All the People We Saw Enjoying Downtown St. Louis at City Social

Hundreds of St. Louisans gathered on Washington Avenue Friday night for the annual City Social. The massive summer block party featured local music acts, food, drinks and games.

Hosted by Greater St. Louis, Inc. in partnership with the City of St. Louis, the event was intended to encourage foot traffic and support businesses downtown. City Social is intended to be the first of many block party style events taking place downtown throughout the summer.

The party kicked off at 5 p.m. with droves of people lining up to grab treats from Anita Cafe and Bar, Sugarfire Smoke House and Rosalita’s Cantina. Skaters with Syn Skate Studio set up a makeshift skatepark on the east end of the street to showcase their moves. Kids played on the oversize chessboard and interacted with art pieces set up along the street.

As with any good St. Louis event, patrons slugged back drinks and Bud Light while the skunky smell of cannabis wafted through the air. But the highlight of the event came from dancers with the Kode Redd Hip Hop Dance Studio, who captivated the audience with an invigorating performance to a hip-hop medley.

Scroll down for photos of all the fun.