What the festival is
We're planning a festival in Cleveland Park on Saturday, September 26. Free, family-friendly, all afternoon into the evening (3-8 PM). The goal of the festival is to get the neighborhood and surrounding community together for a day of fun, and to raise money for the launch of Friends of Cleveland Park.
Vendor village
15-20 local artisans and makers along the walking path
Food trucks
4-6 trucks serving delicious local food
Live music
Throughout the afternoon
Kids' zone
Bouncy house, face painter, story corner
Pickleball tournament
On the soon-to-be-finished six new courts
Movie in the park
As the sun comes down
Our model
The Green Hills Park Festival is in its 10th year. It's a similar-size park in Nashville, and the festival has been crucial to raising money for park improvements and bringing their community together.
What is Friends of Cleveland Park?
Neighbors have long whispered about how to improve the park, and we've been discussing setting up a nonprofit to help for the last year. The "Friends of" a city park is a well-traveled model in Nashville - Friends of Shelby, Friends of Warner Parks, Friends of McCabe Park and others.
Now we're getting wheels moving for Cleveland Park with an event and fundraising plan to pay for 501(c)(3) setup and raise funds for the first park improvement projects.
Friends of Cleveland Park will be separate from but work with the Cleveland Park Neighborhood Association, focused exclusively on the park and open to non-residents. CPNA has been leading the charge in discussing and creating FoCP. There will be a clearer distinction over time, with likely a lot of overlap in personnel.
First-year priorities
These are intentionally small, actionable projects we can fund with the first dollars raised (open for discussion and additional input).
Pool improvements
We have a tremendous community asset with a public pool but it could use some improvements (shade?!) plus additional funds to help hire more lifeguards and expand pool hours.
An urban orchard or pollinator garden
Hands-on community planting for native plants as well as fresh vegetables.
Urban park art
A community-inspired commission from a local artist. A mural, sculpture, artistic crosswalk, or another piece to give our park some character.
A covered community bulletin board
Park map, neighborhood announcements, and a place to share what's happening.
Longer-term, FoCP will push for
Larger projects that need a longer runway and a mix of FoCP funds plus city advocacy.
A permanent off-leash dog park
Cleveland Bark - fits perfectly just behind the baseball field.
A longer paved walking loop
Run it along the railroad to complete a full loop of the park.
A new playground
One that's better than McFerrin Park's.
A 3-5 year community-led master plan
Listening sessions, pop-ups, and surveys leading to a real plan for Cleveland Park.
How to get involved
Chris Powers is organizing the festival and getting Parks permits with help from Susannah Hallagan, Zach Lykins, Kim Lovell, and Drew Wood. We need a lot more hands. Drop your name below and we'll route you to the right lane.
Save the date
RSVP so we can plan ahead, and add the day to your calendar. Or email fallfest@clevelandparktn.com with anything.