If you’re looking for a good excuse to get downtown for a few hours, a new block party happening Tuesday, Oct. 13 might be the perfect ticket. What has long been an annual fundraiser bake sale in the executive garage at The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press is growing this year into an open-to-the-public party on the streets.
It’s called Blocktoberfest, a United Way fundraiser that will block off Lafayette Boulevard between First and Third streets from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. The idea started when someone here at work wanted to turn that bake sale into something bigger. They hooked up with someone at WDIV (across the street) and someone else at the Fort Shelby DoubleTree Hotel (next door) and came up with this block party idea.
Businesses from all over Detroit will be setting up booths, selling stuff and giving away prizes. I’ve also heard that from 5-8, there will be a beer garden behind the DoubleTree, with live music playing, and a dunk tank featuring a few of the newspapers’ big name writers like Terry Foster and Neil Ruben.
Best of all, at least to us at the Kage, is that they’re encouraging businesses in the area to let employees extend their lunch by an hour or two.
