Thank you to the Nanaimo Foundation and Neighborhood Small Grants for your support of the 2026 Craig Street Community Building Block Party!
This year’s Craig Street Community Building was a spectacular event! We welcomed many friends and families not just from our street, but from communities all over Nanaimo and beyond. Folks young and old, and every age in between, enjoyed a day of music, dance, art, and interactive games. Local talent put on musical performances that created a festive air of joy, laughter and connection. Thank you to the foundation for being an integral part of our community being able to host this event.
Our Planning Committee:
Met regularly to co-ordinate the organization of this year’s event. Collaborated to find local talent, fundraise, and worked together in various roles, utilizing each member’s unique skills and backgrounds. This year our focus was on connection, building relationships, not just on Craig Street, but also within our surrounding neighborhoods and communities. We wanted to showcase local talents and artisans and support local entrepreneurs. Our meetings rotated the hosting at different members’ houses, creating a feeling of unity and support, as well as a lot of laughter! Various members contributed to funding an event by refurbishing a wood stove, baking goods, and collecting bottles. Along with the generous support of Neighborhood Small Grants, we were able to cover the costs of insurance, the city permit, and the highlight for kids (and some adults) of being able to rent a bouncy castle with a waterslide for the day!
The Event!
On the day of the event, members of the committee and the neighborhood worked together to set up a flat deck stage for performers, a potluck food tent, gift baskets of homemade breads and jams to thank the performers, the art and face painting area, bike decoration area, and street games.
This year’s event was a day of laughter, joy, dance, play and connection. In a world that has become increasingly influenced by technology, watching people actually connect without technology or screens was pure magic.
Highlights of the day’s events included:
The Bouncy Castle – entertained the kids young and old! Many adults gathered to supervise their children at play, connecting with old friends and making new connections within the community. And the giggles and squeals were contagious!
Live music and dance – This year we were very grateful for the local artists who performed their sets. Offering a variety of different genres of music, honoring the diversity of our community. Kai Jokela opened the party with some well-known favorites to get the party started. Joe Sparks delivered a dynamite performance. We also had a chance to enjoy our own Craig Street, with Lucy and her dad performing together for the first time as a father-daughter duet. Open mic karaoke got some previously unknown crowd participants up on stage, and the closing band wowed the crowd with their engaging set complete with a surprise piñata for the kids!
Lucy and her dad Callum performing a father–daughter duet!
Joe Sparks and the closing band- a real showstopper; complete with a spectacular dry lightning backdrop, courtesy of Mother Nature!
Face Painting, Crafts and Street Games
Local neighbor Erin graciously donated her time and supplies to set up a face painting and community craft and art station. This was a big hit for kids of all ages. The collaborative art canvas started years ago and grew a little bigger with new contributions of beautiful art.
Community Collective Art Canvas, and one of our budding new art prodigies!
Games and Bike Parade
Street Hockey, Giant Jenga, Foosball, Connect Four, and a giant bubble station were a few of the street games that fostered connection and fun for attendees of all ages. And our traditional bike parade, led by Callum on the bagpipes, was a kid’s favorite! The kids had a station to creatively decorate their bikes for the bagpipe procession. A grand event to behold! We were also able to capture a group picture this year! Thanks to our local resident and photographer, Danielle Archer! We are incredibly grateful to all our neighbors and attendees for making this event a huge success in the creation of an event that fostered community, creativity, connection, inclusivity, and good old-fashioned fun.
We would like to thank the Nanaimo Foundation and Neighborhood Small Grant for your support of our Craig Street Community Building Block Party 2026! We couldn’t have done this without your generous support. This year we wanted to be able to give back in some small way to the community of Nanaimo. At this year’s event, we were able to collect a small amount of non-perishable donations, in addition to a cash donation of $60 for the local food bank. Community connecting with community and supporting each other is a gift that we experience as folks living on Craig Street. We hope to share this with others, and hope that in some small way, it fosters other communities to build the same strong connection, inclusivity, and support that we are so blessed to have. So, thank you again!
With Gratitude, The Craig Street Community Building Block Party 2026.
