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Stanhope plans Block Party

End-of-summer event to feature country singer Brad Morgan, food and door prizes

STANHOPE — The town of Stanhope is once again gearing up for a celebration, only this time it doesn’t involve watermelon.

Everyone is invited to the Stanhope Main Street Block Party, Saturday, Aug. 25. Brad Morgan, a country singer, will be performing with his band right on Parker Street (Iowa Highway 17).

One block of the highway will be closed off for the party from 7 p.m. till midnight, with traffic rerouted for the festivities. Piano music on the sidewalk in front of Amazing Grace Piano Studio starts at 5:30 p.m., along with a sidewalk art fair and sale by local artists starting at 4 p.m. Our Place will have block party specials that evening, and the Stanhope Locker and Market will have special hours, as well as hosting a ribbon cutting at 7:30 for the Stanhope State University bookstore that is headquartered at the locker.

Also, snacks and beverages will be available for sale during the block party, as will goodies by Lindy-Sue Sweets. There will be chairs and tables set up on the street for easy listening to Morgan’s music, which is mainly country, easy listening and oldies. Attendees can also bring their own chairs. Door prizes donated by local businesses will be awarded during the evening, but winners must be present to win.

Morgan, an Iowa native who recently performed at the Hamilton County Fair and also at the state fair, is now based in Nashville but loves to come back to his home state. His local connection is through his fiance, who grew up in Stanhope and has lots of family in the area.

The idea for the block party came about as a way to replace Hamilton Hometown Hoopla, which has been hosted by Hamilton Hometowns for several years and was set for Stanhope this summer. When interest in the hoopla waned from other communities, Stanhope locals decided to honor the contract with Morgan that was signed in January. Many Stanhope businesses have stepped up to support the event.

“Brad will bring lots of people to town, so we thought, ‘let’s just do this,'” said Suzie Moore, one of the organizers for the block party. “We’re happy to bring more people to town to promote our community. We’re pretty excited about this.”

According to Stanhope city clerk Jessica Murray, proceeds from the evening will be split between the Stanhope fire department and Stanhope Development Group, Inc.

There will be three entry gates to the event, which will open at 7 p.m. when the street is blocked off. Admission is $5 for a wrist band, with one color for adults over age 21 and another for those under 21. Identification must be shown. The block party is a family-friendly event.

As Moore sees it, “This is a big end-of-summer party in Stanhope.”

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