Block party on Center Street in Pocatello to show people why it’s a ‘destination’
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POCATELLO – A downtown bar is hosting a party that will close off two blocks of Center Street, allowing attendees the opportunity to see what the street has to offer.
‘Bengal Bloctober’ will take place in the 200 and 300 blocks of Center Street on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is being organized jointly by Barricade and Historic Downtown Pocatello. People who attend will find the street shut down for an outdoor party, offering food, drinks and live music, with six businesses all participating.
Jackie Reader, co-owner of Barricade with her husband, Justin, told EastIdahoNews.com that the event will show people why these city blocks are a “destination.”
“Barricade itself is not a destination. Charley’s itself is not just a destination. It’s this whole Center Street experience down here. You’ve got the option of a gay bar, an arcade bar, a pool bar, and a karaoke bar, so there’s a lot of variety. There’s something for everybody,” said Jackie.
The businesses participating in the block party will be Barricade, Club Charley’s, Cue and Brews, ChubbyZ’, Lost Boys Tattoos and the Odyssey Bar.
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This won’t be the first time that Center Street businesses hold a block party. While the Readers were on a date night, before they owned Barricade, they stumbled across a block party on Center Street.
When the Readers bought Barricade, one of the ideas they had was to organize a similar event.
“We just kind of started knocking on our neighbor’s doors, asking, ‘Hey, can we do this? You in?’ And then it just kind of grew from there,” Reader said.
At the time, the Readers didn’t know that Historic Downtown Pocatello had been the organizer of the block party they found. Once they were connected, the neighborhood association took the lead on the permitting process.
While Bengal Bloctober is open to anyone to attend, it’s geared towards people who are 21 years old and older. Attendees will start at a check-in booth, where they’ll have their ID checked before receiving a wristband and a ‘passport.’
The passport, which Club Charley’s took the lead on, will have a list of participating businesses and a spot to be stamped once the attendee visits the business and completes a task, such as following it on social media. Once all the businesses on the card have been stamped, attendees can write their name on the back and enter a prize raffle.
As people make their way through the block party, they’ll hear live music from three local bands, LOOT, Jelly and Snoozy Moon, and grab drinks as well as food from ChubbyZ’ and Cue and Brews, which is the home of the Rim Rock Grill.
Reader explained why closing off the street improves the experience of visiting the local businesses, saying, “it’s just a different vibe.”
“If you’ve ever been somewhere like New Orleans, on Bourbon Street, … just being able to have the option to just let loose and hop around to different places without having to worry about the regulations and stuff, it’s hard to put into words without (being there),” Reader said.
Because it’s hard to convey with just words, Reader hopes that people will decide to come and experience it for themselves.