Riviera Dunes Block Party & Pig Roast

204 photos compliments of Rick S. and Ginny W. Download at will. For high-res versions, request form here. 

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Over a hundred people from the Homes of Riviera Dunes residents got together on Saturday April 13th, 2019 to enjoy a block party and pig roast hosted by the 12th Ave E residents. The cul-de-sac was transformed for the event into the party center!

Many residents from all the communities at HORD enjoyed the event that was featuring the Billy Rice Band and a smoked pig roast that slowly cooked over 14 hours.

Community members pulled together to organize this first block party event at Riviera Dunes to turn the event into a smashing hit.

​"Mom really put a lot of efforts into bringing the community together for this wonderful event," said Julien Freij. "I was very proud to see her hard work pay off so beautifully. I got to have a lot of fun, meet many wonderful neighbors and better know my community," Julien added!

"Thank you so much for all the work you had done to make the Pig Roast a definite success !! I know how much work it takes to pull an event like that off and it came off beautifully… Please thank Jen (and Terry)  also and everyone else involved (I don’t know the names of the others)…. Julie for the ‘main food event’… Bob and I really enjoyed ourselves and got to meet a couple more neighbors and catch up with the others…I loved, loved, LOVED the band…" one resident wrote. 

"What a great event! Elena and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and meeting some of our RD neighbors. Everything was right, great band, way too much good food. Can we keep the beer tap as a neighborhood feature... operating 24/7?... would make a nice stopover on our walks! Perhaps it will happen again... we will help next time..." wrote Tom and Elena B.

The weather, although a bit on the warm side, was pleasant due to a thin cloud layer in the sky that cut down the sun rays, and a southern breeze that brought with it the citric scents from Tropicana.  

The Billy Rice Band

Billy Rice and his band were fantastic! They played from 3:30 to 7:30 pm with very few interruptions.

Some of the favorite songs that they played were My Girl, Tennessee Whisky and Ride Sally Ride, which all drew heavy dancing crowds.

They sure made the party very special and we are very grateful to them! It was one of the best sunset evenings we have experienced.

Sincere Thanks to All Who Helped!

This event would have not been as successful if it wasn't for the selfless help the organizing group received from the entire community.

Special thanks go to Julie and Jay L. for their relentless oversight of acquiring and cooking the pig, which included pulling an all-nighter on the cul-de-sac to monitor the proper temperature and smoking process. 

Also, our deepest gratitude goes to Ginny W., Pam D., Emily B. for their many trips to acquire supplies and gift certificates from local vendors.

Thanks to Ken M. and Dave W. for assisting residents with obtaining their party tickets and name tags.

The photos are compliments of Ginny W. and Rick S. There are 204 uploaded images in the above photo gallery that you can view and download. If you need high-res copies, contact us using the form here. Specify which image you would like to receive.

Additionally, thank you to all that brought food dishes, tents, chairs, tables, toys and all else that made the party so special!

Prizes and Sponsors

Many local individuals and ​organizations provided party prizes that were given throughout the event. They are:

1. Smugglers Golf 
2. Riviera Dunes Dockside
3. Seagrape Seafood Market and Restaurant
4. Pro Aesthetics 
5. Diana Fava
6. Power Meals By Dawn
7. SCGO Apparel and Manicure 
8. Massage
9. Ginny Wood

Thank you for your generosity!