The Amherst Block Party

It's the one night of the year when Amherst shows up as a whole town. Residents who have not crossed paths in months. Business owners out from behind their counters. Students performing alongside community groups. Nonprofits with a face. New students meeting longtime locals for the first time.

If you have never attended the Block Party before, whether you are a new resident, a new student, or visiting from another town, this is one of the best entry points into the Amherst community you will find.

When it happens

The Block Party takes place on a Thursday in September, typically in the third week of the month, timed to the return of students to UMass Amherst and the Five Colleges.

North Pleasant Street closes to cars at noon, well before the event begins. If you are driving, plan your parking before you arrive.

Where it happens

The event is centered on North Pleasant Street, closed to traffic from the Amity/Main Street intersection down to Hallock/East Pleasant Street at Re-Alignment Park. Restaurants and retailers line both sides of the street. Stages and performance areas are set up along the route.

The closure turns the core of downtown into a walkable, open-air space where you move freely between businesses, performances, and people.

What to expect

The entertainment lineup typically includes live music, DJs, and a range of street performers. Past events have featured aerialists, acrobats, stilt walkers, and jugglers. Local student groups perform alongside professional act. Amherst Regional High School has had performers on the different stages alongside community and touring artists.

Local restaurants open onto the street. Retailers set up outside their storefronts. Community organizations and nonprofits have tables where you can meet the people behind them.

It gets crowded. The busiest period is typically early evening, around 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. but it's not crushingly busy.

How to get the most out of it

Some first-timers plant themselves near the main stage and stay there. That is a fine way to spend the evening, but you will miss a lot. The block party is wider and richer than it appears from the center.

A few things worth doing:

• Walk the full length first. Before stopping anywhere, walk from one end to the other. Get a sense of the whole event, then go back to what caught your attention.
• Go inside businesses. Some of the best activity happens inside restaurants and shops that are using the night to showcase what they do. Do not just walk past the door.
• Stop at the organization tables. The people staffing those tables are often the founders or core volunteers. They are there specifically to connect, and it is a rare opportunity to put faces to the names of organizations you may have only heard about.
• Stay curious. Performances, pop-ups, and activity happen throughout the event, not just at the main stage. Keep moving and you will find things you did not expect. There is often a second stage at the lower end of the strip near Triangle Street.

Parking

North Pleasant Street closes at noon, so plan ahead. Parking is available in downtown Amherst lots and garages. Check amherstma.gov/parking for current information on locations and enforcement hours.

Who organizes the Amherst Block Party

The Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) leads the event each year, with support from the Town of Amherst, the Amherst Cultural Council, Amherst College, UMass Amherst, and local sponsors.

For questions about attending, participating, or partnering, contact the BID at info@amherstdowntown.com or 413-345-2945.