The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts opens its 10.6-acre campus this Saturday, October 17, for its fourth annual Block Party. The free festival runs noon to 8 p.m. at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in downtown West Palm Beach, with live music, theater workshops and family activities.
Admission and parking are free, a detail organizers describe as central to the event’s mission, according to WPTV. The festival, now in its fourth run since launching in 2023, was created to connect local cultural groups and offer free performing arts workshops across the campus, according to the Kravis Center. This year’s Grand Marshals are Steven Sanders and Lawrence Kaplan. Kaplan described the event as “an amazing day, rain or shine, with extraordinary events, activities for children and music for everyone,” according to WPTV. Sanders told the outlet that connecting children with performing arts can inspire future musicians.
Broadway Headliner and Live Music
Broadway performer Noah J. Ricketts, who originated the role of Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby on Broadway, is scheduled to perform and take part in a moderated behind-the-scenes theater Q&A. The appearance also previews the national touring production of The Great Gatsby, which arrives at the Kravis Center in January 2027, according to the center’s press materials.
Music is scheduled across indoor theater spaces and outdoor plaza stages throughout the festival. The lineup includes American Idol contestant Bryant Thomas, Sons of Mystro, Guavatron and the i95 Band, according to the Kravis Center’s release. The Derek Mack Band is set to start the live entertainment at 12:45 p.m. and perform throughout the day, bandleader Derek Mack told WPTV. The outlet reported that the broader lineup features local and regional artists representing varied musical styles and cultural organizations from Palm Beach County.
Hands-On Activities, From Instrument Tryouts to Sound Healing
The family program includes Ballet Palm Beach, Palm Beach Opera and Palm Beach Symphony, along with conducting opportunities, instrument exploration, dance workshops, crafts and games, according to WPTV. The symphony’s instrument petting zoo lets visitors handle instruments. Bernie Pino, the Kravis Center’s programming and rentals manager, previewed some of the day’s offerings. Children’s games, arts and music are also planned for the second-floor Rhythm & Hues area from noon to 5 p.m.
Youth ensemble Young Singers of the Palm Beaches, a resident choir organization that regularly stages seasonal concerts at Dreyfoos Hall, is also scheduled to perform alongside the professional companies, according to the Kravis Center. A new offering this year is The Reset, an immersive sound-healing experience led by Chicago-based practitioner Davin Youngs. The center’s senior director of programming, Oscar Quesada, and organizers recommend bringing yoga mats, blankets and pillows for the experience.
How the Festival Stays Free
The Kravis Center is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit that opened in 1992 and operates on an annual budget of roughly $26 million, with 80% of revenue coming from earned income and 20% from charitable donations rather than municipal tax support, according to the Kravis Center's own figures. The Block Party lists Rick Case Automotive Group and JPMorgan Chase Co. among its sponsors.
That accessibility mission extends year-round through the center's S*T*A*R Series educational outreach, which has brought performing arts experiences to nearly 3 million Palm Beach County students; over 70% participate in its admission waiver program, and busing is provided at no fee. Across its performance spaces — the 2,193-seat Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall, the 300-seat Rinker Playhouse, Persson Hall and the Gosman Amphitheatre — the complex hosts up to 1,800 events each season and draws nearly 500,000 visitors annually, per Kravis Center and IBDB figures.
The Block Party’s beginnings and getting there
For arrival planning, the Kravis Center advises visitors to come early to park and make their way to the venue, according to its visitor guidance. That guidance does not specify public-transit routes or accessibility options.
Last month, the CityPlace Block Party on Rosemary Avenue raised funds for the Dreyfoos School of the Arts and included a street closure. Organizers of the Kravis Center's own event say they hope the free festival will connect more people with local arts organizations and their community, according to WPTV.
