Park(ing) Day

Andy Taylor and Jessie Boettcher (hey, that's me) are heading up Wild Goose Creative's run at Park(ing) Day this Friday! What is Park(ing) Day, you ask? A few years back, some folks in San Francisco (the minds behind the REBAR arts collective) turned an ordinary parking space into a park for a day--they rolled out some sod, paid the parking meter, and created a gathering point for people in a site where usually we just leave cars for a little while. The idea was straightforward and compelling, and people in cities across the US borrowed the idea. Some groups use the event to draw attention to issues around environmentalism and sustainability--there is a whole group of people who will be turning several spaces into parks for the day in downtown Columbus as a commentary on the heavy proportion of our city given over to asphalt for parking cars. Other groups encourage people to simply relax and connect in the midst of busy city space. Others seek to remind passersby of the vitality and importance of our public parks by placing them in an unexpected place.

To celebrate Park(ing) Day, Andy and I are going to occupy one of the parking spaces out in front of Wild Goose Creative's new space on September 19--we'll arrive at about 9 am and pack up at about 7 pm. We'll have a little shade, probably some games going on, good conversation, some sidewalk chalk to create temporary decorations. We invite you to stop by, spend a little time with us in a temporary park, and participate in getting to know our neighborhood by offering a little public gathering place there. We'd love to see you! But if you can't make it because of time or distance, watch this blog where we will be posting pictures, stories, and thoughts during the day of the event.