The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation (TEC-CDC) and The Walnut Hill Community Association are inviting neighbors to participate in the celebration of Park(ing) Day and Grand Opening of the new community park near 46th and Market this Friday (Sept. 20). The new park at the Walnut Hill community farm will extend into the street along the 4600 block of Market, with food, music, pumpkin carving, and tours of the farm and garden. Community members are welcome to stop by between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to have fun and show their support. The ribbon cutting is at 10 a.m.

The park, named “Max Paul Park” (local businessman Brad Paul partnered with TEC-CDC to complete this project and dedicated it to his father, Max Paul), is meant to “capture the importance of creating safe, beautiful and dynamic spaces for community residents to enjoy. ”

Park(ing) Day has become an annual tradition where parking spaces across the city and country are taken over for a day for use as public park space. The event celebrates parks and other public spaces in cities, and raises awareness of the need for more pedestrian-friendly spaces in our urban areas. The number of parks throughout Philadelphia increases dramatically each year on the second Friday in September, when activists, artists, architects, and other citizens transform metered parking spaces into temporary public parks. You can read more about this event and check out other locations for such parks on the Park(ing) Day website (some other West Philly locations include: near People’s Emergency Center at 40th and Lancaster, CityLights Network at 58th and Woodland, and 34th and Walnut).