St. Louis Neighborhood Family Fun Day returns

News-Times
News-Times

The St. Louis Neighborhood Family Fun Day is returning after a two-year hiatus, the second such comeback that has occurred within the past five years.

The block party will be held from 4 until 8 p.m. Saturday in the area of Ouachita and Lester.

Janis Van Hook, president of the St. Louis Restoration Committee, said the family-friendly event will include free food and drinks, games, music, a giant water slide and a “big surprise” for the children who attend.

People are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and towels for children who play on the water slide.

Van Hook stressed that no drugs or alcohol will be allowed, a strict policy that was previously violated and led to the event being suspended in 2013 and again after it was revived in 2016.

“There will be a zero-tolerance policy in effect. We’re not putting up with that. It’s not fair to the neighborhood or to the families and the kids who want to come and have fun,” she said.

She previously said past offenses were committed largely by attendees who did not live in the neighborhood, which is roughly bordered by North West Avenue, Robinson, Fifth and Flenniken.

Van Hook added that El Dorado police officers will be patrolling the event’s barricaded perimeter on Saturday.

The return of the block party has created buzz throughout El Dorado, South Arkansas and beyond, Van Hook said.

The purpose of the event is to celebrate neighborhood spirit and pride.

St. Louis was once home to a thriving cluster of black-owned businesses and entertainment spots that hosted such musical legends as BB King, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and the Ike and Tina Turner Review.

The Nile and Marzell Smith Museum of African American History is one of the focal points of the neighborhood.

It’s housed in the former Carver Elementary School and El Dorado School District building at Grove and Columbia.

Over the years, Van Hook said attendance for the Family Fun Day has swelled with people coming from throughout the city and South Arkansas.

She also said former St. Louis residents who live out of state often return for the event, including those who also flock to town for El Dorado Days, a biennial homecoming celebration that will be held July 1 - 4.

“People have heard that we’re having the block party again, and I’ve received calls from California, Texas and Maryland,” Van Hook said.

“They’ve been asking, ‘Are we really having it this time?’ Yes, we’re really having it this time,” she continued, adding, “Everybody is welcome. You don’t have to live in St. Louis to come.”

Van Hook said a nighttime event may be planned nearby, but the event is not tied to the block party.

For more information, call Van Hook at 870-314-3418.

Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.

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