The NMC 75th Anniversary Block Party, to be held on April 25 from 3 to 7 pm, will host a variety of entertainment for everyone in Traverse City to take part in.

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The block party will feature a dunk tank, rides, a slide, bounce houses, food trucks, two alumni bands, as well as a bucking mechanical unicorn, among many other attractions. 

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This year’s NMC Block Party is open to everyone in Traverse City, though attendees are encouraged to register beforehand with the various QR codes posted on flyers around campus and around town, or through the form on NMC’s website. 

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If the party is rained out on April 25, it will be held instead on the following day, April 26, within the same time range. 

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Every event except for the food trucks is free to participate in, though students residing on-campus in the East or North Halls will get a $10 food voucher. In addition, the first 300 non-residential students who attend the event will also get a $10 food voucher for the food trucks. 

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NMC’s Mobile Food Pantry will also be providing refreshments to this event, and “there may be other vendors who decide to donate to the block party,” according to Marcus Bennett, the NMC Associate Dean of Campus Life and an organizer of this event. 

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The block party will take place around the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center on NMC’s Front Street Campus. The Cedar Parking Lot area will host the activities and rides, and the food trucks will be in the Chestnut parking lot on the opposite side of the Innovation Center. The eating space and the bands will be located in the courtyards in front of Founders’ Hall. Also within the Cedar parking lot will be a caricature artist from Detroit who will draw caricatures for free throughout the event. 

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According to Bennett, the full list of amusement rides tally up to 18, ranging from a new amusement ride called the Spin Thing to a 40-ft obstacle course in the vein of American Ninja Warrior called the Patriot Run. To celebrate this 75th anniversary, the block party will specifically have a bucking mechanical unicorn instead of a mechanical bull.

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As part of including the community, there are also several attractions specifically for younger children, such as the inflatable corn maze and the Toytown Toddlers’ Playland. More age-neutral attractions are the digital photo booth or the caricature artist. Bounce houses are also expected to be part of the block party.

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The dunk tank will allow anyone to dunk various NMC officials, such as the president of the college, Nick Nissley, the Vice President for Finance and Administration, Troy Kierczynski, and the Campus Safety Coordinator, Garrett Croon. These officials volunteered for this activity. This event will be kept safe with STT Security Services throughout. 

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The amusements involved in the block party are sourced from Michigan amusement provider ACP Entertainment.

Bennett stated that he was also working to provide “a space designated for neurodivergent [people]. We’re trying to have an area where if they need to calm down, they can go.”

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NMC Foundation Director of Special Events, Rachel Urkowitz, added that this event is long enough that if people needed to take a step back from the crowds, they could still come back later in the event. The wristbands used to grant access to amusements stay valid throughout the day, so if one has to leave, they can come back without losing access to those events.

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NMC plans to unveil its mascot, Swoop, at this event, but that’s not the only big change. While in previous years, block party attendees were limited to students, their families, and staff, this year’s block party is open to anyone who wants to come. Last year’s block party was opened up to the families of staff as well.

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Swoop, NMC’s northern hawk owl mascot, will be debuting at this event, welcomed by other local area mascots in what Urkowitz called “a kind of homecoming.” Davenport University’s mascot, Pounce the Panther, and Ferris State University’s mascot, Brutus the Bulldog, are expected to be there to greet Swoop. 

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The block party is one of three signature events celebrating the 75th anniversary of NMC, with the next two signature events, the History Event and the Anniversary Celebration, happening on July 25 and Sep. 19, respectively. More information on those events can be found on NMC’s website.

As usual, the Dennos Museum will be open from 11 am to 4 pm on Saturday, so one can fill up their day on NMC’s campus. Also, as usual, the NMC Library will be closed on that Saturday.