The 4th annual Picnic Music and Arts Festival was on Saturday in Portland's Lincoln Park. I'd love to see the park utilized like this more often. In addition to the "Winter Picnic" that was put on last year at an indoor location, I think a couple more summer Picnic's would be successful without being too much. Anyhow, here are some photos from this year's event:
You can check out the listing of vendors that were at the event here, most of whom also sell their goods online. I'm not sure if they have reached the limit of vendors, but I'm thinking of applying for a spot at next year's event. You will hear about it here if I decide to go that route.
Hey Corey - I was at Picnic for the first time this year, and it was pretty cool. Even with the Sidewalk Art Festival happening up the street, it drew at least 1,000 people at a sustained rate. I have to say, from an urban planning perspective, Lincoln Park may actually have some potential after all. I used to think it was just a wasted space, and full of strange people. But after experiencing it with people, activity, shops, etc., it really was something quite nice. The paths are enjoyable to walk through, it is conveniently located, and more importantly for my interests, it casts the city in a totally new perspective. Seeing the steeple and franklin towers through the trees really made me think I was somewhere else. If the surrounding land uses were better in that area, as some people plan to make happen, this place could see activity like this all day long, like the pocket parks in the Old Port do, sort of also like Boston Common does on an obviously much smaller scale. Anyway, thanks for the pics of this event I had before now never heard of. I guess it happens in the winter, too?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Patrick. I had a similar realization when I attended the first Picnic. Lincoln Park is pretty underutilized most of the time. In fact, I think the only time the fountain is turned on is during this event. It's a prime spot, right between downtown/the old port and Munjoy Hill, and if the surrounding areas (top of the old port parking lot and Franklin Street for example) are properly developed in the future then I think it will help Lincoln Park reach its full potential. The winter picnic has been held in the Irish Heritage Center/St. Dominic's Church on State Street.
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