sPark! July 19, 2008

Duration: until Sunday, July 20th (with a little luck).

Its time for a sPark of greenery to take hold in Calgary!

Note: there will be a brief 30 minute organizing meeting on Monday, July 14th, at 20:30 (8:30PM) in the public space inside Eau Claire Market to firm-up details. All are welcome, because help is needed, welcomed, and encouraged - even if you are just offering to hold a pitchfork.

We'll be taking over some metered parking spots on 17th Avenue and creating a park, complete with plants, trees, and a bit of landscaping. The idea is to build community, to create awareness, to have a blast, and perhaps even "Reclaim the Street". All that is necessary is to show up at some point on Saturday and have fun or relax in the park. But your help is needed too! A successful sPark will need the following ingredients in addition to the awesome people just having a good time:


- Musicians
What are Earthlings without music? Well, we're still pretty cool... but the dancing is way niftier when we're all taking part in the same music. There are a couple of musical groups and/or people already committed to coming. But do invite more (and have them RSVP)

- Artists
Sidewalk chalking. Spontaneous sculpting? Street theatre. Mandala painting (Approval is necessary - so maybe next time... but check out Sunnyside's Mandala. Awesome!)

- Musical instruments
So you can play. It?s a kitchen party, but with a garden instead of a kitchen. So... okay, its really a garden party.

- A pickup truck or two.
For transporting soil/mulch and trees and shurbs to the site on Saturday morning. Given the limited number of bicycles with trailers available to us, the trucks are necessary. For future events, we'll get creative.

- Wheelbarrows
They're a statement in, and of, themselves


- Chalk
- Other art supplies
- Shrubberies
- Trees
- Transportable vegetables/herbs (for food garden portion)
- Paving stone/Sandstone for pathways/seats
- Seats
- Fence posts of some sort (to rope-off the park from the street side)
- Bark Mulch
- Composter
- Shovels
- Other Garden implements (Trowels, Rakes, etc)
- Lemonade Stand
- Baked goods! For passers-by and everyone else!
- Heck, any kind of food or drink. For potluck.
- Humans willing to help create the park at 0900 on Saturday morning.
Many hands make light work and a lot of fun.

There will be more events like this to come. After a few events, we could quite possibly be shutting down entire sections of street for spontaneous parties and mandala painting, creating larger parks, or simply just more simultaneous parks in different parts of the city.
Please contact us at [email protected] for any suggestions, ideas, offers of help, and to co-ordinate. Your input and help is both welcome and necessary to make this a success.

Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=29205486281