Tomorrow, the Graduate Hospital neighborhood will be abuzz with all sorts of activity, with volunteering opportunities in the morning, the dedication of a green space in the afternoon, and arts, food, drink, and entertainment into the evening. We’ll certainly be there, and you should too.

At 9am, early birds can go to Catharine Park at 22nd & Catharine to participate in Neighborhood Cleanup Day and help tidy up 22nd Street. By 10am, you’ll be able to enjoy coffee and snacks and meet your local police and firefighters at the park as SOSNA throws an Officer Appreciation Event. At noon, the SOSNA Arts Crawl will begin, with neighborhood businesses featuring works from community artists, and several businesses offering SOSNA-sponsored drinks. Participating businesses include Beauty Shop Cafe, Ultimo Coffee, SoWe, Sidecar, American Mortals, and NextFab Studios.

Catharine Park

The main event of the day, however, will take place at Julian Abele Park, which will be celebrating its grand re-opening. For kids, there will be lawn games and an obstacle course. For dog lovers, there will be a Red Paw adoption event. For everyone, there will be music, dancers, and some sweet sweet zumba. Additionally, there will be a 50/50 and a Silent Auction. Most importantly, you’ll get a chance to experience the brand-spanking new and improved green space, which now features a lush lawn, new benches, an awesome new fence, and a dynamite new storm water management system.

New entrance to the park

Looking north. More fence to come on 22nd Street next week

Northwest corner of the park

Plaque at the corner, mural in the background

It promises to be a day to remember in the neighborhood- a celebration of springtime, neighborhood businesses, and a green space that dozens of volunteers have worked to bring into existence for half a decade. Hope to see you there!