Beaver Hills | Culture & Community | Arts & Culture | Whalley/Edgewood/Beaver Hills
Brian Wingate, James Dorman, Rebecca Cramer, and Candice Dorman. Alisha Martindale Photos.
The burgers sizzled and flipped on the grill. The motorcycles revved their engines, and then went quiet enough for young hands to come close. Neighbors embraced after months away and danced in the street. The bouncy castle moved with the motion of dozens of little kids inside.
Down the block, a half dozen pairs of young eyes took in the height of a real-life fire truck.
That was the scene at the second annual Beaver Hills Block Party Sunday, which expanded down two blocks of Glen Road this year. A couple hundred attendees, guests, neighbors, and friends passed through the afternoon event, browsing local vendors' tables, munching free snacks and drinks, and enjoying each other's company.
"Everyone is invited! You don't have to live here" said event organizer James Dorman.
Top: New Haven Alder Brian Wingate gets schooled on dancing in the street by a friend at the Second Annual Beaver Hills Block Party. Bottom: The bouncy house fills up. Alisha Martindale Photos.
Organizer Ainissa Ramirez, who asked not to be pictured in this article, said that attendance and interest has grown since the last block party in 2021. This year, a larger team organized the event, starting "around the end of July," Ramirez said.
"We learned what it takes to get city permits to block the street, request recycling bins, order a bounce house, and get the OK from the city to host this event," Ramirez added. "We want to grow, not as a non-profit but we are hoping for more in-kind donations for next year."
Beaver Hills Alder Tom Ficklin (at top left) was one of hundreds who came through during the day. Alisha Martindale Photos.
People weren't the only ones to show up to great delight—a classic car was only one of the various, unique vehicles in attendance.
Other vehicles included a plethora of motorcycles, bicycles of all shapes and sizes, a fire engine, and tiny, mouse-sized wooden boats.
LaMisha Edwards and Cairo McGraw. Alisha Martindale Photos.
Down the block, there was plenty for residents of all ages to do. At a station for the Eli Whitney Museum & Workshop, LaMisha Edwards and Cairo McGraw crafted a wooden boat together. While the two live elsewhere in the city, Cairo's grandmother lives in the Beaver Hills neighborhood and invited them to join the fun. Edwards noted how vital safe, free family-oriented events are to New Haveners.
"It’s good to have things like this after Covid when funds are low," she said, "We got here and the hotdogs were free—and it was a shock to hear because it’s nice to have an event where everything is free, everyone is struggling financially right now."
Top: Chris Peralta and Tristan Peralta. Bottom: New Havener Audrey Tyson stops for a photo. Alisha Martindale Photos.
Chris Peralta and his son, Tristan Peralta, tested the seaworthiness of the wooden boat they created at the Eli Whitney Museum table. "They are awesome!" said Peralta, speaking of the museum.
When asked why the block party was meaningful, he noted the number of new vendors, and the way the party seemed to have grown.
"It's about the community getting out together and sharing the last days of summer in person," he said. "I'm tired of this remote stuff.”
Alisha Martindale Photos.
Meanwhile, members of the New Haven Fire Department took respite from the summer sun behind the fire truck. The fire truck was placed right alongside the block party venue, making it easily accessible for all to tour and get up close to.
That was exciting news for neighborhood children, who paused their tour of the department's truck to stand in awe at a sound suddenly filling the air. The loud rumbling of The Flaming Knights Motorcycle Club echoed off the sides of the surrounding houses.
Alisha Martindale Photos.
The motorcycles weren't the only vehicles sporting fresh wheels. Neighborhood notable "Cope" Copeland got his bike tuned up for free by Johnny Brehon of Devil's Gear Bike Shop.
As part of their involvement in the Beaver Hills Block Party, Devil's Gear provided a van full of tools and a professional bicycle mechanic to perform free bike tune-ups throughout the event.
There were bicycles of all shapes and sizes, from Huffy sports bikes to yellow Minion-themed bikes, and even tiny bikes that didn't even have pedals.
Alisha Martindale Photos.
Elsewhere down the block people ate, danced, checked out vendor stations, and caught up with each other, sometimes meeting new neighbors in the process. For the first time—and largely because organizers moved it from a Saturday to a Sunday, many in the neighborhood's Orthodox Jewish population also came out.
To read more about the Block Party, visit our friends at the New Haven Independent.
Alisha Martindale Photos.