The Block Party's fifth year was one the city had been building toward — and 2024 delivered. The City of Springfield marked the 10th anniversary of the Simpsons Mural at our 6th annual event, an earthquake simulator rattled attendees courtesy ofSpringfield Utility Board, and thousands of neighbors poured into a wide-open, car-free Main Street for a night that felt truly special. Unicyclists, axe throwing, bubble tea, meat on a stick — EVERYONE was at The Block Party for First Friday in Historic Downtown Springfield. Springfieldbottomline + 2

A new addition to our documentary team, Patrick Kempany was a quick study of our celebration, documenting the scale of what The Block Party had become — the packed streets, the activated blocks, the crowd that just kept growing. His gallery is the visual record of a party that had officially arrived. From small to large scale, Patrick holds a mirror to Springfield and the joyful humans that make The Block Party what we've always known Springfield to be.

Gallery photographed by Patrick Kempany Photography.

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