A group of Iowa State students have partnered with downtown businesses to bring a little bit of Great Britain to Main Street next month.

Leah Blankespoor, an Iowa State senior and co-director of Londonfest, said the idea began when business owners on Main Street came to her capstone class earlier this year with an idea to bring a London-themed event to the area. She and other students in the class formed a working group to develop the idea further into Londonfest and secured permission to block off the 200 block of Main Street from the City Council earlier this month.

Londonfest is scheduled for 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, April 22. Tickets are currently available for $10 each at www.theundergroundames.com.

Blankespoor, who studied abroad in England last year, said three other members of the event’s planning team have also studied in the country during their time at ISU. The event also coincides with London Underground’s 10th anniversary.

“It seemed like the perfect kind of event to plan together,” she said.

Amber Strait, an ISU senior and the event’s food and beverage coordinator, said food trucks from the Mucky Duck, Macubana, the Big Red Food Truck from Des Moines, an ice cream truck and others will be selling at the event.

She also said the event will also have craft beer vendors from the central Iowa area selling full glasses and providing samples to drinking-age guests.

Blankespoor said the event will have actors dressed as iconic British characters, such as Sherlock Holmes, members of the Royal Family and Harry Potter. People will stroll throughout the festival to greet guests, a fashion show featuring British clothing through the years and a human foosball tournament, Blankespoor said.

Organizers are also planning to raise a 50-foot ferris wheel in the festival area as an homage to the London Eye. Blankespoor said the goal is to get 1,200 visitors to the event.

The event is primarily organized by ISU students, meaning the majority of the organizers may not be in Ames next year to organize it next year. However, Blankespoor said the event could be picked up by the next group of students in future classes as a way to attract students to downtown depending on how successful it is.

“I think it has to be memorable,” Strait said. “People are going to have to go to it, enjoy it, and want it again the following year.”