BEMIDJI — Hundreds turned out for the Bemidji Block Party for craft beer and an eclectic mix of music.
The annual event on Saturday, June 22, also featured several food choices and a Headwaters Science Center kid zone.
1 of
— Dancing to Davina and the Vagabonds, onstage at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Audience members dance to Davina and the Vagabonds during the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
2 of
— Andrew Dziengel introduces Davina and the Vagabonds onstage at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Andrew Dziengel introduces Davina and the Vagabonds to the stage for the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024. The downtown block party, co-hosted by KAXE and Bemidji Brewing, was free to the public and made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
3 of
— 02 Davina Sowers, the leader of Davina and the Vagabonds, sings onstage at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Davina Sowers, the leader of Davina and the Vagabonds, sings during the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
4 of
— 05 Dancing to The Foxgloves onstage at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Audience members dance to The Foxgloves during the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
5 of
— Audience members applaude the band onstage at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Audience members applaud the band onstage at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
6 of
— Heather and Mike Spry with photo props at the KBXE booth at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Mike Spry and Heather Johnson pose with the KAXE photo booth props for the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
7 of
— Connor samples the cheese at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Connor samples the cheese from the KAXE booth at the 2024 Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
8 of
— Members of The Foxgloves on stage at Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Members of The Foxgloves sing on stage at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
9 of
— Malachy Koons talks with Andrew Dziengel at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Malachy Koons talks with Andrew Dziengel at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
10 of
— 03 A person holding a Bemidji Block Party pint glass at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
A person holds a commemorative pint glass at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024. The block party, co-hosted by KAXE/KBXE and Bemidji Brewing, was free to the public and made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
11 of
— Young ice cream fans at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Young music fans enjoy their ice cream at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024. The downtown block party, co-hosted by KAXE/KBXE and Bemidji Brewing, was free to the public and made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
12 of
— The Foxgloves on stage at Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
The Foxgloves play on stage at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
13 of
— Maggie Montgomery and Julie Crabb at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Maggie Montgomery and Julie Crabb are in the audience at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
14 of
— A Green Cheese trivia winner at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
A Green Cheese trivia contestant wins at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
15 of
— Heather and Mike Spry with photo props at the KBXE booth at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Mike Spry and Heather Johnson pose with the KAXE photo booth props for the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
16 of
— Heather takes Josie Davis & Rachel Harris's photo at the photo booth at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Heather Johnson photographs Josie Davis and Rachel Harris at KAXE's photo booth for the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024. The downtown block party, co-hosted by KAXE and Bemidji Brewing, was free to the public and made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
17 of
— Percussionist Izzy Cruz of Derecho Rhythm Section at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Percussionist Izzy Cruz of Derecho Rhythm Section at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024, in downtown Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
18 of
— 03 Dancing in the rain to Derecho Rhythm Section at the Bemidji Block Party.jpg
A couple dances in the rain during the Derecho Rhythm Section set of the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
19 of
— Applauding Davina and the Vagabonds at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Audience members applaud Davina and the Vagabonds at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
20 of
— 03 Dancing to The Foxgloves onstage at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
A little girl twirls to The Foxgloves at the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
21 of
— Enjoying the day at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Community members of all ages enjoy the Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
22 of
— Alan Sparhawk, lead singer of Derecho Rhythm Section, onstage at the Bemidji Block Party in Bemidji.jpg
Alan Spearhawk, lead singer of the Derecho Rhythm Section onstage at the 2024 Bemidji Block Party on Saturday, June 22, 2024. Co-hosted by KAXE/KBXE and Bemidji Brewing, this event was free to the public, made possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage Fund.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
The first band to take the stage was The Foxgloves — a dynamic all-female bluegrass Americana band from the Twin Cities.
The Foxgloves' high-energy performances, heartfelt storytelling, soaring harmonies, and rich instrumentation have swept them onto big stages across the region — including First Avenue, Big Top Chautauqua and Blue Ox Music Festival.
Lorie Shaull
/
KAXE
Davina & The Vagabonds played for the second set. Their sound is described as a distillation of bluesy bar room baritone and bravado, graveyard jazz grooves, and noir-ish confessional lyricism backed by boisterous piano, guitar, horns and strings.
Before the Block Party, Davina & The Vagabonds last played Bemidji in 2023 — for a packed house at our Historic Chief Theater concert series. The band is out with a new album, Shoot for the Moon.
Lorie Shaull
/
KAXE
DERECHO Rhythm Section closed out the night. This groove-heavy funk band led by Alan Sparhawk features his son Cyrus on bass, with Al Church on drums and Izzy Cruz on percussion.
Whether performing their original jams or covering '70s funk and soul artists like Roy Ayers and Curtis Mayfield, the group brought folks onto their feet and on the dance floor. This was their debut show in Bemidji, with Sparhawk sharing that he bought his first guitar only a few blocks away.
Lorie Shaull
/
KAXE
The Bemidji Block Party is made possible in part by the citizens of Minnesota through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
-
Plus, Rock Ridge School Board delays renewing its $190 per pupil levy; and an Ely-area resort dropped its plans for a controversial expansion near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. -
Contributed/MN Department of Natural ResourcesThe Ramstad Trail bridge reconnects Baptism River watershed trout habitat and improves resilience to drought and flooding worsened by climate change. -
Contributed/Allison AufderheideStudents and listeners from across the state send in their nature reports. Depending on the season, reports may cover wildflowers, animal behaviors, weather patterns and other wonders. -
Jen Kellen/KAXEBeltrami County Master Gardeners Becky Livermore and Dan Sherman join the "KAXE Morning Show" to answer listener questions and discuss Christmas tree selection. -
Contributed/Shannon Lucas-WestrumArtist Shannon Lucas-Westrum considers her art mediative and now teaches others to share in that experience. She joins “Area Voices” to discuss how she got into fiber arts. -
Maria Hileman/KAXEKAXE's weekly list of concerts near you features Between Howls, The Mahon Brothers, Davina and The Vagabonds, Severio Mancieri and Jon Edwards. -
Pam Perry, our favorite retired non-game wildlife biologist, talks about the Christmas Bird Count and woodpeckers with our staff phenologist, John Latimer. -
And: White Earth plans a new solar project; and the Name a Snowplow contest is back for its fifth year.
-
Ekaterina Bolovtsova via PexelsA man and a woman from Hines are each facing 10 felony counts after an investigation into animal welfare found deplorable conditions for four-legged companion animals. -
Contributed/Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesBear researchers with the Department of Natural Resources and University of Minnesota Duluth hope to fit more bears with radio collars this winter.
