Last year, Megaphone Magazine and Music Waste joined forces to revive the yearly Victory Square Block Party, much to the excitement of a park packed full of music and comedy lovers. This year, summer will once again go out with a bang as the Block Party returns with a whole new lineup of indie music and DJs on Sunday, September 4, from 2pm until 9pm.

This fantastic free event, happening yearly since 2004 with a break in 2009, focuses on forging and revitalizing connections between community members, artists, locals and visitors. It is a celebration both in public space and of public space, providing a forum for sharing good times an asserting the community’s place in the spaces which make up Vancouver.

Considering the rapidly changing face of downtown in the past few years, opportunities like this are becoming more and more important. With people in vastly differing life situations living and working close together, the downtown core struggles with competing identities. Free, inclusive public events like the Block Party strive to bridge the rift and encourage people to see and enjoy the community for what it is right now. This event also celebrates and supports local musicians by giving Vancouverites a chance to hear the local talent we should all be excited about.

For Megaphone Magazine, this event is more than just a party. The standing tradition of the Victory Square Block Party is to donate proceeds to a Downtown Eastside charity.

This year’s will go towards helping Megaphone do what we do best: helping more homeless and low-income vendors improve their quality of life.

“Megaphone’s mission is about fostering community connections,” says Sean Condon, Megaphone’s executive director, “and the Victory Square Block Party has a history of bringing people together to celebrate culture and community. This year’s event will allow us to build up our vendor program and help more homeless and low-income people.”

Local talent aficionados have a great lineup to look forward to at this year’s party. Headiners Sun Wizard have returned from a tour promoting their first full-length album Positively 4th Street to rock the stage with their no bullshit formula of catchy choruses and fist-pumping energy.

Orchestraic indie eight-piece, Bleating Hearts, recently joined by indie superstar Rose Melberg, has a unique sound that explodes with four horns, reeds, guitars, drums and lots of voices. The eclectic and high-energy indie rockers Hot Panda will be there, along with punk hardcore group the B-Lines, Men at Adventure and My Friend Wallis, whose newest album On Hawaiian Time was released this summer.

Following the live sets, Blood Diamonds, Teen Daze and Glory Days DJs will keep the party dancing.

It’s going to be a great party, so come out for an awesome last blast of summer and support the great work Megaphone does for the Downtown Eastside community and the whole city.

The Victory Square Block Party will take place on Sunday, Sept. 4 from 2-9 p.m. at Victory Square Park (Cambie and Hastings). Admission is free. All proceeds from the day's raffle will go toward Megaphone's vendor program.