SWEDESBORO — The Community Block Party was a great summer neighborhood festival.
On Saturday, Aug. 27, the summer sun was beaming, with its warm rays awash all over Mechanic Street in Swedesboro and the community Block Party was in full swing and a great time was enjoyed by local residents, friends and families.
This was the very first community festival that has taken place on Mechanic Street. This concept was adopted by First Baptist Church of Swedesboro with a vision of having a summer block party that would allow fellow residents and the surrounding community the ability to celebrate a communal spirit of togetherness, get to know each other a little better in a relaxed setting and enjoy the fun, food, games, entertainment and activities.
The cooperation of the Swedesboro Borough Council was requested and received, in order to partition the entire length of Mechanic Street. The town was grateful for the hard work of First Baptist Church of Swedesboro, which initiated the event, galvanized the residents and acquired sponsorship from local companies to contribute food and supplies.
The activities included: carnival games, group line dancing, a moon bounce house, dodgeball, volleyball, football, delicious barbecue foods, ice cream and snacks galore. Back to school supplies in abundance were donated by the First Baptist Church Community and friends and were given away at the Back to School Rally.
There were performances by the “Praising Angels” and the “Seasoned Saints Praise Dancers”; also a performance by Gospel Hip Hop Artist, Andre Lewis, who was inspiring and encouraged attendees to strive toward the blessing of greatness in God.
As the summer sun waned and twilight appeared, the day was capped by a great rally of all the school age children called to gather in a block wide circle to hear words of encouragement and a prayer from Captain Shelden Lewis of the Woolwich Township Police Department. It truly was a spectacular event, with hundreds in attendance and the beautiful spirit of community in full display.
