Summer is on its final stretch, but summertime fun in St. Joseph is still in full swing! St. Joe Today invites the community to watch as both amateur and professional artists take over Broad St. and part of the Pleasant Street Plaza in downtown St. Joe to showcase their talents during Chalk the Block, July 31-August 2.

This family-friendly festival of art includes local, regional, national and international artists using the beautiful lakeside town as their backdrop. The community is invited to stroll along Broad St. (between Lake Blvd. and State St.) and the Pleasant Street Plaza (east side of Main St.) to watch as artists prepare on Friday, work all day Saturday, and finalize their pieces on Sunday. This art-filled weekend event is sponsored by Ace Hardware, Beaudoin Electrical, Caffe Tosi, Comfort Suites Benton Harbor, Cook Nuclear Plant, Culver’s of Stevensville, Hilton Garden Inn, Holt Bosse, Silver Beach Hotel, Silver Beach Pizza, Silver Harbor Brewing Company, The Boulevard Inn & Bistro, The Little Things Play Cafe, Visit Southwest Michigan and the Wee Course at Harbor Shores. 

Eight artists will create masterpieces on 8x8 vertical panels Thursday, July 30 through Friday, July 31, leading up to Chalk the Block. View four standalone vertical panels alongside the Pleasant St. side of the St. Joe Today building, and four verticals arranged in a cube formation in Court Place Plaza (across from Silver Harbor Brewing). Don’t forget to head back to the east side of Main St. that weekend to see additional artists creating their own works of art outside of The Market and Silver Harbor Brewing on Saturday and Sunday! Vertical panels are sponsored by Ace Hardware and The Little Things Play Cafe.

Event-goers can participate by voting for their favorite artists in the People’s Choice vote. To vote, purchase tickets at the People’s Choice Tents located on Broad St. Tickets cost one dollar per vote. The artist with the most votes by the end of the weekend wins the People’s Choice Award. To catch a glimpse of this year’s artists, check out stjoetoday.com/chalktheblock.

Event attendees are encouraged to explore in and around St. Joseph all weekend long. Heading into the early evening on Friday, check out Broad St. as artists start to grid their layouts and outline their pieces. All weekend long, residents and visitors 21+ can enjoy the Downtown Social District. For more information, visit stjoetoday.com/socialdistrict. Additional Friday fun includes the Friday Night Concert Series from 7:00p-8:00p held at the John E.N. Howard Bandshell featuring Lake Effect Jazz (Big Band Jazz). Sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro, United Way of Southwest Michigan, The Batalis Agency and Jam Shack Productions.

On Saturday morning, mosey downtown and check out the St. Joe Farmers Market from 9:00a-2:00p in Lake Bluff Park. This market features local produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, fresh-cut flowers, and more! For more information, visit stjoetoday.com/farmersmarket. Sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro, The Batalis Agency, Renaissance Athletic Club, Culver’s of Stevensville and Lest We Forget. Meanwhile, the art will start to come alive on Broad St. and on the east side of Main St. in the Pleasant Street Plaza, as artists work away on their chalk masterpieces. Stop back throughout the day to view their progress and to cast your votes for your favorite pieces. The People’s Choice tent located on Broad St. will be open from 12:00p-8:00p. 

Saturday afternoon, get artsy at the Chalk the Block Kids Zone, sponsored by Silver Harbor Brewing. From 12:00p-4:00p, kids of all ages are invited to showcase their chalk skills. Check it out on the east side of Main St. outside of Silver Harbor Brewing!

Saturday evening, enjoy the City of St. Joseph’s Summer Movie, A Minecraft Movie at 7:30p in Milton Park. Visit stjoetoday.com/movies for a complete schedule.

On Sunday, view the completed chalk masterpieces all day long! Artists will finalize their pieces by 12:00p. Voting will be available from 11:00a-2:00p at the People’s Choice Tent. Antiques on the Bluff returns to Lake Bluff Park from 10:00a-5:00p. Find hidden treasures along the bluff with over 50 vendors. Visit stjoetoday.com/antiques for more information! Sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro and the Wee Course at Harbor Shores. Close out the weekend with a free concert by the City of St. Joseph Municipal Band at the John E.N. Howard Bandshell, music starts at 7:00p. 

This year’s individual block sponsors are @properties/Christie's International, Bake Effect, Box Factory for the Arts, Brookview Montessori, Coach's Bar & Grill, Doubleday Office Products, Edgewater Automation, Full of Crepe, FuzzyButz Pet Boutique & Bakery, G&M Variety, Harrington Orthodontics, Infusco Coffee, Jimmy John's, JV Studios, Kruggel Lawton, Lazy Ballerina Winery, Little Red Fern, Oak Title Services, Olive Cart, Outta the Ashes, Peat’s Cider Social, RyeBelles, Ship Street Building Co., Silver Beach Carousel, Sourdough House & Coffee Bar, St. Joe Community Taproom, Sunset Coast Living, The Batalis Agency, The Chef's House, The Inn at Harbor Shores, Tom & Judy Gawlik, TRICOR Insurance, Wanderlust Outfitters, Waterfront Collective and White Pine Winery.

Catch these upcoming summer events:
Antiques on the Bluff: First Sunday of the Month, May-October (10:00a-5:00p)
St. Joe Farmers Market: Saturdays, May 23-October 10 (9:00a-2:00p)
St. Joe Lighthouse Tours: Saturdays, May 23-September 5 (10:00a-7:00p)
Lake Bluff Artisan Fair: May 30, July 18, August 15, September 5 (10:00a-5:00p)
Family Night in the Plaza: Wednesdays, July 8-August 12 (5:00p-8:00p)
Brown Bag Concert Series: Wednesdays, July 15-September 2 (12:00p-1:00p)
Friday Night Concert Series: Fridays, July 17-September 4 (7:00p-8:00p)
Chalk the Block: Friday, July 31-Sunday, August 2 (All Weekend)