This year's Party in the Park was from 1-5 on a Very Hot day in June.
Hundreds of people relaxed under the shade of the old trees and enjoyed
some good company.
Party in the Park is our neighborhood block party. But in the tradition of east side festivals, it is also a fundraiser for the elementary school and local park efforts. And, like the early Marquette Waterfront Festivals, it is an effort to revitalize a park that has maybe been overlooked at times, but that now sits in the heart of a vibrant and growing neighborhood.
The goals of the event, for the organizing committee and
the
Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association, are simple:
Draw neighbors together for an afternoon to
chill out on the 'village green.'
So here are a bunch of pictures that give a sense of the day.
CLICK on a bundle of images to see it
ENLARGED on your screen.
Setting up started early and took a full team effort.
Richard Linster greeted people and renewed Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood
Association memberships. Ken Vogel displayed his incredible puppets, Alicia
Hamilton gave luxurious chair massages, the principal of Lapham
Elementary hugged past and current students, and an array of items
donated generously from local businesses enticed people to give money to benefit
the neighborhood parks and school.
By 1PM it was really hot. The first scheduled event was a cool one: a
tour of Well #24 with Tom Heikkinen, General Manager of the Madison
Water Utility.
The Doggie Parade, sponsored by Dog Haus University, thrilled both the dogs and the spectators.
The Cork and Bottle String band entertained us with their home-grown sound and Underground Food Cart supplied the homemade meal. A game of Red Light, Green Light drew both kids and adults into the field for a few rounds, but not for too long: It was hot in the sun!
Bernies Rock Shop brought out the much loved fossil and gem dig, children aimed tennis balls at the clothes-line of dangling stuffed animals to win whatever they hit, and thanks to extremely dedicated volunteers Teena and Sonali, hot and thirsty people enjoyed Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, root beer floats, Robin Room phosphates and JPH lemonade all afternoon.
Alder Zellers and TLNA President Patty Prime chatted with everyone while Nick served a variety of delicious homemade drinks and kids hid out in the Tenney Nursery & Parent Center cardboard maze (with zero chance an adult-sized-person would be able to follow them through the small tunnels and turns).
...boxes for building, balls for bopping around, a fire truck to climb in and a performance of familiar hits by Francie and Josh.
There was more, too, of course. Games and prizes. Delicious donated food by Sophia's, Macha Tea House and Festival Foods. And Rihanna, who brought her salon chair and mirror to spend the entire afternoon streaking party-goes' hair with bright waves of color. The pink streak was a literal highlight of the day for my daughter, who has refused to wash her hair all week. Somehow I missed taking a picture of Rihanna. It is probably because Rihanna was putting a gold streak in my own hair.
THANK YOU to the following contributing area businesses and organizations:
Alicia Hamilton Massage, Breeze Stevens, Burnies Rock Shop, Cargo Coffee, Chocolate Shoppe, Christ Presbyterian, Cork N Bottle Liquor Store, Dog Haus, University, Engine #3/ Willy St. Firehouse, EVP Coffee, Festival Foods, Food Fight, Gebhardt Development, Johnson Public House, Juneberry Studio & Marketplace, Ken Vogel, Lapham Outdoor Classroom & Community Garden (Terri Belz), Macha Teahouse, MadCat, Madison Metropolitan Sewer District / Saltwise, Madison Parks Department, Madison Water Utility & Tom Heikkinen, Morningwood Nursery & Greenhouse, Nick Balazs, Pasqual’s, Patrick Heck, Reanna’s Salona, Robin Room, RP’s Pasta, Salatore’s Tomato Pies, Shirley Haidinger (League of Women Voters), ShopBop, Sophia's Bakery, Studio 924, Tenney Nursery & Parent Center, U-Frame It, Underground Food Cart, UpShift, Yoga Co-op.
Happy Summer!
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