Block parties are strange beasts, aren’t they? As a kid I never knew this but, as an adult, I can understand why they’ve fallen more and more out fashion. The strangeness of pulling your BBQ out onto the street, setting up lawn chairs on boiling asphalt, and pretending to have a good time with neighbors you’ve hardly met or even seen is beyond most people. Block parties are just so awkward, right, and neighbors are so inconvenient.

But as a kid, it was just the opposite.

For kids block parties are like Christmas in July; it’s a chance to check out that skate ramp from down the street, to collect lost hockey pucks from a grouchy neighbors’ back yard, and to meet other kids from down the street who may as well be living on a different planet. Block parties open an entire alternate universe for kids and every time a street, condo tower, or block throws a party – they’ve expanded the boundaries of what a kid knows.

Yesterday, at the 3^rd Annual Function Junction Block pARTy, I walked into that alternate universe.

The components of my real life in Function where all there and I recognized them as normal; the brewery, the bakery, and the breakfast spot all doing what they do. But, for one night only, the already eclectic Function Junction neighborhood was transformed into what I’m sure will have been the street event of the summer!

With Miller Creek Rd. closed to vehicle traffic the street came alive with food vendors, entertainers, artists at every turn, and a huge crowd of Block pARTy-goers out to enjoy the good weather, their strange & eclectic So-Ho type neighbors, and to browse local art galleries with wine in hand. Add to the mix nearly 300 mountain bikers who came out for WORCA’s weekly Toonie Race and after-party at the Whistler Brewery and the stage was set for a fun night.

As an ArtWalk showcase for local artists it is hard not to be inspired by the creativity found in this town and it’s easy to see why a town like Whistler has so much creative capital. With a vibrant community of artists, alpenglow lighting up our mountains, and huge local support for artists, Whistler has given a lot of people the time, the space, and the people to explore their creativity. The Function Junction Block pARTy was the perfect excuse to celebrate what we already know about this town – we love to create!

Big thanks to the Whistler Arts Council, the artists, and all of the supporting businesses for putting together a fantastic event. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event and, in the mean time, I’m bunkering down into my “studio” to keep creating. Thanks for the inspiration!