Athens’ Block Party returns

A backyard party held at 60 N. Congress St. holds one of many wristband festivities in Athens during Halloween Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (NATE SWANSON | FOR THE POST)

Athens’ Halloween Block Party includes new events

BIANCA GRIM FOR THE POST

Athens’ annual Halloween Block Party is back for the first time since 2019. The event will follow multiple family-oriented activities and the Honey for the Heart Halloween Parade.

Athens’ Halloween celebration on Oct. 29 will include activities for children and adults at the intersection of Court and Union streets. Family activities will be offered from 1-5 p.m., and the Block Party, geared toward adults, will occur from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Between the family activities and the Block Party, Passion Works Studio’s Honey for the Heart Halloween Parade will take place.

The Block Party will include performances by Brandon Thompson, also known as DJ B-Funk, the Dysfunktional Family Band, ATLNTS+Cloudboi and four acts from Brick City Records.

Thompson, also the city’s coordinator for the Block Party, will perform his set from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thompson said most of his act will consist of EDM, hip-hop and dance classics.

For the first time, the Athens’ Halloween Block Party will be accompanied by Halloween-themed events for children and their families organized by the Athens Arts, Parks and Recreation Department, Erin Helms, the department’s assistant director, said.

“I think there’s been a discrepancy that a Block Party is a lot of activities that maybe aren’t family-friendly,” Helms said. “We want the families to know that it’s an event that everyone should feel welcome to attend and then to enjoy and to get into the spirit of the season by being in Athens.”

Helms said there will be numerous activities for children, including performances by Hocus Pocus Drag Queens who will sing songs, tell stories and face paint.

Children can also participate in hands-on activities, including a craft where they can make witch hands. Helms said that a catwalk showcase would also allow children to walk across the Block Party’s stage and show off their costumes, and a photo booth will be available.

“We generally close the streets beginning at 7 a.m.,” Andrew Chiki, Athens deputy service-safety director, said. “During that time, there’s a lot of stuff that occurs and it made sense to incorporate more activities throughout the day and then culminate with the adult portion of the block party in the evening.”

The budget for the family events was provided by the Arts, Parks and Recreation Department, Helms said. However, the exact amount spent on the acts and supplies is unknown.

The city will not know the total expenditure of the Block Party until after the event, Chiki said. However, the city typically budgets for the use of $30,000, which will cover the cost of the stage, overtime pay for Athens Police Department officers, musical acts and payment of the event’s organizers.

Throughout the event, APD officers will be present. However, there aren’t any safety issues expected, Chiki said.

“We don’t really perceive any problems arising,” Helms said. “Typically, OU students are respectful of the families in the town and we assume that will also be the case this time.”

Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said 2010 was the last time there were major issues with larger crowds and multiple arrests during Halloween weekend. Since then, APD has directed its focus to safety precautions rather than arrests.

Pyle said he believes this year’s Halloween Block Party will be more relaxed than past years due to fewer people coming from out of town to attend the event. However, he said he still expects the event to be well-attended.

Thompson said he expects thousands of people to be present at the Block Party and hopes the energy that typically accompanies Athens’ Halloween celebrations will be present.

“I don’t want people to think Halloween is losing its edge,” Thompson said. “It’s still the wildest party anywhere. Thousands of people are coming to Athens for this party and to enjoy themselves and so I just want it to be really good fun for everybody.”

@BIANCAGRIM19

BG748021@OHIO.EDU

Local non-profit raises funds for Athens artists

PAIGE FISHER FOR THE POST

Athens Artists Memorial Project, or AAMP, a local non-profit organization, raised over $3,000 during its first annual benefit concert on Oct. 11.

AAMP was created in memory of local artists to provide music and art assistance to those needing arts funding. Earlier this year, AAMP earned its official 501C3 non-profit organization status and elected its first board of directors.

“When we started out we were pretty meager, we only had maybe $500 or $300 in our account, then we’d get money and spend it, but now as a full non-profit we are looking to create a bigger fund and to expand more into not just music but other arts endeavors,” Doug Brooks, president of the board of directors, said.

To celebrate its legitimacy, AAMP hosted its first benefit concert at Casa Cantina, raising funds to continue aiding the arts community.

“This is the first time that we’ve ever put on a fundraiser for ourselves, and that’s sort of the history of several decades of being informal, then this year becoming more of a legitimate organization,” Roman Warmke, treasurer of the AAMP board of directors, said.

The concert consisted of musical performances by Frank McDermott, Jerrod Goggans, and Stuart’s Opera House’s Afterschool Music Program.

There was also a raffle and silent auction with several items donated by local businesses, including Jackie O’s, Stewart McDonald Guitar Shop, Passion Works Studio, the Stitcherhood, Milo’s Whole Food Gourmet, the Athens Cinema and Quinn Westenbarger Pottery.

Though the members of AAMP did not set a fundraising goal, they raised around $2,500 from the concert before another $1,800 was donated by two of AAMP’s benefactors, Lucian and Lori Spataro.

“We just didn’t know what to expect for our very first one,” Warmke said. “That was more than I expected.”

Although AAMP began in 2020, the idea behind the project started in 1994 as the Johnny B. Fund. Since then, it has helped several local community arts initiatives, such as the Afterschool Music Program at Stewart’s Opera House and the Athens County Children’s Service’s Santa Tree Project.

“(The Afterschool Music Program) is basically a program for middle school and high school students to play music with

The top of an “air guitar,” hand painted by Thaddeus Semsel, up for auction during the Athens Artists Memorial Project, on Oct. 11, 2022. (CHLOE EGGLESTON | FOR THE POST)

their peers in a manner that is a little different than maybe how you play music with your parents,” Stuart’s Opera House’s Assistant Director of Arts Education Adam Remnant, said.

The program continues to grow in popularity, attracting more students interested in being a part of a band.

“This year we’re getting near 30 students…and we’re kind of maxed out. We’re already filled up for students this year,” Remnant said.

The students in the program were one of the acts who performed at the AAMP benefit concert.

Remnant said the benefit concert was a good opportunity for the students because the venue is a possible business where they could play after graduating high school or college.

“Doing things and supporting programs like (Stuart’s Opera House’s After School Music Program), seeing your musicians getting the opportunities to get out and play,” Brooks said. “That means a lot. It’s a cool thing to do. It’s like playing Santa Claus, but not limited to just Christmas.”

Brooks got involved with the Santa Tree Project when he taught at Federal Hocking secondary school and thought it would be great to introduce to AAMP.

“At the high school, every homeroom raised money, in whatever way you could, to buy a kid from the Santa Tree Project Christmas presents,” Brooks said. “When I quit teaching, I took that from them, and thought that it would be a great thing for this organization to do.”

Brooks encourages those who know about AAMP and its mission to spread the word about the project so it can continue giving back to the arts community.

“The more people that know about us, the more people that we can help, and the more people that can help support us,” Brooks said. “That is the biggest thing that I want right now is for more people to know about us to request funds, to donate funds and to hopefully reach out to bigger things instead of just supporting individuals.”

@PAIGEMAFISHER

PF585820@OHIO.EDU