A DJ, sock monkey photo props and the opportunity to win free food made for the perfect way to encourage college students to explore downtown Walla Walla and the local businesses lining Main Street. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, Whitman College and the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation organized the Downtown Walla Walla Block Party event, aiming to engage with students and showcase businesses within Walla Walla. Students and staff were invited to scour the streets for a scavenger hunt spanning seven blocks in hopes of discounts, giftcards and local know-how.
Students were incentivized to visit five businesses, learn their fun facts and then bring the information back to the park, where they could be rewarded with a welcome bag along with a variety of prizes, including free pizza, comics and Walla Walla merchandise.
“It was really fun running around with my friends, and it was cool learning about the businesses,” sophomore Allen Zamudio said. “I’ve been going to some of [the businesses] since I got to Walla Walla, but I didn’t know they had fun facts.”
The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation executive director, Mallory Nash, believes the block party helped students navigate downtown and encouraged students to find a new favorite coffee shop or a place they can go to relax off-campus.
“I think that stuff is really important,” Nash said. “Staying on campus is great, but they’re going to want to take a breather sometimes.”
The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation has worked for more than 40 years to support local businesses and create connections through hosting events. Their promotion committee works behind the scenes of events, including bringing in 28 businesses downtown to commit to the block party and assisting in preparation efforts.
“The Downtown Foundation’s promotional committee is starting to really get on board with more and more events,” Ella Mae Boutique owner Stacy Moeller said. “I hope that [the Block Party] grows and maybe even next year will expand into the street.”
Not only did the event intend to build a bond between the college and community, it also encouraged students to shop at businesses downtown. According to Moeller, even with students arriving on campus, shop owners didn’t witness a rise in sales or foot traffic.
“I think the students get a feeling it’s a little too high priced because a lot of people [who] contribute [to] that downtown is this tourist wine community,” Moeller said, “and it’s really not, there’s a diverse price point.”
The Block Party is an opportunity for students to realize that local shops can be affordable to them, despite their budget, and also visit stores that suit their interests.
“We want all the students to know that downtown is a really fun place,” Moeller said. “We want more opportunities for people to come down. We want to start having a lot more engagement in street events [and] park events.”
The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation also hosts annual and weekly events for locals and for students to visit. These events include the farmer’s market, car shows and summer concerts, but they hope to host more small pop-ups like the Block Party as they plan future events downtown.
“We’re just trying to connect people to the community and get people to come downtown,” Nash said. “It makes me feel really great to know that folks are feeling connected to their community.”
Students like Zamadio shared Nash’s appreciation for community events.
“I think it was really cool to further the relationship by having conversations with these people,” Zamudio said. “It’s a really good first step into the Walla Walla community and a good excuse to get off campus.”
The Block Party allowed Zamudio and his friends to talk more with business owners, which they don’t usually have the chance to do, even though they’ve visited the shops and restaurants before. For incoming students, the block party also highlighted local businesses as both social spaces and resources to explore and enjoy during their time at Whitman.
