Residents plan street festival to celebrate revamped Patriot Park

When Patriot Park’s $400,000 facelift is completed later this month, a group of West Homewood residents will do its part to make it a city-wide celebration.

Justin Limbaugh is part of the group of neighbors organizing a street festival at the park Friday, Oct. 23. The goal, said Limbaugh, is that Homewood residents from across the city attend the event.

“We’ve got a brand new toy,” said Limbaugh. “We need to play with it. This will give everyone a good excuse to come see Patriot Park and hang out with their neighbors. This is not limited to a West Homewood thing.”

Oak Grove will be blocked off from 4-10 p.m., Limbaugh said, and the event will run from 5-9 p.m. Food vendors, live bands and a children’s area will all be part of the celebration. Limbaugh said the official lineup will be announced in the coming days. Residents are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and coolers to take part in the fun.

Homewood Ward 2, Place 1 city councilman Fred Hawkins, who was heavily involved in the park’s revamp, said the changes will be beneficial on a variety of levels. When the work is complete, residents can look forward to new sidewalks, better crosswalks, improved parking, pedestrian lighting and general beautification of the area.

“It’s a street-scape project,” said Hawkins. “Along with improving the area’s walkability, the project will also give a big boost to the neighborhood’s property values.”

Limbaugh said the project has been in the works for years, the result of a study funded by a federal grant. The money for engineering and construction of the area, he said, was all provided by the city.