Note: the following will, at first, sound like an ad for Klyde Warren Park. It's not, however. It's a love letter. And also a tale of an adventure in goodwill. : )
Klyde Warren Park, in Dallas, Texas: Five modern, impeccably designed and maintained acres of green space connecting uptown to downtown. This beautiful bridge park suspended over a highway includes:
- 322 mature trees
- Winding botanical gardens filled with native plantings
- Creatively-driven children's park featuring a spiral-staircased treehouse all the adults want to climb, too!
- Mirrored performance pavilion for live music, dance and more
- Dog park with dancing fountains for keeping canines cool
- Savor, a glass-walled gastropub overlooking the park, and Relish, a walk-up window for gourmet burgers, hot dogs and frozen custard
- Collection of the best food trucks in the city, ensuring no cuisine is left behind for visitors
It was $67 million dollars in all to build the Park, largely funded by generous private Dallas donors, such as Kelcy Warren: a self-made success in oil and gas, with a love for live music and supporting emerging creative talent.
Named after Kelcy Warren's young son, Klyde, the Park is eco-friendly, child-safe, pet-loving and filled with flowers and fountains.
All park programming is free - from concerts and movies under the stars, to classes in yoga, dance, architecture, tai-chi and meditation.
Complimentary ping-pong, putt-putt golf and foosball are on the north lawn daily.
Books, newspapers and magazines on loan courtesy of the Dallas Public Library and Dallas Morning News are always available to peruse whilst you doze and rest under the shade of a perfectly placed oak tree. (No library card needed.)
I was a lucky duck to be on a young professionals outreach committee for the Park while it was still in the planning stages. Elated an urban park was coming to my neighborhood and removing the blight of an old section of I-75, I wanted to help get out the word and support.
Fast-forward nine years, and I'm fortunate to now own a shop within walking distance of the Park. My next-door neighbors' young children have grown up strolling to the Park. I feel so blessed to have the connection to it that I do.
When our smart Creative Manager, Jennings, suggested we do some fun outreach in our community (Glossier-style), Klyde Warren Park was our Team's first choice in destination for bringing joy. Woohoo!
Three members of our Team descended on the park one morning last month: Honor Garrett (our awesome Summer Intern), Micah Mathews (our Wholesale Specialist) and myself. Our goal was to bring joy by giving out surprises to strangers, in the form of mini felt pennants printed with happy expressions.
Click the video, below, to see how it went!
When folks asked why they were receiving gifts, we proclaimed it National Babe Day, and explained our mission was to 'celebrate the babe in all of us.'
Some of our favorite recipients of 'Babe.' and 'Get It.' pennants? The very mature, the very young and the emotionally open (i.e., don't miss the clip of the awesome gentleman who crossed the lawn toward us, audibly [and adorably!] coming to terms with his babe-ness).
It was a beautiful, fun morning, and Honor, Micah and I finished it off with celebratory fresh fruit popsicles from Steel City Pops, who had a stand in the Park, and couldn't have been nicer. It was one of the best popsicles of my life - and those fruity, frozen miracles may actually have saved our lives, as the temps were sailing toward 100 degrees!
Hope you enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed the day!
xoxo,
Melinda
founder and creative director
Comments
You guys could not be more awesome. Long live Babe Day!