Three main events Sept. 22
Great Parks Festival
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Organizers of the second annual Great Parks Festival hope for a bigger event but within a more compact space than last year at Bear Creek Regional Park Saturday, Sept. 22.
Sponsored by the Trails and Open Space Coalition and El Paso County Parks, the free, family-geared event will offer a wide range of outdoor-oriented activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “It's a great way to celebrate our parks,” said Susan Davies, the coalition's executive director, adding the hope that the inaugural festival's estimated 1,100 attendance will double this year. Included will be a petting zoo, soccer clinic, kite demonstration, archery, fly casting, live animals, disc golf, a “dog festival” (with a police dog demonstration and agility course) and a bubble show by the Millibo Art Theatre. The main difference this year is that all activities will be centralized in the park area on the west side of 21st Street and south of the Dog Park. Last year's event also took in the Dog Park and some of the park area east of 21st. According to Davies, the reasons for having activities in just the one area are controlling parking better and helping the “sight lines” for everything that's going on. The idea is that most activities will be visible, “so people can say, 'Oh, I want to do that,' ” she said. The Trails Coalition and County Parks have worked with numerous local organizations in setting up the festival's currently listed offerings, and more are being considered as the event day nears, Davies said. Westside Pioneer article |