Longtime radio and TV personality Julie Patterson is the new program coordinator for the Greenfield Parks Department.
GREENFIELD — A familiar face has taken over as the new Special Events and Programming Specialist for the Greenfield Parks Department.
Julie Patterson became well known to many through her years as a radio and TV personality in the Indianapolis area.
On Tuesday, Feb. 21, Patterson started her new role with the Greenfield parks after serving more than two years in a similar position for the Town of Cumberland.
Patterson has lived just east of Cumberland for decades, ever since she “married a Hoosier” after growing up in Nashville, Tennessee.
“I’ve been a big east side (Indianapolis) advocate for a long time. I’m just moving the toggle a little further east,” she said last week while enjoying some downtime before starting the newest chapter in a storied career.
Patterson will be charged with overseeing the Greenfield Parks Department’s programming and special events, including the preschool and summer camp in addition to concerts at Depot Street Park.
She’ll also run special events like movies in the park and the Turkey Day 5K.
The park’s department’s assistant director, Skye Mackenzie, has no doubt Patterson is up to the task.
“We are very excited to have Julie coming on board to oversee the department’s growth in programming and events, as she has a wreath of experience,” he said. “She is not only versed in municipality programming and events but also has an array of experience organizing and overseeing large special events. We feel that Julie will make a valuable addition to the department and has the skills to hit the ground running.”
Patterson is no stranger to Greenfield, where she’s spent years visiting family in the area.
“I’ve been able to watch the community evolve for decades,” she said.
While her former life as a radio personality brought her face-to-face with major recording artists like John Mellencamp and Elton John, Patterson is content to take a slower pace in this season of life.
“I enjoyed so many great years working in radio and TV, but I figured these were my giving back years,” said Patterson, who for years hosted the morning show on 99.5 WZPL and was a traffic reporter for WISH-TV.
Planning community events in Cumberland and now Greenfield are what fills her tank at this stage in the game, she said.
“I think, in smaller communities, you get to know a lot more of the first names, you get to know the people, whereas in those bigger cities and bigger venues might not get to have those personal touches,” she said.
While she enjoyed her time working in Cumberland, Patterson looks forward to the opportunities that come with a city like Greenfield, which still has the same small, hometown feel she loves.
“While I really enjoyed working with the parks and the people in Cumberland, I’m really excited for the opportunity to kind of expand my community event work and bring it to Greenfield,” she said.
She’s also excited to continue the series of local programs that have been established, like the popular Depot Street Park concert series that kicked off last year.
Patterson said she was blown away last summer when she attended an Aerosmith tribute band concert which drew over 3,000 people to the new venue.
“I actually reached out (to concert coordinators) afterwards to see how they were able to pull that off. Seeing all those people come out for a community concert was such a cool thing to see. The setup was pretty phenomenal,” she said.
Patterson knows all too well what it takes to run a successful music event, from her days as a radio personality catering to marquee names to coordinating concerts for Cumberland’s Blues, Beer & BBQ summer concert series.
“There’s a mutually beneficial relationship when it comes to planning those sorts of things,” said Patterson, who always strives to create a great event for the host community as well as the musicians and vendors involved.
Patterson recalled a particularly successful concert last summer in Cumberland when the food vendors nearly ran out of food due to the overwhelming crowd.
“We had more people that night than we had ever seen. It was fun to see (the concert series) grow,” she said.
She can’t wait to plan similar community events through the Greenfield Parks, as well as carry on tried and true programming already in place.
“In Greenfield, I feel like there’s so many more amenities and so many great parks that there’s so much you can do here,” said Patterson, who loves giving families fun things to do close to home.
“If they know they can pack up the family and enjoy a few hours together doing something that doesn’t cost very much or is free, it’s very wholesome, and I think the world needs more of that,” she said.
