A new event is happening later this week in Jefferson.
Jefferson Matters Events and Tourism Coordinator Molly Cunningham tells Raccoon Valley Radio the Starting Block Party will take place Friday from 4-7pm on the downtown square. Most of the action is going to be with the Tower View Team and the Promotions Team with their Party in the Alley with Imagination Alley on the west side.
Cunningham says attendees can talk with Nevada artist Kelsey Wilson, who is painting a mural in the alley, along with musical entertainment with The Shuffle Couple. She points out some other fun aspects.
“We’re also going to have a couple of food trucks, so Kates Kookies is going to be coming and Burrachos Mexican, those will be available as well. And there’s going to be some free treats and hard cider in the Imagination Alley too. So there is just a lot to do that evening kind of packed into from 4-7(pm).”
Jefferson Matters Executive Director Matt Wetrich encourages everyone to visit the downtown businesses that will be open Friday until 6:30pm. People can sign up to win Chamber Checks at those participating businesses, with the drawing taking place at 7pm, as well as the drawing for two Golden Tickets that allows two people to see any movie at the Sierra Theatre for free for a year. The blind silent auction continues this week at the movie theater, where people can make a guess how much two free movie passes for a year would be.
Wetrich points out Friday evening is when several people will be in Jefferson to pick up their packets ahead of this Saturday’s Market 2 Market Relay. It is a seven-person relay that starts in Jefferson, and heads down the Raccoon River Valley Trail to downtown Des Moines.
“We’re hoping to also engage those out of town folks that are going to be here that night and get them into the community, and minimally they think, ‘Cool, there’s some fun stuff going on here and we should probably come back to Jefferson.’ So that’s kind of our goal in starting this new, what we hope to be an annual event, the Starting Block Party.”
Wetrich adds everything is free on Friday during the Starting Block Party from 4-7pm.