INNISFAIL – With summer fully kicked in for residents on 46A Street Crescent there was exited determination to make sure it was the place to be on July 12.
More than 50 residents from the eastside neighbourhood gathered on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon from 3 to 6 p.m. for their 11th annual Block Party.
It has always been a must-attend gathering for the neighbourhood’s “street people” and “alley cats” from the next street over.
“They're (alley cats) our neighbours as well because we see them across the back alley all the time, and so they now come to our block parties, and come to coffee all the time too,” said 46A Street Crescent resident Murray Cameron.
He is one of the event’s organizers who had a notion back in the spring that a 2025 Block Party with friendly fellowship, music, laughter, games and great food was what he and his neighbours needed.
“About 20 of us from our street get together for coffee every Tuesday morning over at the legion. and so, I just said, ‘well, it's time to do the block party,” said Cameron. “And then we kind of go around the table and decide who can do what.”
And with the wheels now in motion one neighbour volunteers for sponsorship duty, and soon Paul’s No Frills Innisfail, Central Alberta Co-op in Innisfail and Innisfail Dairy Queen agree to support the annual community event.
Others handle the tents needed for the big day, and of course there will also be good neighbours bringing in the barbecues.
And Cameron, who is the musical director for the popular Foothills Centennial Fiddlers, takes on the entertainment duties with Barry Lloyd.
“We try and do it early enough in the season so that if we happen to have pouring rain that day we would just cancel it. We still got the rest of the summer to pick another date,” said Cameron.
But there was no rain whatsoever.
In the morning neighbour Harold Pearson mowed the community’s small green space by the mailboxes.
At about noon, the street people erect the tents and the tables as the barbecues start arriving.
“The stage is set for live music and lawn chairs start to show up. Many are arriving at 2 p.m. for vising,” said Cameron.
And by 3 p.m. the shady area beside the fir trees is full of cheerful residents.
And then a full banquet of great food awaits everyone, a meal that includes hamburgers, smokies, salads, fruit, baked beans, desserts and Darlene Oxtoby’s famous black forest cake big enough to feed more than 50 hungry street people and alley cats.
“It got completely devoured,” said Cameron, adding the event is one that that is guaranteed to boost the spirits of everyone attending. “It's been a real spiritual uplifting for all of us on the street.
“When we get together, we don't play music all the time. We spend a fair bit of time just for people to mix, mingle and visit,” he added. “We all talk about it for a long, long time afterwards, and we get to meet every year, and it’s an opportunity to meet new people on the street.”
