Tour of Reid Park- Tucson, AZ
Reid Park is the major city park in Tucson, AZ. When I lived in Tucson, I visited Reid Park for a walk through the flower gardens, to feed the ducks in the ponds, to hear the Tucson Symphony Orchestra play concerts under the stars during the summer, or to play my cello in outdoor concerts with the Civic Orchestra of Tucson myself.
The Reid Park Zoo is located here, as well as major baseball fields where the Colorado Rockies would do their Spring Training games. They no longer practice there, but even as the least sports-interested person in the world, I enjoyed watching the professionals play in a more intimate stadium.
My friends and I used to walk the track/path surrounding the park for exercise and long chats. We would play on the swings at night or watch the tennis players whack their rackets through the air. My Bible Study friends orchestrated epic ultimate Frisbee games on the large lawns, and innumerable brides or teenagers celebrating their quincineras posed for pictures under the Eucalyptus trees. (The only tall trees in Tucson, it seems.)
Most of all, my family visited Reid Park for various birthday parties under the ramadas or walk through stalls at craft fairs. There was an antique car show held on the grounds once, and every year my family took our dog Sugar to the "Pet Fair." I have since discovered that it is called "The Arizona Animal Fair", but whichever name it carries, the fair was one of my favorite events at Reid Park. Since I adore animals, any chance to "rub noses" with dog breeds I rarely came across, to watch a man demonstrate natural horsemaship training methods in a pen, to learn folklore behind the markings on a donkey, or to learn about the rescue groups in the community was a welcome and diverting activity.
City parks are a hub for community events and the local life of the surrounding people. These parks are places for city-dwellers to seek a bit of respite and beauty in their daily hubbub. If the city utilizes the space well, their parks can be a place of learning, culture, and fostering a sense of community in a potentially isolating locale. If you are in Tucson, or are planning a visit there, check out the events and sights at Reid Park.
Polar Bear in the Reid Park Zoo, 2009
A couple of the park's water features
Demonstrating horse training
Sugar enjoying the "Pet Fair"/Animal Fair
A cheeky llama at the fair
Native Americans readying themselves for a presentation
A man playing a steel guitar on a picnic table
Car Show
A rose in full bloom
The Reid Park Zoo is located here, as well as major baseball fields where the Colorado Rockies would do their Spring Training games. They no longer practice there, but even as the least sports-interested person in the world, I enjoyed watching the professionals play in a more intimate stadium.
My friends and I used to walk the track/path surrounding the park for exercise and long chats. We would play on the swings at night or watch the tennis players whack their rackets through the air. My Bible Study friends orchestrated epic ultimate Frisbee games on the large lawns, and innumerable brides or teenagers celebrating their quincineras posed for pictures under the Eucalyptus trees. (The only tall trees in Tucson, it seems.)
Most of all, my family visited Reid Park for various birthday parties under the ramadas or walk through stalls at craft fairs. There was an antique car show held on the grounds once, and every year my family took our dog Sugar to the "Pet Fair." I have since discovered that it is called "The Arizona Animal Fair", but whichever name it carries, the fair was one of my favorite events at Reid Park. Since I adore animals, any chance to "rub noses" with dog breeds I rarely came across, to watch a man demonstrate natural horsemaship training methods in a pen, to learn folklore behind the markings on a donkey, or to learn about the rescue groups in the community was a welcome and diverting activity.
City parks are a hub for community events and the local life of the surrounding people. These parks are places for city-dwellers to seek a bit of respite and beauty in their daily hubbub. If the city utilizes the space well, their parks can be a place of learning, culture, and fostering a sense of community in a potentially isolating locale. If you are in Tucson, or are planning a visit there, check out the events and sights at Reid Park.
Polar Bear in the Reid Park Zoo, 2009
A couple of the park's water features
Demonstrating horse training
Sugar enjoying the "Pet Fair"/Animal Fair
A cheeky llama at the fair
Native Americans readying themselves for a presentation
A man playing a steel guitar on a picnic table
Car Show
A rose in full bloom
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