Live music, stilted performers and a line of 15 food trucks transformed the generally quiet Bonfils Circle on campus on Sept. 14, as the 2022 Anschutz Block Party made its return for the first time in three years.
The campus community celebrated being back together after pandemic shutdowns with everything from popcorn and cotton candy to swag giveaways and games.
“It was fantastic to bring our community together again for the first block party since 2019,” said Zack Strober, senior director of events. “I can’t tell you how many people expressed their excitement about this event coming back.”
Booths numbered 128, with exhibitors from nearly every department on campus and some from the nearby community. Each booth presented something unique, whether someone was looking to join a club, learn about a department or win a raffle.
Live music featuring CU Anschutz faculty members filled the air, and loads of swag were given away, from the practical (pens, tote bags and stress balls) to the unique (toothbrushes, dog water bowls and reusable straws).
Attendance exceeded pre-pandemic levels, as old- and newcomers alike explored the diversity the campus has to offer. Party-goers included students, faculty and staff from the university, along with UCHealth and Children’s Hospital Colorado staff and Aurora community members.
“So many students and employees have joined us in the past three years and were attending for the first time,” Strober said. “There was such great energy and so many smiling faces. Great to be back!”
Photo at top: Americana/Folk band Xanthia Court, featuring Robert Dietz, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics-neonatology on banjo; Gregory Tung PhD, MPH, associate professor in the Colorado School of Public Health on guitar; and Abigail Person, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics on fiddle.
April 23, 2024