The tunnelbana was busier than I’d ever seen it. It trumped the weekly morning commute by 100 people. Where did all these people come from? Usually, T-Centralen serves as a relief from the crowd because many people get off there. Not this time. No one was getting off and even more were getting on. Talk about squished.
I’d never been to GBP before so I didn’t realize how popular it really was. We got off at Slussen and the crowd followed. Is this some kind of rave, I thought. We walked up from Götgatan to Mosebacke Torg because we wanted to hit the food trucks first. I had come straight from the office so I was starving and I knew the exact thing I wanted: a pulled pork sandwich. Having done the article on the Five Best, I had already tried Fred’s Food Truck’s pulled pork. Let’s just say I was really looking forward to having it again.
The concentration on food trucks was a genius idea by Grolsch. The problem, but also the pretty awesome thing, is that the city is crazy for food trucks right now. Almost every food truck had a line of at least 20 people or more. Every truck was bustling with hungry customers – including our two favorites, Fred’s and Chilibussen. I have to hand it to the food trucks though – the line moved pretty quickly. They were buzzing through customers and I had a pulled pork sandwich in hand from Fred himself much quicker than I thought. He told me it was a new bun from the last time I tried it – either way it was another successful sandwich!
Once we had our food we headed over to the middle grassy area and sat down with friends and some drinks. The kids next to us blasted house music out of their boom box and I realized how immersed in Swedish culture I felt at that moment. Here I am drinking Grolsch beer, eating some pulled pork, chilling with Swedish friends, hanging out on the grass, listening to a mix of tunes. Swedes adore the outside and the Block Party was soaking up the very last bit of the time we could spend outside. It felt like a Farewell to Summer Party. When we moved onto the bars surrounding we couldn’t believe how packed and alive everywhere in the area was. The party had definitely brightened up Södermalm more than usual.
Grolsch really put together the best of Stockholmers favorites – food trucks coming to the city, beer, all different kinds of live music, outdoor seating areas, bars, and hanging out with friends. The Block Party checked all the boxes for a great summer party. My only complaint was the organization. My Swedish friends explained to me that last year it felt more like a collective party. This year they decided to broaden the area to include more space and venues, which in one way can be cool, but in another alienates groups – maybe a bit more of a communal atmosphere for the next one? Either way, TS will be there because overall it was a success.
