Photo submitted
A streamer-covered umbrella provides color shade for this partygoer.
Block Street Block Partygoers will soon hear on the radio the difference they made.
“I would have been happy if we’d raised $1,000, but it looks like we’re going to walk away with $5,800,” said Joe Newman, station manager of KPSQ-FM 97.3. That is a lot of money for a station still trying to fit out a studio for local artists when it does a lot of its equipment shopping on eBay, he said.
The still-new, all-volunteer community radio station teamed up with Fossil Cove Brewing Co. of Fayetteville and Red Feather Productions of Springdale to join the party, which was held May 21. Red Feather provided the stage, Fossil Cove provided the beer and KPSQ put in the DJs and helped bring local acts. Together, they put up a sound stage and beer garden at the free party. A portion of sales of the brewery’s wares went to the radio station.
The fundraiser proved to be a whole lot more beer than foam.
Newman said the success means a real difference in being able to buy what it has to have for equipment, allowing the station to buy things better than the bare minimum. That will mean a difference people can listen to.
Fossil Cove is “very, very pleased” with the results too, said brewer Jameson Lancos, who worked at the event from setting up to tear-down and cleanup. “We’ll definitely be planning on coming back.”
Photo submitted
The sound stage drew crowds as various groups performed as part of the KPSQ fund raiser.
“We try to give something back to the community, and I think all community brewers are like that, whatever city they’re in,” Lancos said. After all, being a community brewer is a community-oriented business, he said. “People were happy with it and relaxed,” he said. “It went really, really well. It was good for the city and good for us.”
While the still-new, all-volunteer community radio station went on the air in September, the staff is still equipping the new studio, which is on the third floor of the Chancellor Hotel. In particular, it is fitting out a place for live performances by local artists. The hotel has been very generous, said both Newman and station volunteer Moshe Newmark. The hotel provides both space for the studio and a place for the low-power stations’ antenna on the the hotel roof.
Although money for the station is tight, Newman said it was the right call for the fundraiser to hire professionals to set up and work the sound system at the stage. “We spent some money on that and I’m very glad we did,” Newman said of the work SLV Productions performed. “It sounded great.”
Hari Newmark, who has a music show on the station, said the event “really put the best foot forward for the station. A lot of people came to our booth, and it was a great stage. I think we’re going to get a lot of new listenership from it. The bands who came donated their time, too, and the sound was excellent.”
KPSQ’s portion of the fundraiser’s proceeds amounted to around $7,000, Newman said, but expenses took up part of that. Still, the $5,800 free and clear is a big help to a station.
Photo submitted
Rochelle Bradshaw and Hypnotion perform.
This was the station’s debut event at the yearly, free party along Block Street. More than 40 local bands, along with local vendors, lined up for the event, which began at noon that day.
The party got started as a celebration seven years ago, when construction of improvements along the street was finally finished. The family-friendly event has continued ever since, supported by businesses along the street — which is technically Block Avenue, but no one has yet to make an issue of it. Everything is local — food, bands, creation of balloon animals, everything.
“I whine about it jokingly, but the reason we keep doing it is because of how much people love it,” organizer Hannah Withers told The Free Weekly in an interview for a previous article. “I love our street. We’re a great community.” Experience Fayetteville joined in on the organizing efforts this year, and that was a big help, Withers said.
Photo submitted
A trio of ladies shares a laugh and some cool brews.
This was the first time fledgling KPSQ was around to participate, putting it’s stage on the downtown square.
Finding unique things people can do hands-on, such as an interactive chalkboard project this year, became a hallmark of the Block Street event years ago. Everybody’s welcome, as shown by the 7 Hills Homeless Shelter hosting of a dunk tank — all properly bipartisan. Both Democrat and noted university-town liberal Greg Leding and tax-slashing, Republican concealed-carry advocate Charlie Collins, both of Fayetteville, got their turns in the water. No word from organizers yet on whose splashing raised more money.
There is more information about the yearly event at blockstreetbusinesses.com. The Block Street Block Party also has a Facebook page, as does KPSQ. The radio station’s home page is at http://www.kpsq.org.
Photo submitted
Joe and Dawn pause for a photo during the KPSQ fundraiser during the Block Street Block Party.
