The folks at the liquid nitrogen ice cream shop House of Random are approaching a special milestone, and they want to celebrate it alongside members of the community.

The popular shop at 80 S. First St. will be hosting what they’re calling a “Block Party” on Aug. 9 to commemorate five years of business. From 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., the street will be filled with classic and modern collectible cars, music, vendors and refreshments.

“Five years is very important for not just us, but a lot of small businesses considering what has happened in recent years,” said owner Brolin Babela. “When we started, it was in 2019. And then we had COVID. There was just a lot of struggle, so for us to be able to last five years really means a lot. 

“We just want to throw this big celebration with the entire community. Because not only is it a celebration for us, but I feel like it’s also a celebration for a lot of the little businesses that have been around for the past few years. And it’s a way to thank the community for supporting us through it all.”

The draw of the free celebration will be the cars, which have become common on First Street. With the help of nearby restaurant Taqueria La Primera, Cars and Coffee gatherings have become wildly popular on First Street since early 2023. Additionally, the street hosted the car show for the City of Turlock’s Fourth of July celebration last month. It’s fitting that the mural on the entire exterior north side wall of the building at 132 First Street address, painted by local artist Richard Gomez last year and titled “Chicano Downtown,” features a blue and green 1960s Chevrolet Impala.

According to Babela, there will be a variety of models, including about 20 classic cars to around 10 to 15 modern vehicles. Registration to show a car will remain open until the day of the event.

Aside from the car show, there will be a number of vendors and entertainment options. Vendors will stay throughout the festivities. Meanwhile, local radio stations K97.5 and Radio Lobo 98.7 will be playing music for the first half of the event until 6 p.m. Also during the day, there will be free games for children, including cornhole, bounce houses, Jenga and Connect 4. By 6 p.m., the activities will tailor more towards downtown Turlock’s nightlife, with a DJ coming in and booths opening to serve beer and wine to attendees of age, though they must stay in a certain vicinity with their drinks.

House of Random and their neighboring restaurants, Taqueria La Primera and First & Main, as well as downtown’s other restaurants, will be open during their regular hours. The ice cream shop itself will be offering specials and giveaways. 

“We’re all very excited for this and hope people come out and have a good time and see what we and the rest of the small businesses on this street have to offer,” Babela said. “There’s a lot of cool things going on and this side has a lot more potential.”