More than 125 tables and thousands of members of the Foggy Bottom community gathered on the Eye Street Mall Sunday to celebrate the neighborhood and the University.

The sixth annual Foggy Bottom/West End Neighborhood Block Party marked the end of Colonials Weekend and was an opportunity for people to eat local food, meet neighbors and enjoy live music.

“Each year the block party gets even bigger,” said Michael Akin, the executive director of government and community relations for the University. “Last year, we had over 3,000 people attend the block party. This year, we hope to surpass that number.”

FRIENDS, an organization which promotes positive relations and interactions between GW and Foggy Bottom, hosted the annual event. In addition to the block party and monthly community meetings, FRIENDS sponsors social and business events each month throughout the year.

Groups including GW student organizations and local businesses like PNC Bank, Washington Kastles, Fine Indian Cuisine, Trader Joe’s and National Parks Service attended the event.

“The block party is a great opportunity for the GW community to show plans for community projects and for the businesses in the Foggy Bottom Area to promote themselves,” said University President Steven Knapp, who attended the block party.

Knapp added, “One of the great benefits is the exchange of information between GW and the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.”

Other activities at the block party included face painting, food from vendors, and live music from Capitol Groove and The Tim Miller Band.

Foggy Bottom resident Cynthia Jachles, a GW graduate and FRIENDS member, said she enjoys activities that connect the neighborhood with the University.

“One of the reasons I moved back to the Foggy Bottom area was because of the great connections to GW,” Jachles said. “This year a lot of promotion was done for the block party. The block party is such a great way to meet new people and to interact with GW students.”