Annual Park Day Reunion this weekend

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The annual Park Day reunion at Silver Springs Park will be this weekend, and there is a full lineup of events for the annual celebration.

President of the Silver Springs Reunion Club Leslie Hardin says it will be a weekend of family fun and bringing the community together.

Events at Silver Springs Park, like the parade and picnic, will have an upgrade this year. The renovations to the pavilion at Silver Springs wrapped up in June. This will be the first Park Day to use the newly renovated space.

The Park Day Reunion takes the neighborhood back to a time of long days spent at the historic park. Silver Springs was once the only park in Springfield where the black community was welcome.

Hardin says it is an important part of history to share with younger generations to keep the tradition alive.

"Some kids don't want to keep coming down to the park. They want to go other places and do other things," Hardin said. "But they always migrate and their parents seem to pull them back to Silver Springs Park and let them know the history and why it needs to stay in Silver Springs Park.

Silver Springs was and continues to be a community hub, which is what Park Day celebrates every year.

"I grew up here and I love it. And I remember coming back here every year," Hardin said. "I used to live like three blocks from here, and it was the thing you look forward to at the end of the summer before school started. You enjoyed coming and meeting your family and friends for a three-day weekend. It's just a family reunion."

Events for this year's Park Day start on Friday, Aug. 1, and are planned through Sunday, Aug. 3. The full list of events are listed below.

Friday August 1st

• Hospitality
  • features a DJ and food trucks
  • 8 pm - 12 am
  • 2902 E Division IBEW local 753
  • adults $10, kids 12 and under $5

Saturday August 2nd

• 36-hole Golf Tournament
  • 7am t-time
  • green hills country club / deer lake golf course
  • $150 per person
• Bowling Tournament
  • 9am -3pm
  • sunshine lanes 1500 w sunshine
• 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
  • 9am-11:30am
• Park Day Car Show
  • 9am-11:30am
• Park Day Parade
  • noon - 1 pm
• Kids Swim Silver Springs Pool
  • 1pm-6:30pm
  • $1 or free with canned food donation
• Free Community Picnic in the Park
  • 1:30pm-4pm
• Park Day Reunion Documentary "Together Apart"
  • 2:30 pm
  • Timmons hall
• Annual Scholarship Dance
  • 9pm-1am
  • ibew local 753 teamsters hall
  • $25

Sunday August 3rd

• Gold Tournamnet cont.
  • 7 am T-time
• Park Day Reunion Documentary "Together Apart"
  • 2:30 pm
  • Timmons Hall
• Gospel in the Park
  • 3 pm
• Bathing Beauty Contest
  • 6 pm - 7:30 pm