CHALK THE BLOCK KICKS AUGUST OFF WITH A SPLASH OF COLOR, AUGUST 1-3

ST. JOSEPH MI- 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, August 1-3.

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 Beaudoin Electrical, Caffe Tosi, Comfort Suites, Cook Nuclear Plant, Country Inn & Suites, Culver’s of Stevensville, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Holt Bosse, Silver Beach Hotel, Silver Beach Pizza, Silver Harbor Brewing Company, The Boulevard Inn & Bistro, The Market, tru by Hilton, United Federal Credit Union, Vail Rubber Works and Visit Southwest Michigan. 

New in 2025! Eight artists will create masterpieces on 8x8 vertical panels Thursday, July 30 through Friday, August 1, 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 The Little Things Play Cafe, Mighty Dog Roofing and Ace Hardware.  

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 Tent 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 PT and the Cruisers (Blues, Oldies, Classic Rock). Sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro and United Way of Southwest Michigan.

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, Culver’s of Stevensville, NOBO, Renaissance Athletic Club and Third Coast Paddling. 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. The Kids Zone will be hosted in a new location this year. 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, Lego Batman 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. 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 Affinity Salon & Spa, Box Factory for the Arts, Brookie’s Cafe St. Joseph, City of St. Joseph, Dad’s Farm & Cafe, Edgewater Automation, Full of Crepe, FuzzyButz Pet Boutique & Bakery, G&M Variety, Harrington Orthodontics, Houndstooth, Infusco Coffee, Jimmy John's, Kruggel Lawton CPAs, Lazy Ballerina Winery, Little Red Fern, Oak Title, Olive Cart, Peat’s Cider Social, Poppy & Wren, Ship Street Building Co., Silver Beach Carousel, Sourdough House and Coffee Bar, St. Joe Community Taproom, St. Joe Wine Shoppe, The Tea Annex, The Aesthetics Lounge & Spa, The Buck Burgers & Brew, The Cheese Lady, The Inn at Harbor Shores,  The Kitchen, The Melrose Aesthetic, Tom & Judy Gawlik, Wanderlust Outfitters, White Pine Winery and Wild Ginger Flowers & Gifts. 

Catch these upcoming summer events:
Antiques on the Bluff: First Sunday of the Month, May-October (10:00a-5:00p)
Love Local Weekends: Third Weekend of the Month, May-September (All Weekend)
St. Joe Farmers Market: Saturdays, May 24-October 11 (9:00a-2:00p)
Lake Bluff Artisan Fair: May 31, July 19, August 16, August 30 (10:00a-5:00p)
St. Joe Lighthouse Tours: Saturdays, June 7-August 30 (10:00a-7:00p)
Wednesday Night Market: Wednesdays, July 2-August 27 (4:00p-8:00p)
Wednesday Brown Bag Concerts: Wednesdays, July 16-August 27 (12:00p-1:00p)
Friday Night Concert Series: Fridays, July 18-August 29 (7:00p-8:00p)
Chalk the Block: August 1-3 (All Weekend)

St. Joe Today is a 501(c)(3) membership-based organization dedicated to developing and promoting events and businesses in St. Joseph, Mich. and its surrounding communities. For more information about upcoming events and details call St. Joe Today at (269) 985 1111 or visit stjoetoday.com.