:15 p.m. and Heart by Heart at 9 p.m.

Sunday brings the second North Bend Block Party Legends Car Show, running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along North Bend Way, from Bendigo through Ballarat. The day will include fun and games for all ages, 21 divisions for trophies, raffle and prize drawings.