Program the Park
A primary objective for the Redmond Park project is this game-changing initiative. By focusing centralized activity and amenities in the heart of Wellington Heights, the neighborhood can benefit from an extension to its collective front porch.
Committing to ongoing programming in this shared space will be the key to unlocking a more neighborly, prosperous, and strong Wellington Heights.
A crucial innovative measure, programming the park will produce several advantages:
- Positive neighborhood activity and vibrancy
- Eyes on the street
- Alternatives for youth
- Low- and no-cost activities meet neighborhood needs
The Vision
Food Truck Fridays
Grab a Friday night bite to eat, and stay for a picnic with your neighbors. Every week brings new tastes from Spring through Fall.
Free Food Farmers’ Market
A farmers' market — with a twist! Through local collaborations, food is served free at this bi-weekly event. Take an afternoon stroll through the park and grab some produce while you're out.
Art in the Park
Rotating public art displays will transform park visitors’ experience through interaction, engagement of senses, novelty, and character.
Meet Me in Redmond
Wellington Heights gets moving with a weekly meetup in the park. A smattering of activities include yoga, group bike rides, dance and more!
Three Corners Carnival
Wellington Heights' fall festival is the Three Corners Carnival. Come celebrate the end of another great summer with music, spectacle, fun, and food.
Welli-dazzle
A holiday lights spectacular that's sure to dazzle! Caroling is accompanied with cider and roasted chestnuts, bonfires, and an annual tree-lighting ceremony to kick off the holiday season.
Dancing in the Park — Congress Square, Portland, Maine [photo: Corey Templeton]
From Project for Public Spaces:
[…] An energized grassroots campaign, orchestrated by the Friends of Congress Square Park, spurred newfound attention and appreciation for the park, which ultimately led to its preservation. […] They have implemented Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper interventions, regular collaborative programming, active management, and new outdoor furniture and activities. This work has established the park as a key destination for Portland’s residents and visitors, featuring local businesses, cultural institutions, and Portland’s bustling local arts scene.
Implementation
One of the main reasons for the resurgence of the public square is that they bring livability and many diverse benefits to a city—at a lower cost and greater speed than traditional large-scale developments. Public squares that emerge through a Placemaking process are sustained by community buy-in can:
• catalyze private investment and foster grassroots entrepreneurial activities.
• nurture identity, encourage volunteerism, and highlight a community’s unique values.
• draw a diverse population and serve as a city’s “common ground.”
Successful squares—those that are sustainable both economically and socially—draw different kinds of people with a series of dynamic places within them offering many choices of things to do—socializing, eating, reading, playing a game, interacting with art, etc.
—The Re-emergence of the Public Square, via Project for Public Spaces
Transformative Work
We are looking for volunteer coordinators and activity leaders. Interested? Drop us a line.