Downtown Halloween bash aims to revive South J Street block parties
Spred The Dub concert, costume contest, fire dancer among the tricks and treats this Friday night at free family friendly event in Lake Worth Beach
When hundreds of costumed revelers descend on South J Street this Friday night, they’ll be celebrating more than just Halloween.
“This is the return of the South J Street block parties,’’ said co-organizer Jon Jordan, who hosted a series of outdoor music events on the block in the 2010s when he owned Propaganda night club at 6 S J St.
The free family-friendly Halloween event in downtown Lake Worth Beach is the first South J Street block party since 2018. If all goes well, organizers hope to host four block parties next year, one per quarter, perhaps some themed to the holidays like New Year’s Eve or the Fourth of July.
“I can only imagine it will get bigger after we have a great party this Friday,’’ said Jordan, who is partnering with two South J Street anchors — the restaurant Pomona and Propaganda — to throw the Halloween party.
“A lot of people went to our block parties back in the day, so there is nostalgia for some people. A lot of people are new and never went to the block parties. This is an introduction for them,’’ he said.
Back in the day, a dozen or so block parties hosted by Jordan and Propaganda featured rooftop snow machines, on-the-rise bands like Stick Figure and inflatable wake skating pools. For the midnight countdown on New Year’s Eve in 2014, a crane lowered Propaganda’s double-headed eagle logo, a South J Street version of the famous Times Square ball drop.
Jordan and his team want to bring that buzz back to South J Street.
The first step is Friday, with a Halloween party that honors the legacy of the original events while transforming South J Street into a spooktacular festival of live music, art and fun, he said.
The event starts at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight. At least 800 people are expected to attend. Among the highlights:
A costume contest with $1,000 in prizes.
Live music on a street stage just south of the alley between Coast Seafood and L-Dub Subs. Reggae favorites Spred the Dub headline at 11 p.m. after Lavola (9 p.m.), Like Harvey (7:30 p.m.), Last Minute (6:30 p.m) and Danxiety.
The fire dancer Girl on Fire and aerial acrobatics by Ella Peach.
A bounce house, face painting and candy crawl for kids.
More live music inside Propaganda, Rudy’s Pub and the Bamboo Room.
Antique cars from Ragtops Motorcars at the Lake Avenue entrance.
There will be no food and drink vendors; eats and beverages will be available at South J Street restaurants and bars, including Pomona at the southeast corner of J Street and Lake Avenue by the entrance to the Halloween party.
“The event is really about benefiting the business on the street,’’ Jordan said.
Organizers have raised roughly $13,000 from more than a dozen downtown businesses, led by presenting sponsor Zoo Gym Lake Worth. The money will offset the costs of the event, including bands, performers and cash prizes for the costume contest ($500 for first place, $300 for second. $200 for third).
“Everyone threw in on this, anywhere from $50 to $100 for local vendors to businesses giving me a few grand,’’ he said. “Because the sponsors threw in that money, because the businesses came together, it’s free and we’ve got a bunch of attractions to attract people to downtown Lake Worth Beach.’’
Mayor Betty Resch, who attended an early planning meeting for the Halloween block party, said she would love to see quarterly block parties on South J Street.
“The more stuff we can do to bring people downtown that is initiated and carried out by citizens rather than ‘an official city event,’ the more the merrier,’’ the mayor said.
“One of the many things that makes our city so great is the very involved, very enthusiastic, very creative people we have living here.’’
