The Peace Vans Block Party started over 10 years ago as a pretty random collaboration with our good friends Nelly and Michael from Drifters Fish (if you don't know Drifters Fish…check them out now!).

They needed a spot to coordinate the Seattle-based pickup for their annual “Fish Share” and asked if they could drop off a freezer full of amazing salmon and have folks swing by to pick it up. It was such a fun thing that we discussed doing an event around it the following year…

Well, the following year came, and we decided to host the first annual “Peace Vans Party” together. This first iteration was pretty basic, we had a keg, they had the fish, and, if I recall correctly, that was kind of it. We all hung out for hours and shared beers with friends.

As the sun set, we realized we could really do something much bigger the following year. And wouldn't you know it, the next year we blew it up into the party it is today.

That year, I'll never forget, the Drifters Fish team rallied some of their friends to fire up some grills, and we cooked the most amazing salmon toasts. For a foodie like me, it was a dream come true. Passing through the crowds were basically endless platters of grilled Sea Wolf bread, grilled salmon bits, and the most incredible wild mushroom duxelles on top. Yum.

After that year, with well over 150 people attending, we knew we had a bit of magic happening and continued to grow the event.

In 2022, post-COVID, we went all out and made a little street fair out of it, with over a dozen vendors, food trucks, live music (including our favorite DJ Riz!), and even live performances featuring magic, aerial arts, and more!

By 2024, we were drawing over 500 people each year, and it had become one of the more talked-about things we do at Peace Vans.

So, what happened in 2025?

Yes, we skipped 2025. The truth is, we were simply stretched so thin as a team, and we had nobody who could take on the event from a “single owner” standpoint. People were pissed, and we were sad!

So, we vowed to revive it this year, and 2026 saw the return of the Block Party.

And this year was so much fun!

We simplified things a bit, no outside vendors, just Peace Vans' various business lines. And we made it a hard stop at 8 PM.

It was definitely a lot of hard work, but the team pulled it all off with grace and class. We even raised quite a bit of money for our friends at Sawhorse Revolution.

We easily had over 500 people come through over the three-plus hours, and it was so much fun to see old and new friends.