The inaugural concert at Depot Street Park June 3 was a success, city officials say. Three concerts are scheduled for Saturday, June 18 in a grand opening celebration.
Shelley Swift / Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD – A day of celebration is planned this weekend with two grand opening ceremonies of Greenfield’s newest features.
Michael’s Playground and Depot Street Park will have back-to-back dedication and grand opening ceremonies this Saturday, June 18 and city officials are eager to celebrate years of hard work at bringing the parks to the community.
Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch will be at both sites, and the public is welcome to enjoy the free festivities.
Michael’s Playground
Located at 1414 W. McClarnon Drive, Michael’s Playground has long been referred to as Greenfield’s first “inclusive playground” for the project’s dedication to ramps and access for children of all abilities to play.
The city’s northside playground is located behind Greenfield Central Junior High School, among youth baseball diamonds and a pavilion with picnic tables. It’s been years in the making, designed by Greenfield Senior Planner Jenna Wertman with input from the Mayor’s Youth Council.
When 14-year-old Michael George passed away in 2019, the late Kathy Dowling wanted to dedicate a bench in his honor. The bench – with a Harry Potter quote – was just the beginning. The parks board decided “Michael’s Playground” was exactly the name they were searching for since Michael was an inspiration to so many and radiated positivity, said parks Director Ellen Kuker.
Michael, the grandson of Mayor Chuck Fewell, had a rare genetic disorder, Hunter’s Syndrome, and Fewell said while he couldn’t talk he had an infectious personality and touched hearts.
His mother, Karli Purciful, will be at the ceremony and said she was honored and grateful to hear of the playground’s name.
“This park has literally something for everyone,” she said. “I think Michael would love that every kiddo would find something to enjoy.”
The grand opening celebration of the park begins at 12:30 p.m. with a hot dog lunch, face painting, music and playground play. Opening remarks and a ribbon-cutting ceremony begins at 1 p.m.
A new sensory wall will soon be installed at the park, late this fall or in the spring of 2023, Kuker added. The wall will have interactive features designed to appeal to touch, sight and sound.
Depot Street Park
The celebrations continue Saturday in downtown Greenfield with the grand opening celebration of Depot Street Park, 251 Depot St. The park features a stage, large swings, tables and nods to the railroad heritage of downtown Greenfield, along what is now the Pennsy Trail.
Hot dogs provided by Hancock Health, giveaways, face painting, balloon twisting and more family fun begins at noon. A ceremony begins at 2:30 p.m., followed by hours of live music. Full Tilt performs at 3 p.m., Project 19 at 5:30 p.m. and Stella Luna at 8 p.m.
Greenfield Planning Director Joanie Fitzwater said local projects are completed thanks to the Stellar Communities Program through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural affairs.
Greenfield received $2.25 million – the majority of which went to Depot Street Park – and that freed up local money to do other projects like Michael’s Playground.
A soft opening and concert at the park June 3 proved a successful city feature, Fitzwater said, because people were impressed with the sound from the stage and the open space.
The city park has been a dream since around 2011, when Greenfield’s downtown revitalization plan was set. And it opened just in time.
“It just is so nice post-Covid to have these nice venues popping up,” Fitzwater said, adding that grassroots arts and entertainment clubs are eager to take full advantage of downtown features.
She’s proud of the city’s planning, parks and other departments that worked together on the local projects.
“It’s amazing; it’s been a long road but well planned and well thought out and we’re experiencing the fruits of all that planning and labor and design and construction,” Fitzwater said. “All the city departments have worked so hard on all these projects and we’re all often unsung heroes, as the employees see the value that Greenfield has never had any place like Depot Street park before downtown.”
