Last Saturday’s Party in the Park was a lot of fun for most people. Veterans Memorial Park came to life with contests and shaved ice vendors and other amenities that aren’t there every day.
There’s always one guy, though.
It was disconcerting to overhear someone complaining about the setup. Basically, he was unhappy because the south entrance on McKinley St. was blocked off to accommodate a car show. Therefore, he could not park there and had to proceed to the north entrance on McKinley. He found a spot in the first parking lot, which meant he would have to walk to the other side of the lake to see the car show.
Wow. A guy at a park had to walk 5 minutes to get to another part of the park. Might he also express outrage that there was no drive-through at the snow-cone trailer? How about fat-free cookies for the Oreo eating contest?! Why was there no air conditioning?!?
The city did a good job of organizing a full day, from the morning obstacle course to the nighttime concert and fireworks. Organizers do want to know what people liked, and how the party could be improved. Things can always be changed next year, assuming we have the resources and people willing to do this again next year. So, if you’re that one guy, or anyone else who wants to suggest an improvement, let the Great Bend Community Coordinator know. Her name is Christina Hayes and she works at the City Office, 1209 Williams St. The phone number is 793-4111 and her email address is chayes@greatbendks.net. Or, find Explore Great Bend on Facebook and leave a comment.
We enjoyed seeing what the park has to offer on a permanent basis, such as the disc golf course. The dog park within the park has been improved since it was added just a few years ago. Great Bend has some nice parks that are open year round; one even has a free zoo inside it. Why wait for a party to visit a park? Just remember to wear your walking shoes.