MANILA, Philippines – The first ever edition of the Makati Block Party happened on a rainy Sunday, July 3. But the drizzling didn’t stop the festivities, and neither did it dampen the buzzing mood.

On Sundays, the usual hustle and bustle is mostly absent from Paseo de Roxas, so blocking it off for a fun-filled party that went on from the 4 in the afternoon until 10 in the evening was a nice idea that just happened. There are the residents from the neighboring high-rise condominiums who would just head downstairs, and some would gladly drive to Makati for good grub and company.

The Block Party featured some purveyors from the popular Salcedo Weekend Market, which takes place on Saturdays in the nearby Salcedo Village.

The selection of food stalls was tight but not too limited – just nicely curated with Pinoy favorites and international fare. Whatever you fancy, you’ll most likely find it just down Paseo de Roxas.

People could have taste of French, Spanish, Japanese, American, Malaysian, or Syrian cuisine.

But there were also the likes of puto bumbong and bibingka, dirty ice cream, and good ol’ barbecue on bamboo sticks.

People didn’t only revel in the great selection of food, but families with kids also clearly enjoyed the available activities.

The young ones learned how to play rousing beats with drums and make crafts that they could also play with. They listened to stories, posed with character mascots, and amused themselves with colorful interactive installations.

The rains aren’t dampening the festive mood here at Paseo de Roxas! pic.twitter.com/6ZQ5oYAuc2

— Paolo Abad (@PaoloJAbad) July 3, 2016

As sunset passed, live bands started to play. With great food and good vibes all around, it’s a great way to cap off the first day of the week.

We managed to catch the Vincent Lahorra Quartet whose jazz tunes were a perfect soundtrack to a languid Sunday. People sat down on benches to listen, and kids even enjoyed running and dancing in front of the stage.

On a rainy Sunday evening, there’s nothing like jazz music. Only here at #MakatiBlockParty pic.twitter.com/1WCvIW4g4k

— Paolo Abad (@PaoloJAbad) July 3, 2016

Johnoy Danao went on a bit later with his guitar and enchanting tunes.

We’re here until 10pm! Thank you everyone for dropping by #MakatiBlockParty #MakeItHappen #MakeItMakati

A video posted by Make It Makati (@makeitmakati) on Jul 3, 2016 at 5:51am PDT

Will we be seeing more block parties like this in the future? It’s good to know that Makati City, in spite of being the proverbial concrete jungle, has great communal spaces for people to converge.

You have the weekend markets that has become thriving communities on their own, and it’s certainly a great idea to have another space to encourage people to meet, talk, and just enjoy themselves. – Rappler.com