Orleans Police Get Ready For Annual Block Party

ORLEANS – On March 3, 1997, Orleans officially celebrated its bicentennial anniversary.

Each town department was asked to do something that year to commemorate the milestone. The public works department, for instance, colored the double yellow lines along Main Street red, white and blue from the Barley Neck all the way to Mid Cape Home Center.

The Orleans Police Department, meanwhile, decided to throw a party, recalled Kevin Higgins, a retired lieutenant with the department who has had a hand in helping organize the event over the years.

“It was so well received, we just decided to keep running with it,” he said.

The block party, scheduled for Aug. 20 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., has evolved into one of the most celebrated local events of the year, bringing residents and visitors together on Main Street for an evening of food, music, games and community fun. It’s also an event that has unofficially come to mark the end of summer in Orleans.

“People have come up to me at the end of the block party and said ‘OK, summer’s officially over now. Time to start getting ready for the fall,’” Higgins said.

This year marks the department’s 25th year hosting the block party, with a few years having been called off due to COVID and weather. The event will once again be held along Main Street between Route 6A and Route 28.

Lt. Andrew McLaughlin, who annually leads planning and preparation for the block party, said the event comes together with the help of many partners. Free food is provided courtesy of Stop and Shop and Shaws. Police and fire departments will be on hand to show off their vehicles. Advanced Audio will provide a stage for DJs to play music. There will be face painting, cornhole and other games for kids. And for car enthusiasts young and old, an array of classic cars will once again be on display.

“It’s a commitment from the town, the businesses and the residents, and the tourists, too,” McLaughlin said of the community’s investment in holding the party each year.

For police, the block party also acts as an opportunity to make connections with members of the community. Establishing those relationships goes a long way toward building the department’s trust with the public, McLaughlin said.

“They can see that we’re human beings and that we have families, too,” he said.

In some cases, the relationships formed at the block party can be lasting. McLaughlin recalled meeting a young boy at the event years ago while he was a member of the SWAT team. 

“He would come for years, and I watched him grow up for years,” he said, noting that he still gets emails from the boy’s parents letting him know how their son is doing.

On Aug, 20, Main Street will be closed off between Route 6A out to Route 28 from 5 p.m. until about 10 p.m. McLaughlin said those who plan to be downtown at that time should keep those hours in mind.

For Higgins, it’s been fun to watch the block party organically grow into a beloved summertime event.

“A lot of people really have realized that it’s a local event,” he said. “The retailers in town, the chamber of commerce, all the businesses, everybody wants to be part of it.”