Festival: Rocking around the Bonne Terre block
Hundreds of people wandered through the food booths, vendor booths, and side-by-sides at Bonne Terre’s second annual Block Party in 2022 on School and Division streets. (File photo)
City gets ready for block party in the downtown district Saturday
SARAH HAAS, shaas@dailyjournalonline.com
The city of Good Earth, Good People is inviting everyone to enjoy the street food, side-by-sides, music, games and shopping bargains in Bonne Terre this weekend.
Bonne Terre Downtown POA (BTDPOA) is hosting its third annual Bonne Terre Downtown Block Party on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., in the historic, original shopping district off of West School Street and South Division Street.
The distributed flyer gives a schedule of all the action:
- All day – Craft and vendor booths
- 9 a.m. – Petting zoo and pony rides offered
- All day – Food trucks
- Noon-9 p.m. – Beer garden
- Noon-4 p.m. – Live music by Big Deal
- 5-9 p.m. – Side-by-side show
- 6-10 p.m. – Live music by Canyon
Shari House, the owner of Fancy Crow and member of BTDPOA, said she hopes the turnout is as great as it has been the past two years.
“We hope everyone will be part of the active Bonne Terre Community by joining the fun,” she said. “Midwest Motor Sports of Festus is organizing this year’s Side By Side Show which begins at 5 p.m.
“Registration will take place between noon and 5 p.m. at RB’s Western Package Liquor, 24 West School Street in Bonne Terre. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded and all profits from the Side by Show will benefit the SEMO Family Violence Council. It will be a fun day for every member of your family.”
House said the goal of The Downtown Bonne Terre Annual Block Party is to give the community an opportunity to get together “for a little fun before fall arrives.”
Saturday night’s block party in Bonne Terre in 2022 held many activities for kids like Avery Whitehead, Tessa Lawson, Bayley Whitehead and Hailey Whitehead. (File photo)
“I’m really excited. We are pretty stoked. We’ve had lots of food trucks calling up asking to come, usually, we have to get down and beg for them, but they were calling us this year,” she said. “We consider that a good sign. It’s going to be amazing, I think. So yeah, I’m pretty excited about it.”
Downtown progress sometimes comes with a bit of a price. As House indicated, some of the festival area is under construction as Bonne Terre replaces some of its aged water mains before tackling new sidewalks and lighting in that area.
“We think everyone should come out and see the ‘before,’ and then they can enjoy the ‘after’ during the next block party we have downtown,” House said. “The construction won’t disturb anything happening at this block party. It’s great to see the investment in the area.”
Bonne Terre Downtown POA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization working to revitalize Downtown Bonne Terre and the community as a whole.
“While this event showcases the downtown district of West School Street, we hope that event visitors will venture over to other shops and attractions in Bonne Terre while they are in town for the festival,” House said.
Event Top Tier sponsors are First State Community Bank and Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce. Additional sponsors and organizers are Pizza 101 South, R.B.’s Western Package Store, The Corner Pocket, Bonne Terre Save-A-Lot, The Fancy Crow, C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Homes, A-1 HomeCare, Bryant Restoration, and Griffin Automotive Restoration.
“Organizers are pleased and grateful to all businesses partnering with them to make this third annual event a huge success,” House said.
