Christie Burns plays piano in a parking space on Main Street during PARK(ing) Day, when citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. Friday marked Chattanooga's seventh anniversary of participating in the international event.
Renee Nobles spins a wheel to win a prize from Bike Chattanooga in a parking space on Market Street during PARK(ing) Day on Friday, when citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. Friday marked Chattanooga's seventh anniversary of participating in the international event.Downtown parking spaces were full on Friday - like normal - except not with cars.
More than 50 miniature parks popped up in street parking spots as a part of Chattanooga's PARK(ing) Day event.
Pedestrians stopped to play chopsticks on a piano placed next to Miller Plaza, while a college drama team performed sketches for small audiences who gathered sipping coffee they received from a local coffee shop's park, all on the sidewalk of Market Street.
The event that brought this eclectic mix to downtown was PARK(ing) Day, an idea that was born in San Francisco as a way to draw attention to the importance of public spaces in urban areas. Chattanooga embraced the concept seven years ago, and for the past two years the River City Co. has organized the event.
"We are all about downtown and public spaces downtown, so it was a really good fit for us to come on board and help," said Amy Donahue, marketing and communications manager at River City, a downtown development organization.
Parks were set up along Frazier Avenue, around Miller Plaza, on Main Street and by the Tennessee Aquarium.
Community members as well as a variety of local companies and businesses elaborately decorated their parallel parking spaces, which are typically 9 feet by 20 feet, and were reserved for the event by CARTA.
The spaces were filled with decorations such as artificial turf, oriental rugs, a portable kitchen and a see-saw.
The Society of Work, which is a co-working space connected with the Lampost Group, brought its office outside and into a parking space. They set up chairs, plants, and a desk, allowing for people who use their space to work in a different and more public environment.
"I am normally stuck inside as a web developer, and so far I like being able to work outside," said Andrew League, a web developer with Waypaver, a local tech company, who was sitting in an office chair in the Society of Work's park.
Students from Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy painted a canvas with their ideas for the city, inviting members of the community to contribute their own thoughts at their park on Market Street.
Samantha Bautista, a CGLA 10th-grader, painted a series of connecting colored dots.
"I am combining colors, like how our community works," she said. "We are different, but connected."
Eighth-grader Kasidey Fischborn was excited to be outside of the classroom and in the park.
"This gives us a lot of opportunities," she said. "It's cool to get out and be downtown. I am getting to experience art with other people."
Down the street from CGLA's Park, the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra string quintet was performing a variety of members' favorite pieces under a tent. The musicians welcomed people who passed by to conduct for them.
Sarah Marczynski, the CSO's community engagement and education manager, said the organization was excited to "give people that have not been to a concert an opportunity to see us perform."
Longtime friends Barbra Harris and Freddie Ann Tittle made an out-of-the-ordinary trip downtown Friday, just to see the parks.
"It's just something fun to do," said Harris. "We like to see everything."
Helen Spain and Paige Walker, seniors at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, said that they normally would not be walking around the streets of downtown on a Friday morning, but the event brought them out.
"Fun interactions with so many different people like this are rare," Spain said. "I love seeing all these people out."
Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6592.