Organizers say 30,000 attended Downtown Iowa City Block Party

IOWA CITY - Organizers say an estimated 30,000 people attended Iowa City Downtown District's first-ever Downtown Block Party Saturday night - double the group's expectations.

Attendees enjoyed more than 20 events, including a sand volleyball court in the middle of Dubuque Street, musical acts, silent disco, dueling pianos, a fashion show and a drag show.

The event heavily promoted the local economy of downtown businesses, as there were no outside vendors allowed to be a part of the event.

'As the ICDD, we strive to always support our businesses,” operations director Betty Potter said. 'There was no need for us to bring in outside vendors, we have a phenomenal food and drink culture. This event has brought so much positive feedback from all our businesses and cultural entities, it seems like those were good decisions.”

The event was a second phase in the Iowa City Downtown District's nighttime initiative, following the hire of Angela Winnike as the nighttime mayor.