T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM - Neighbors and visitors enjoy a Saturday block party at the intersection of Fourth and Madison streets. The event was planned for Ariel Perkins’ daughter, Anaya, for her ninth birthday.

Block parties are making a comeback in Marshalltown.

Trinity Lutheran Church will host another block party this coming Sunday, Aug. 25. Organizer Dave Benz said the church has been regularly hosting a block party with the first in 2005.

“We are expecting around 175 people this year,” he said. “Pre-COVID, we averaged around 250.”

The party will be on the southeast lawn of the church on Anson Street, and will have a theme of “God’s Work, Our Hands.”

“Our mission is to invite the surrounding people of the neighborhood to let them know they are always welcome at Trinity,” Benz said.

Special music will be provided by Exit 185. Benz said the band has embraced the church during the last six or seven years. The party will also feature face painting, a balloon artist and a balloon throwing contest as well. Along with hamburgers, attendees will enjoy hot dogs, chips, cookies, watermelon, water and soda.

“This picnic is intended to invite people of all colors and races, including our special guests from CIRSI, YSS and other organizations,” Benz said. “This is totally free to the public.”

While one block party is upcoming, one already happened on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Ariel Perkins wanted to give her daughter Anaya a block party for her ninth birthday. Perkins remembered how she would go to block parties when she grew up on Seventh Street in Marshalltown, and wanted to provide the same memories. She got the permit from Marshalltown City Hall, blocked off the street and brought in large bouncy houses, a water slide, tables for food and the candy buffet and even a dunk tank.

Fortunately, she said the process of getting permission from the city is easy.

“All you have to do is fill out an application,” Perkins said. “I went on the City of Marshalltown [website] and found the application. It’s like $150. They dropped me off the red trailer with the barricades and gave me the key. It’s real simple and easy.”

It was not Perkins first block party rodeo, either. She had hosted Halloween block parties on Fourth Street and Madison, along with her sister’s ninth birthday.

“We’ve done a couple on Halloween, not really big,” Perkins said. “We just get a little bouncy house and let the kids do pumpkins in the street. It’s nice to not worry about cars. We’ve done that a couple times. The last time we did it was 2021.”

She let her neighbors know whenever the parties were scheduled, and extended invitations to them, friends and family.

“My neighbors have always been OK with it and come out and enjoy the time,” Perkins said.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.