Businesses Share Views on Block Party

The annual Block Party held in mid-April each year in Bloomsburg has a significant impact on the Town, particularly the downtown. In a recent poll of businesses in the Bloomsburg area, the majority of respondents indicated that the event is a negative both for businesses and the Town. The results of the poll are being shared with Town Council and the Town/Gown Relations Committee in discussing how to manage the event going forward.

Representatives of fifty-one businesses in the Bloomsburg area participated in the poll, with 47 of those being located in the downtown. Of those 51 respondents, only five restaurants reported an increase in business because of the event. Thirty-three percent of the total respondents reported some decrease in business. Nine businesses, representing 18 percent of respondents, did not open because of the event, while another 8 percent closed early.   Only 10 percent, or five respondents, felt Block Party is a positive for local businesses, 63 percent felt it’s a negative. Only 4%, or two of 51 businesses, felt Block Party is a positive for Bloomsburg, 75 percent felt it’s a negative, 22 percent were neutral.

A summary of the poll results is available here.