02/13/2018
Public Announcement
After several meetings and much discussion, The Morden Block Party committee has decided to end the event, effective immediately. This year’s event that had been scheduled for Saturday June 2, 2018 will not take place. As for the future, it is possible the event could be held again, under the same name and format or perhaps a different way, but there are no imminent plans to do so.
There are several reasons for this. The primary reason is essentially committee and organizer “burn-out”. Since its inception in 2007, The Block Party has grown into a major event and takes months of planning, marketing, ex*****on, and perhaps most notably for the organizers, stress. The amount of work involved has become almost overwhelming, to the point where many of us have lost our enthusiasm and love of the event.
Make no mistake, this is a very difficult decision. The sole purpose of the Block Party was to showcase local businesses and to say “thanks” to our customers by offering a free day of fun, food, and entertainment. It also evolved into a major fundraiser for local charity Morden Youth for Christ, and more recently, Pembina Valley Humane Society. Funds raised over the past 11 years topped $40,000, which we are very proud of.
The committee, organizers, and volunteers gave their heart and soul to The Block Party over the past 11 years. It evolved from a modest car show, kid’s park and entertainment that took up 2 blocks of downtown Morden, into multiple events, displays, food vendors, and entertainment encompassing a full 6 blocks in downtown Morden.
We are very proud of what it has become and it almost seems impossible that there were 11 of them. The excitement and anticipation that happened each January when we first met to plan the year’s event had wavered over the years, and it was apparent that now was the time to move on before our love of the event left us too.
We would like to give a huge thank you to all the volunteers, sponsors, committee members, businesses, and most importantly our customers who helped grow The Block Party and made it such a fun and fulfilling event for all of us. Without all the support and positive energy, none of it would have been possible. Special thanks to the City of Morden, who helped get The Block Party started with funding and the use of their bleachers and other infrastructure as well to the Corn and Apple Festival for free use of their facility and resources.
Once again, this was not an easy decision, but we feel it was the right one at the right time.
