Sprucing Up

4 Austin neighborhood parks unveil plans for big improvements

Perry Park is getting $25,000 for construction of a new artificial turf soccer field.

Photo courtesy of Austin Parks

Four Austin parks are getting cool new amenities thanks to a new grant from Austin Parks Foundation. The organization has bestowed these neighborhood spaces with $130,000 to make specific improvements, such as adding a basketball court and a new trail.

These donations, known as Community Grants, are part of the Austin City Limits Music Festival Grants Program, and are given to local parks to support large, community-driven improvement projects. Projects typically cost between $5,000 and $50,000, and are usually identified by volunteers as needed improvements.

"Through all the change our city has seen over the past several months, parks have proven to be more vital than ever," said Ladye Anne Wofford, chief mission officer at Austin Parks Foundation. Indeed, as the city grapples with the pandemic, outdoor public spaces have been a refuge.

For the Fall 2020 program, APF has given money for the following improvements:

Gus Garcia District Park in Northeast Austin — $50,000 for the construction of a new basketball court
Kendra Page Neighborhood Park in Southeast Austin — $40,000 for the creation of a new perimeter trail and water fountain
Perry Park in Northwest Austin — $25,000 for construction of a new artificial turf soccer field
Patterson Neighborhood Park in East Austin — $5,000 for improvements to the baseball field

APF also announced that in addition to the community grants, it will also give $10,000 to Pease Park for the creation of signage to "acknowledging our history of slavery, segregation, and exclusion in order to create a public space that is welcoming to all."

"Park equity is always top of mind for us, and we’re honored to financially support community-initiated projects across our city through our grants program," Wofford continued. "We know our community will continue to seek refuge and play in our green spaces for years to come."

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MESSAGE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE

Austin theater auctions off chance to write message on iconic marquee

Paramount Theatre/Instagram

The Paramount Theatre is auctioning off the chance to share a holiday message on its marquee.

Austinites craving the limelight might get the chance to see their name in lights — or at least a personalized holiday message — illuminated on one of Austin’s most historic marquees.

As part of the Austin Theatre Alliance’s final 2020 auction to raise funds for the Paramount and Stateside theaters, the nonprofit is offering up an array of unusual and very “Austintatious” items for bid, including the chance to share a customized holiday message on the iconic Paramount Theatre marquee.

The auction item is one of several dozen currently up for bid through ATA’s online holiday auction, which runs through December 11.

With a starting bid of $1,500, the Paramount marquee message is one of the pricier items in the auction, but it may be well worth the glory, as the winning bidder can treat all of Austin to a two-line, 80-character custom holiday message that will be professionally photographed and live on the marquee for a minimum of four hours. (It should be noted that the chosen message is subject to review. After all, this is a nonprofit theater marquee, not the infamously sassy El Arroyo sign.)

Having to cancel or reschedule hundreds of planned shows because of COVID-19 concerns, the Paramount Theatre has had a particularly rough year but recently reopened at 25 percent capacity for limited engagements, like its Holiday Film Series, which is currently underway. Funds raised from the auction enable the ATA, which manages the Paramount and Stateside, to reach Central Texas students through virtual programs, employ venue staff, and help the historic theaters survive the pandemic.

In addition to the Paramount marquee message item, the auction also includes other perfectly weird items befitting a homegrown Austin event, like Matt Lankes photos of Willie Nelson playing chess and the late, great Billy Joe Shaver looking contemplative while perched on a bridge in Waco; and several autographed guitars, including one commemorative acoustic guitar signed by 10 of Austin’s most notable musicians, Ruthie Foster, Carrie Rodriguez, and Tameca Jones among them.

Of course, there is no lack of booze-forward packages, hotel stays, and artist-signed prints also up for grabs. But true lovers of the Paramount Theatre will find the item with the highest opening bid ($5,000) steals the show: a private catered dinner for four on the Paramount stage.

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