Block party on Vine Street hosted by Greenhorn and friends; additional photos below
Planning outdoor events is a tricky business. This past weekend many area events were cancelled due to rain or thunderstorms. The Vine Street Block Party on August 20 managed to go on with only an hour delay and a few sprinkles.
There were activities for all ages with a house music soundtrack provided by two DJs--John Humphrey and renowned Detroit artist Stacey "Hotwaxx" Hale.
The junior set enjoyed the celebrity dunk tank, face painting and glitter tatoos by Folly Faces. Vendors included Bluffton's own Kat Luginbuhl-jewelry, Amber Kear-Hysteria Co.,The Lavender Hour boutique and tarot card reading, Sherwin Sketch-illustrator/cartoonist and Andrew Steingass-potter.
The Greenhorn dining room at 112 Vine Street was busy, while outdoors the restaurant also served grilled Mexican street corn, a.k.a. elotes, and a grilled peach crumble. Eikenbary Landscape Co. conducted a prize drawing with tickets that also gave adults a "Grass Stain" cocktail or mocktail tasting.
Dancing started when DJ Stacey Hale began her set at 9:00 p.m. Hale told the Icon that her performances are different for every audience, based on her assessment of the audience and their responses. She has thousands of recordings at her fingertips. One of the biggest reactions she received on Saturday was to a Bee Gees mix.
Dressed in a "Girls Rock Detroit" t-shirt and iconic Detroit "D" mirrored earrings, Hale performed under a canopy in front of Greenhorn. While dancers demonstrated their appreciation of her music, there was no formal introduction to this music maker. In fact, Hale is a renowned figure in the house music scene.
Hale was an early adopter of live mixing music on vinyl. She recounted how she auditioned with a Detroit sound system and DJ booking service and ended up showing them a technique they'd never seen before. In the 1980s, Hale became the first female DJ to play house music on Detroit radio.
In addition to performing around the world, Hale now introduces young girls to the technology and artistry of live mixing at Girls Rock Detroit camps. For a listen, visit https://soundcloud.com/hotwaxx. For additional biographical information, visit HERE.
Greenhorn owner Jonah Agner looks at the block party as a prototype event for Vine Street, where entertainment and activities can draw attention to Bluffton's downtown business district.
