On April 22, Ames residents heading downtown will find themselves in an open-air market in London. With a Ferris wheel, food trucks, games, human foosball, fashion show and beer tent, Londonfest will turn Main Street Ames into a proper British street party. The London Underground, one of downtown’s best neighborhood pubs, is going to bring its particular brand of fun hospitality to the entire town.

London Underground was founded with a modest goal in mind: create a relaxed and welcoming space for people to enjoy outstanding drinks in the company of other good people. It worked. London, as it is affectionately known, has been serving the good people of Ames outstanding beers, craft cocktails and delicious whiskeys for 10 years. And it is those 10 years that London wants to celebrate with Londonfest.

London Underground’s charm comes from its community focus and the dynamic conversations created by the diversity of patrons walking through its doors. London embraces inclusivity and creates a comfortable atmosphere regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity or other characteristics. Students propagate the evening alongside Ames professionals while earlier in the day professors, business owners and city officials discuss important matters of the community. But a few scenes play out the same almost every day as well. A group of 4 o’clock regulars pour in as the doors open, take their usual seats at the bar, and continue a conversation they’ve been having for months. The regulars greet each other and introduce themselves to newcomers as the bartender starts their drinks. The after-work crowd settles in around 5 to check in with friends and the tide of voices grows louder, crashing around as the evening crowd arrives and the bars’ energy hits full swing. Couples and foursomes play foosball or pinball in the back while patrons pick music on the jukebox and lively conversations fill the air.

The pub is like a living room to many but it is also the place often chosen to celebrate special occasions. The back room has hosted birthday parties, graduations, new doctorates, a book club, liquor tastings, political gatherings and some highly competitive pinball tournaments. Bachelor parties roll through to drink Scotch or Irish whiskey, engagement partygoers sip martinis and pub crawls blaze through with rounds of shots. The bar often becomes a new lounge to people passing through as these special occasions, celebrations and pub crawls make patrons feel at home.

The London Underground also loves to offer its patrons new drink experiences. There is a rotating list of seasonal cocktails, many designed in house by outstanding mixologists. The menu features a steady supply of new beer, including some special purchases of beers that won’t ever be remade. Some people stop in just to read the chalkboard to see what “whales” (that’s an extra rare microbrew) Kyle, the bar manager, procured for the customers. London also features a wall of whiskey – more than 70 varieties – to serve every palate. Whiskey flights are offered so people can try three at a time and figure out what style, or what brand, they like best. Knowledgeable bartenders help people expand their horizons or fix them their favorite drink that tastes the same every time.

So Londonfest attendees will know some of what to expect when the event arrives. The beer garden will be full of delicious beers from the best local craft brewers, and will offer some tasty wines, too. The best people in Ames will be there. Foosball is very popular in the bar so there will be a life size foosball tournament on the street. And, of course, there will be music and street dancing, and other kinds of games. But there will be some surprises, too.

Six Iowa State students from Professor Neihm’s Entrepreneurship in Human Sciences class are responsible for a lot of event planning and will contribute some fresh entertainment. A fifty-foot Ferris wheel, the Ames Eye, will dominate the intersection of Main and Douglas, while models sashay down a runway during the fashion show (representing one of London’s primary industries). There will be a number of life size games and local food trucks will vend a variety of foods, including the most English meal of all: genuine fish and chips.

London Underground has been throwing parties and offering warm hospitality on Main Street in Ames, Iowa for a decade now. On April 22, it will throw its biggest party ever, sharing its magic with the entire community.