DENVER — A beloved Denver park is celebrating a milestone on Wednesday.
For almost 125 years, Washington Park — or Wash Park — has meant many things to many people.
“It’s one of those places where families come together for reunions, where people come to recreate, to play volleyball, to run, to walk. It’s a park that lives in the minds and hearts of people from all over the city,” said Denver Parks and Recreation Executive Director Jolon Clark.
Clark found his love for nature and his job at Wash Park.
“This is where I fell in love with nature, led me to the degree that I got, the job that I got,” he said.
People have loved Wash Park in different ways for more than a century. That includes Norm and Mary Lester, who have lived near the park their whole lives.
“We used to ice skate on the lake for many years. Norm said he remembered growing up ice skating,” said Mary.
“Swam over there, across the lake there, up until about 1947, '48 when the polio scare came up and closed it up,” said Norm.
Although you can’t ice skate on Smith Lake anymore, it is still at the center of many memories.
“It was part of my childhood," said Andy Barton, who lives nearby. "We would do crazy things like get pieces of liver from a grocer, tie a string around them, throw them out in the lake and pull crawdads out of the lake, put them in our pocket, and then our mother would find them later."
Barton continues to connect with this beloved space by painting scenes from the park.
“I paint the lily pond. You know, the passing of the light at the end of the day,” said Barton. “The more you know about something, the more you appreciate it.”
Lovers of Wash Park say memories are what keep it going all these years later.
“I think people around here, a lot of them have the luxury of time. They choose to use that time by meeting neighbors and spending time at the park. That’s important,” said Wash Park resident Rachel Simring.
The preservation and legacy of Wash Park are top of mind for visitors and nearby residents.
“It is this special place for us to come together as families, as a community, to get away from the hustle and bustle and the concrete. To really find nature without having to ever leave the city,” said Clark.
"Parks should be quiet, restful places, where you can recreate,” said Barton. “You can be who you want — while being mindful of others, of course — and just become part of nature.”
The organization Friends and Neighbors (FANS) of Washington Park is hosting a birthday celebration for the park on Wednesday. For a complete list of events, visit the FANS of Wash Park website.
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