Burnett Park to Re-open with Ribbon Cutting and Week-long Celebration of Events
22 Apr 2010
by: Megan Henderson
RIBBON CUTTING AND REDEDICATION
Downtown Fort Worth’s Burnett Park – centrally located between West 7th, 10th, Cherry and Lamar Streets – will reopen at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 5, at 11:30 a.m. The public is invited to the Cinco de Mayo celebration which will include remarks by Mike Moncrief, Mayor of Fort Worth; Peter Walker of Peter Walker Architects; V. Neils Agather, Executive Director of The Burnett Foundation; Richard Zavala, Director of Parks and Community Services for the City of Fort Worth; and Bob Jameson, Chairman of the Board of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
"The needs of the people who live and work in Downtown Fort Worth are changing, and Burnett Park is a response to those changes," said Bob Jameson. "We feel that the new features of the park will encourage a lot more public activity in this space, and make it downtown's new backyard."
The newly renovated park features a "great lawn" for concerts and other events, playground equipment for children, enhanced lighting, updated landscaping, and new tables and chairs. Peter Walker & Partners, which handled the last Burnett Park renovation in 1984, returned to Fort Worth to design the newest innovations to the park. The renovation was made possible by funding from the Burnett Foundation. Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. (DFWI), which has managed the park since 1985, also coordinated the redesign process in cooperation with the City of Fort Worth. Land for the park was originally deeded to the city in 1919 by Samuel Burk Burnett, founder of the Four Sixes Ranch and a prominent Fort Worth leader. The park has been renovated and updated several times over the decades.
Ballet Folklorico “Azteca” de Fort Worth – Celebrating 35 Years of Dance!
Entertainment on May 5 will be presented by Ballet Folklorico “Azteca” de Fort Worth, who is celebrating 35 years of dance this year. Ballet Folklorico “Azteca” was originally established in 1975 as Fort Worth’s first Folklorico group. Today, the company is the community’s most recognized Mexican folk dance organization.
“I began dancing with Ballet Folklorico ‘Azteca’ in 1975 when I was 12 years old,” said Carol Alvarado, Artistic Director for the company for the past 12 years. “My parents were co-founders of this group, and all of my four children have danced with the company at one time or another.” Ballet Folklorico “Azteca” de Fort Worth is the community’s oldest and largest Folklorico dance group. Its mission is to promote Mexican heritage and promote multi-cultural understanding by teaching culture and history through dance and music to youth and adults, thereby preserving traditions and instilling pride.
For more information about Ballet Folklorico “Azteca” de Fort Worth, visit www.bfazteca.com.
RE-OPENING CEREMONIES
Burnett Park will spring back to life as the construction fence comes down to unveil this downtown park’s dynamic new features!
Fitness in the Park! A Burnett Sunrise Stretch: Tuesday, May 11th -Friday, May 14th
6:00AM - 10:00 AM
Look for a variety of morning fitness activities to take place on the new Great Lawn of Burnett Park as local health guru Kelsey de la Torre hosts the talent and energy of many of Fort Worth's premier Pilates, yoga and fitness studios in morning exercise classes. Exact schedule to follow shortly!
Brown-Bag Concerts in the Park: A Burnett Lunch Date: Tuesday, May 11- Friday, May 14
Noon - 1:30 PM
Enjoy a lunch time concert series with special brown bag lunches for sale courtesy of downtown restaurants including Reata, Embargo, Cowtown Diner and Cantina Laredo. Highlights of the week-long music series include the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra quartet on Tuesday, Trey & the Tritones on Wednesday, a Thursday performance by the Fort Worth Opera and Beatles tribute band, Me & My Monkey, on Friday. Music begins daily at noon!
Popcorn in the Park! A Burnett Movie Night: Friday, May 14th
8:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Join us on Friday evening, May 14, as the lights come down and the screen goes up for the premier of Burnett Park’s movie night. Grab your picnic blanket and friends for a night beneath the stars as we bring back memories of the past with cult favorite Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on the big screen.
Kid’s Party in the Park! A Burnett Family Play Day: Saturday, May 15th
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Burnett Park will be full of children’s activities and adventures on Saturday, May 15 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Entertainment includes roaming buskers from the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and live stage performances from Kids Who Care throughout the day. Also performing will be the Youth Orchestra of Greater Fort Worth, Texas Boys Choir, Ballet Folklorico de Fort Worth, and Lyndale the Lion, the Central Library’s children’s literacy ambassador! The YWCA will host story time for children ages 0-5 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am and the YMCA family fitness obstacle course begins at 1:00 pm! Join us for adventure, family fun and fantastic entertainment!
Swing in the Park! A Burnett Big Band Concert: Saturday, May 15th
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Ready your dance shoes as Burnett Park welcomes Ricki Derek and his Big Band on Saturday, May 15th. On May 14, 1998, the world lost entertainer extraordinaire Frank Sinatra. That same year, Ricki Derek began his career with his first crooning performance. As a tribute to this important twelve year anniversary, Derek will be performing a Frank Sinatra Tribute show with his 16-piece Big Band. The first half of the show will feature all of the tunes from Sinatra’s famous Count Basie collaborative album, “It Might as Well Be Swing.” The second half of the show will be nothing but the hits and feature many of the songs we all know and love. Big Daddy Alright, exciting swing masters in their own right, are the opening act. Come to dance along the granite walkways or to simply sing along, just don’t miss this electrifying tribute!!!