Students, alumni, parents and other community members turned out in droves on the evening of Oct. 11 for Case Western Reserve University’s annual Blue Block Party. Dressed from head to toe in various shades of blue clothing, revelers traveled to Toby’s Plaza in Uptown to enjoy a night filled with live music, performances and myriad activities.

Every last detail was planned and considered in preparation for the Blue Block Party. The night’s motif was carried subtly throughout the event, with themed refreshments ranging from blue cheese, blue raspberry lemonade and blue frosted cupcakes. Toby’s Plaza was also decorated in theme, with blue lights dispersed throughout and projections on the exterior walls of surrounding buildings.

Local businesses turned out in support of the event and set up booths and raffles for people to partake in as they walked around the venue. Among them a “Wheel of Fortune” style game from Chapati Indian Grill, in addition to a luck-based drawing from UPS Inc. where participants would choose a key at random and receive whatever is in the mailbox the key unlocks.

“It was a really cool atmosphere, especially with all of the blue lights,” noted first-year student Margaret Zimmer. “It was an awesome display of how CWRU interacts with the larger community with all of the local vendors that showed up.”

Entertainment ranged from performing arts pieces to performances by student groups. An immersive dance experience performed in the middle of the walkway throughout the night, and wove in and out of the crowd as they used the natural landscape of the space in lieu of a stage. Spartie, the University’s beloved mascot, made an appearance at the event as well.

“I got a photo with Spartie as well,” said Zimmer. “I love him; he makes any event better.”

The Juggling Club also showcased their abilities at the Blue Block Party. Second-year student and Treasurer of the Juggling Club Timothy Krause said, “[CWRU] reached out to us to perform again and we jumped at the opportunity. It is always a lot of fun to get involved with the community.”

Krause added that the the student group even passed some of their talents along to attendees. “We had the chance to interact with a lot of the alumni and even teach some of them how to juggle,” he said. “Most of the people [present] were really engaged and came up to talk to us. The whole environment is very lively and is a great way to showcase the spirit of CWRU.”

All in all, everyone who attended spoke positively of their experiences. An opportunity for the different types of people affiliated with CWRU—whether they are students, family members travelling to visit a student or those who love the University and wanted to return for Homecoming—the Blue Block Party was another massive success.