The 2025 Bulldog Block Party on Oct. 16 brought UNCA students to the community of South Asheville, made possible by the collaborative efforts of UNC Asheville Athletics, Ingles Markets and the Reuter Family YMCA.
“It’s a fun event for our student-athletes, and it’s fun for us as we get to introduce ourselves to other parts of Asheville. People have come out to enjoy the great music, and Ingles is a great event sponsor along with the YMCA,” said Janet R. Cone, senior administrator for University Enterprises and director of athletics.
The Bulldog Block Party featured games such as cornhole, penalty shootouts, live music from Asheville local Leeda “Lyric” Jones and her band Lyric and sports clinics with UNCA student-athletes. The event took place on the Town Square Green at Biltmore Park, for the first time since 2019.
Collaborating with the Reuter Family YMCA was a new addition to this year’s Block Party. The YMCA looks directly over the Town Square Green, making the event location perfect to connect UNCA student-athletes with those involved in the YMCA youth programs.
“Having the student-athletes here is very two-sided. They get very excited and the kids get excited to come out here and meet the college athletes,” said Leigh Barton, associate athletic director for external operations and lead planner for the event. “They idolize them. I don’t even think our athletes realize how much of an impact they have on these kids.”
According to Barton, part of the YMCA’s mission with the event is to expose youth to the idea of going to college and playing in college. UNCA wants to try and promote this, while also exposing them to it and help them realize it’s attainable, Lee said.
“We have lots of kids in Asheville and there’s a Division I University in their backyard,” Barton said.
The event also gave student-athletes the opportunity to see their community in action and take a break from their sport and academics. Allowing student-athletes to be part of the engagement process and leave their mark on the community is exciting, according to Barton.
“It means a lot to have our student-athletes here because I want people in our community to see the wonderful student-athletes we have and I also want our student-athletes to have some fun with the music, games and other things,” Cone said.
UNCA’s basketball team made a special appearance at the event, signing autographs and shooting hoops with kids from the South Asheville community. There was a lot of hype for the new season, which starts this month with a match against Truett McConnell on Oct. 28. Showcasing the basketball team to the community at events like this is a great way to introduce new people to the program who might want to come and check out a game, according to Barton.
The Cheer and Dance teams of UNCA attended the event and enjoyed meeting the community and being part of such a fun event which brought everyone together, according to Olivia Pirnat, a senior on the dance team.
“It’s been super fun to be able to see people we’re going to see at games and interact with. The Spirit Squad was mainly here to promote the student body, engage with the games and bring spirit and energy,” Pirnat said.
