Kicking off Friday evening, the block party took control of downtown Auburn, flooding the area with a sea of orange and blue from Auburn fans, students and alumni.
The block parties, which are in their second year of operation, will be held every Friday before home football games from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and offer a variety of live music, activities and food to engage the Auburn community and promote a family-friendly environment.
"Our main goal is to give the people from out of town and the locals something to do on Friday night before the game," said Eric Stamp, president of the Auburn Downtown Merchants Association and owner of Stamp merchandise, both sponsors of the event. "If we do our job in reaching the other schools and other fans that are coming, then we'll get to draw them downtown so they can appreciate what we've got, which we're pretty proud of."
The block party featured activities like face painting and balloons for children and music by The Good Doctor, a local band.
The Good Doctor's lead singer and guitarist, Austin Gray, said the band was excited to be asked to be part of this event this year.
"It's a really cool thing how they can block off the streets downtown like that and get a crowd you might not usually get at the bar scene around here, so it's good exposure for us," Gray said.
While representation from the Auburn student body was not as prevalent, many alumni and fans took the time to bring their families downtown to enjoy the festivities.
Auburn resident Seth Granberry won the crowd's affection with his orange-and-blue unicycle and jump-roping tricks.
The city occasionally asks Granberry to perform at events, but at the block party, he donated the entertainment out of his love for Auburn football and its fans.
"I'm just an Auburn fan," said Granberry, who turned 68 this year.
The block party was well-received by attendees.
"We loved it," said Kristin Vardaman, Auburn resident and mother of three. "We love coming down here and letting them (her children) run loose and enjoy the music, check out all the vendors and get something to eat."
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