This Friday and Saturday, thousands will gather at Old St. Patrick’s Church World’s Largest Block Party to enjoy music and good vibes. Concertgoers will see musical performances by Ben Folds Five, Out for Hours, Joe Pug, The Spazmatics and Lifehouse, all while dancing and enjoying great food and beverages. More importantly, all proceeds will support outreach efforts of the church and the Center for Social Concerns.

For Ben Folds Five fans, their performance will be very exciting as they are now back together and have only been touring for a few months. The band was quick to agree to perform and Old St. Pat’s is delighted to be one of few venues at which they will perform this summer.

Local celebrities will be serving drinks at the Main Stage bar from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. These impromptu bartenders include former Bulls player, Sidney Green, Amazing Race winners Ernie and Cindy Halvorson and various representatives of ABC 7, WCIU, WGN TV and NBC 5.

Sheila Greifhahn, the event director, described the event as “a great two nights on two blocks.” In the spirit of a block party, guests are brought together from all around. This year, there are 1,200 volunteers, many of who are returning to get another round of fun. The event is known to be a breeding ground for romance — the church receives testimonies from many a couple that met at the party.

You must be over age 21 to attend, so college students will be the minority among the concertgoers.

Come out and support a great cause if you want to hear some great bands, eat tasty food, drink beverages poured by local celebrities.

The Old St. Pat’s Worlds Largest block party takes place on Des Plaines Street between Monroe and Adams streets. Two night passes are $75, one night passes are $40.
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