Taste of Annandale to feature ‘demonstration park’

The first “demonstration park” took place in June at the Annandale Fire Station. It had to be moved indoors due to heavy rain.  [OCR]

If you didn’t visit the “demonstration park” hosted by the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization (OCR) in June, you’ll get another chance at the Taste of Annandale.

OCR is planning a small urban park/civic space in the parking lot at the ACCA Child Development Center (CDC). To gauge community feedback on what kinds of activities and facilities the park should have, OCR invites the community to drop by a “demonstration park” during the Taste of Annandale.

The Taste of Annandale is a family-friendly festival on Saturday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., on Tom Davis Drive with food vendors, live entertainment, a 5K race, pet contest, chili cook-off, and more.

The demonstration park will be on the right side of the parking lot of the CDC at 7200 Columbia Pike, directly across the street from the main action of the Taste of Annandale. The CDC will host a full day of children’s entertainment and events during the festival, such as puppet shows, sing-alongs, and games.

Visitors to the demonstration park will have a chance to review concepts and vote for their favorite design for the proposed, innovative park. There will be fun, family-friendly activities, including a chance to win prizes.

After reviewing feedback from the public, OCR is expected to create a conceptual design for the park by the end of the year, and the new park should open in summer 2019.

When the CDC isn’t in session – on weekends and in the evenings – the park space could be expanded for larger events and activities, such as a farmers’ market or outdoor fitness classes.

The OCR sees this project as a way to improve community engagement in an area that doesn’t have any outdoor public gathering spaces. Ultimately, OCR hopes to spark mixed-use redevelopment in Annandale with a more walkable environment and a network of small urban parks, as envisioned in the Annandale comprehensive plan.