AMHERST — Live music, various street performers like acrobats and jugglers and a variety of food will bring a section of North Pleasant Street to life for four hours on Thursday.

From 5 to 9 p.m., the section of the main thoroughfare through town, from Hallock to Amity streets, will become an outdoor pedestrian mall, as the Amherst Business Improvement District-sponsored Block Party returns to celebrate the town, its businesses and local nonprofit organizations and regional agencies.

“This is the 11th year the BID will bring the best event of the year to downtown Amherst, and we’re excited for it,” says Tony Maroulis, secretary for the Amherst BID board of directors.

With the BID currently without an executive director, after permanent and interim leaders departed earlier this year, organizing the event has fallen to Maroulis, John Page, a former marketing and events manager for the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce who now does event planning at the University of Massachusetts, and Sarah Barr, vice president of the BID’s board and Amherst College’s community engagement official.

“This event is a celebration of our community’s spirit and Amherst’s vibrant culture,” Barr said. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to come together, celebrate and support our local businesses.”

Held for the first time in 2012, but canceled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, Maroulis said a significant amount of work goes into the Block Party, but that he and others have been given a “great blueprint for success” by former BID leaders.

The year 2024, though, is not a year for making major changes to the format. So far, nearly a dozen restaurants have committed to setting up booths along the street, offering a wide variety of food to supplement the brick-and-mortar restaurants on that stretch, many of which will remain open, and 75 or more organizations and businesses will have tents. Various Amherst officials and employees will be in front of the Central Fire Station.

On the main stage, nearest Amity Street, the Yasu Suzuki Method, SPF4 and Harvest and Rust will all perform during the event, while other acts will take a smaller stage next to Realignment Park, across from Kendrick Park, sponsored by the Amherst Cultural Council.

Show Circus will have its people in the middle of the street, near Kellogg Avenue, including aerialists and stilt walkers.

There also will be an opportunity to meet the players on the UMass basketball teams. While no basketball hoops will be set up, Maroulis said he anticipates there will be some sort of interaction with the student-athletes. Sam the Minuteman also will be present, as will representatives from Amherst College.

No admission is charged to the family-friendly event, and typically people of all ages are present for the Block Party.

Though a separate event, The Drake performance venue, located near the main stage, will have Kalliope Jones with Kim Chin-Gibbons performing starting at 8 p.m.

Maroulis said the Block Party wouldn’t happen without the support of town officials, who allow the main thoroughfare to be closed and do a lot of planning for public safety, like where to station emergency vehicles that are otherwise in the fire station, and how to block off the side streets, typically a responsibility that falls to Department of Public Works employees.

“While the BID is coordinating the Block Party, the town also comes out in force for this,” Maroulis said. “We are so appreciative for the great partnership for many years.”

He adds that it important to the business community for the support and that those who come annually will get a different experience each year.

“Intentional programming spaces yields so many interesting things,” Maroulis said.