Kick off summer at Pierce County block party with beer garden, food trucks and games
The streets of downtown Sumner will fill this Saturday with food trucks, backyard-style games and a beer garden for the city’s second annual summer block party.
Hosted by the Sumner Main Street Association, the event runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on May 20.
Head to the intersection of Main and Ryan for the center of the action, near Solei & Co. Day Spa and Main Street Salon. (Across the street, Craft 19 Coffee & Creperie has been closed for repairs since mid-April, when a vehicle smashed into the side of the building.)
Ryan Avenue will be closed to traffic and instead lined with food trucks, while the parking lot next to Trackside Pizza will be taken over by tents for eating, hanging and playing board games. Throughout the block party, find yard games a-plenty, including cornhole, life-sized Connect 4, giant Jenga, ladder toss and “yard pong.”
Top Down Brewing Co. — voted one of the best breweries in Pierce County by readers of The News Tribune — and Half Lion Brewing will pour pints. Shiloh Estates, a winery whose owner also co-owns Top Down, will be there with some crisp ciders. Melinda Jobst and Shawn Harris, the ladies behind Valley Social, the new Sumner wine bar and retail shop that has been closed since last fall’s devastating structure fire, will also pour a selection of wines.
To nibble, dig into a cheesy sandwich like a ham and cheese with bacon and BBQ or a Cordon Bleu with grilled turkey and Swiss from the popular Sabrina’s Street Melts. Other handhelds include pizza and hot dogs by Starvin Marvin, tacos from Bonney Lake’s Crazy Tacos (which recently opened a second outpost in Buckley), Stacks Burgers and po’boys from Creole truck Velvet’s Big Easy.
Uncle Mike’s Filipino Comfort Food serves classics like pork adobo and pancit, fried rice, sisig with pork belly and barbecue chicken. Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max will surely be a favorite if the forecast of high-70s holds up. Cool off also with a Squishy Pop Bubble Tea and shaved ice from Mauka Hawaiian.
Guests are also encouraged to visit restaurants around town, from Hometown Charm Cafe to Electric Coffee House and the retro Main Street Dairy Freeze. Shops will also be open.
The Main Street association hosted the inaugural event last June; it fell on the same weekend as Puyallup’s busy Meeker Days. For 2023, the block party was moved to this Saturday in May.
Executive director Jeremy Mauck said the organization’s longtime signature event, Rhubarb Days and Vintage Market, June 24-25, “is shaping up to be significantly larger,” with 150 street vendors, more than 20 food options and kids activities. Rhubarb the Reindeer himself, the beloved mascot of the Tacoma Rainiers minor league baseball team, has also been booked.
SUMNER BLOCK PARTY
▪ Main St. at Ryan Ave., Sumner, sumnermainstreet.com
▪ May 20, 12-6 p.m.
▪ Details: family-friendly block party with food trucks, live music, games and 21+ beer garden
Reporter’s Note 05/17/2023, 10 a.m.: This story has been updated with additional details on games and the organization’s next big event.
