If you'd walked up Martin Luther King Jr Way around ten on Saturday morning, September 12, you'd have heard it before you saw it.

DJ Red Corvette's warm-up set drifting down the block, low and feel-good, the kind of soundtrack that says something is about to happen here.

Then you'd have seen it.

Canopies going up across two green soccer fields. The Storyland wagon rattling free books out to the storytime rug. 20 volunteers walking vendors to their spots, and the doors of Marcus Books, the nation's oldest Black-owned bookstore, wide open at 3900 MLK to let the morning in.

By 10:30, the smell of Javi’s empanadas warming was working its way down the block. Bean bags bloomed around the storytime rug. Clippers buzzed at the So Fresh City chairs, the jazz trio tuned up, soccer balls mosied across Longfellow fields, and somebody's toddler was already field-testing the craft table. September in Oakland gave us its usual gift, a cool gray start that burned off into gold.

We began our journey asking, what if storytime felt like a block party? On September 12, more than 200 neighbors answered it with us.

Stories and songs. Fresh haircuts and free books. A Mayor on the storytime rug. And right in the middle of the day, a soccer field of people, all reading together at the same time.

A joyful, welcoming celebration that brought the community together around books and art.

– Dulce, community partner

Every family started at the welcome table with two things: a welcome bag and a Block Party passport. The passport routed you through the bookstore, the vendor tables, and the activity stations, earning a stamp at every stop, and a completed passport became a raffle entry. Littles and grown-ups took the assignment very seriously, weaving in and out of the activity zones in pursuit of stamps.

All morning, the block did its thing. Craft and a hair braiding workshop. Free haircuts from So Fresh City. A family portrait booth with 35mmgirlstudios. Freeze dance with the Oakland Conservatory of Music, and a live jazz trio trading sets with DJ Red Corvette. Javi's empanadas, 150 of them, and fresh sandwiches from Eggpals, free until they were gone. Countless community organizations and vendors adding their special flavor of joy to the day. 

There was something for everyone, and no matter where you looked, there was something fun for kids to engage with, no matter their interests (or energy levels).

– Zach Cohen, Town Nights

We asked our partners and volunteers what stuck with them. They told us about families sinking into bean bags to listen to stories. A little boy who kept orbiting back to one table for the bubbles. Educators who came with their own kids and got to sit back and enjoy the storytime rug.

The Bookout was full of positive energy and calming vibes. This event was perfect for the kids.

– Derick Davies, local artist

Lots of gratitude goes to Marcus Books for being an amazing partner for the entire summer (and hopefully many summers to come), Longfellow Fields, Town Nights, and The Conscious Kid. This day wouldn't have been possible without our vendors and community partners (check out the full list here).

Thank you for all of the activities and resources you shared with attendees. Special shout-out to our 20 volunteers, who hauled wagons, stamped passports, stocked the book bins, and welcomed all attendees with a smile.

A beautiful event for families to enjoy the sun, fun, and books!

– Alexis, community partner

Our hope for the day was simple. We wanted everyone to leave having created a new memory related to reading. The excitement of picking a new book. A sense of belonging during the call-and-response picture book reading. The freedom in running across a field and through a wall of bubbles.

The Block Party was our last event of the summer, but we're rolling out our storytime rug for the remainder of the year. If you want to help us throw the next block party and support our year-round programming, you can donate through Every.org. Every gift is tax-deductible, and every gift keeps the books flowing.

Have a photo from the day, a story, or a kid who still hasn't stopped talking about the freeze dance? Hit us up at hello@storylandcollective.org. We'd love to hear it.

See you soon on our storytime rug!