When I was growing up in Austin, Tx, my parents took me and my sisters to many different parks and I NEVER got the feeling of a 'ghost town' (or 'ghost park') as I do today when my wife and I try to turn my kids on to the park scene. There were families barbequeing, people throwing frisbees, cub scout troops holding meetings, and usually a highlighted performance of some kind like a puppet show, magician, or musicians. Yes, there was always a healthy supply of noise and eye-candy for the bored at the local parks...not to mention it went on until dark and wasn't just on the weekends!
Now some would argue this lack of interest in the parks is a direct result of murderous bastards lurking behind every bush waiting to steal our kids (thank you Henry Lee Lucas and countless others)...some would blame the invention of videogames (thank you whoever the hell you are...I loves me some Galaga)...some would blame the heat (come on, it was hot then too...check out the Farmer's Almanac)...but I think it's probably all of the above plus some other individually-specific things and sheer lack of initiative when faced with a trip to a 'ghost park'.
The City of Austin wants to 'GO GREEN', it wants to tout its music, film and entertainment industry (e.g. "Live music capitol of the world"), and it wants to support its local businesses and economy as best it can...but it needs GREAT ideas with GREAT support and even the chance to come out looking like 'trend-setters' rather than a city just trying to cope with planning issues.
I love my hometown and want to see it shine like the star on the map it is! I would like to see GREEN SHOWS in neighborhood parks! I have been thinking about this for awhile and have bounced it off many. I have come up with the following ideas for the model of a neighborhood GREEN SHOW:
- GREEN power (solar preferably, biodiesel gen if necessary)
- GREEN local vendors
- local artists, performers, crew
- FREE admission of course...asking for vendor and artist patronage and donations
- movie-night possibility
- LED lighting
- misting system to cool crowd and performers (water to be filtered\collected rainwater) attached to popup canopies
- multiple park sites allow for 'tour' for local acts to be created! Promotion to be done for acts as yet more incentive to join in the cause!
- encourage local school activities such as jazz bands, choirs, drama teams, etc...to book time 'on stage' or in the 'tour'
- utilize to the best of our abilities the 'reduce', reuse', 'recylcle' methods for keeping the events GREEN
What say you all?
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