The Block Party- Starting a Springfield Tradition
Photos provided by SeenEugene.
David and Nita Loveall are pioneering and visionary developers who have played a significant role in downtown Springfield’s revitalization. Their buildings on Main Street are home to a number of popular businesses as well as 34 fully remodeled apartments. On July 20th the vision came to life at the first ever Block Party.
The Block Party celebrated the 20 plus new businesses that have opened in the past two years in Downtown Springfield between 3rd & 4th ave, newly branded under the sleek name The Block. On the sunny Saturday evening, businesses kept their doors open later than usual to allow for the flood of hundreds of people that came to browse the shops, sip their “Block Lager” beers from Plank Town Brewing Co. in their branded “The Block” pints, listen to live music, collect stamps on their business passports, all while conversing with business owners and friends and having a great time. On his livestream show Get Real With Rick Dancer, media producer and social media guru Rick Dancer strolled The Block interviewing downtown business owners, locals, and visitors. Check out his livestream of the event HERE.
It was a clear and consistent message – Springfield’s renaissance has arrived. An authentic entrepreneurial spirit and an undeniably positive vibe is the new experience and is driving transformational change on The Block .
The following is a brief tour around downtown, recapped from Rick Dancer’s livestream:
The Washburne Cafe is probably the most popular breakfast location option on the Block. Co-owner Derek Weber shared his excitement with Rick about the event and how more and more are coming to see Springfield. The cafe has many exciting ideas for their business in the future, such as expanding their pastry options and possibly extending their open hours.
Main Street Market is the newest addition to the Block. This cool little store gives the impression of being a “little New York” in the sense of having a full-blown market in the middle of downtown, with a lot more product selection than one might expect upon first glance. During the Block Party they had wine and food tasting available, and they are very excited to be a part of downtown revitalization (and so are we!).
The Cornbread Cafe expanded from their small cafe in Eugene and wanted to bring something more lively and fancy to the neighborhood. Located in the old Econo Sales spot, they have a cajun-creole menu that have unique and delicious vegan plates, as well as a full bar and live music from 6-9 each Friday and Saturday. This jazzy 1920’s inspired restaurant is much different than their diner-style location in Eugene and is definitely worth a visit!
Plank Town Brewing Co. opened in May 2013 and has a wide selection of beers on tap and delicious food offerings for lunch and dinner. For the event, a special “Block Lager” was crafted, which was a crisp, refreshing lager, perfect for a summer day. They were served up in special branded glasses with the new “The Block” logo for only $6!
The newly restored building on the corner of 4th and Main Street has a fresh coat of paint in beautiful blue with white trim, picked out by staff at the architecture + design firm Campfire Collaborative. It will soon be home to the newest tenant, Map Chocolate, specializing in bean-to-bar craft chocolate. The store is not yet open, but they are very excited to join the Springfield scene sometime after the beginning of August!
Remember the Moon Boutique/ Cynthia’s on Main focuses on mastectomy products for breast cancer survivors. Owner Andrea Wolf acquired it after previous owner Cynthia Crawford retired from her location in Eugene. Wolf loves being part of the huge transformation of downtown Springfield.
George + Violet’s Steakhouse serves local grass-fed beef and other delicious dishes. They felt that the resurgence of downtown was bound to happen and they wanted to be part of it. Check out their restaurant for a nice dinner date that is also family friendly!
Other companies on the street are Addis Ethiopian Food, Campfire Collaborative, Bartolottis, Common Bond Yoga, Celeste Watches, Hap-Hazard Creativity, The Craftsmen Barbershop, Moon Child Vintage, Mothership Salon, Simply Cycle, Stahman Guitars, Heartless & Hopeless Tattoo, and Little Axe Records.
You might have missed the event this year, but we are hoping that this great party will become an annual tradition. Downtown Springfield is an example of the great things that can happen when small businesses, the city, the Chamber of Commerce, and brave people willing to take a risk work together to revitalize a community to make it better for everyone.
