ISU Hosts Second Annual Bengal Block Party, welcomes Pocatello community to campus

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho State University has been celebrating its 125th anniversary all week long with student activities, free giveaways, the President's Fall Address, and the football game and tailgate on Saturday afternoon. The week culminated Friday evening with the second annual Bengal Block Party hosted on Martin Luthur King Way on campus.

The event included 70 booths and around 30 campus clubs and programs showing off their technology, hands-on activities, and free merchandise.

ISU President Robert Wagner said the response from this event in 2025 was so positive they decided to host it again and open the festivities to the Pocatello community.

"It's really our opportunity here at school to show the whole community kind of a little bit of what we're doing," said ASISU Student Body President Sky Halter. "Just to let them know, thank you for hosting us and we're just excited to be here."

Halter added the block party is a once-a-year opportunity to check out all the programs at ISU in one place.

"My favorite thing so far has been getting to see all the ISU booths and see the cool things people are doing," said senior social work and psychology major Chloe Roberts. "The robotics club has lots of robots that are out here moving around so that's cool."

Senior secondary education major Kennon Holston said his favorite part of the event was the free Bengal churros and getting to see his friends. Another group of freshmen and junior students said the free "spin-the-wheel" booth was their favorite because they got free prizes like shirts, frisbees and even haircut coupons.

Junior student Angel said the block party is a good networking event with all the ISU programs, advisors and clubs available to students. There was also live music from student performers throughout the event and Benny the Bengal walking around to take photos and mingle with the crowd.

The official end of celebration week is at the ICCU Dome on Saturday, September 12 for the home ISU football game versus San Diego at 4 p.m.