City of Albuquerque Invites Neighborhoods to Help Activate City Parks

The City of Albuquerque today announced a new initiative to partner with neighborhood groups and other organizations to bring community-led arts, culture, and educational programming to City parks. The Neighborhood Park Activate program – led by the City’s Parks & Recreation and Cultural Services Departments – is designed to activate our parks in a way that brings neighbors together and helps improve public safety.

“Busy parks make for vibrant, safer parks,” stated Dave Simon, Director of Parks & Recreation. “Parks and Cultural Services are excited to partner with the community to bring more activities to our excellent city parks.”

“We want to engage community organizers by connecting them to city resources that can help transform the city’s outdoor gathering spaces into new and lively spaces for recreation and enjoyment,” Dr. Shelle Sanchez, Director of Cultural Services, said.

The City of Albuquerque boasts 289 City parks and has more park and Open Space land per capita than any other city in the country. The goal of the Neighborhood Park Activate initiative is to help neighborhood groups take full advantage of these green spaces in our communities and in turn make our parks even more inviting places for kids and families to thrive.

Under the Neighborhood Park Activate program, the City’s Parks & Recreation and Cultural Services Departments will award sponsorships ranging from $250 to $1,500 to Neighborhood Park Activate organizers who offer a solid plan for small- to medium-size, free public programs in a City park—such as a community picnic, performing arts event, sports/recreation day, movie night, or other art/cultural event. Organizations can apply for a grant to enhance existing programs or events or to help launch new opportunities. Funds are available for proposed events between March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020. The City requests lead time of at least 90 days prior to an event for project review and planning.

In addition to the sponsorships, the City will work with each applicant to potentially help provide other resources, such as tents, tables, chairs, and lights. These requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and will depend on availability. The City’s contribution to an event or program cannot exceed 50 percent of the total resources needed for the event.

Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to, neighborhood groups, associations, non-profits, and educational institutions. Those interested in applying for a sponsorship can do so online at: https://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/neighborhood-park-activate.