No Winter at Kauffman Park's Winter Event? No Problem

The Kauffman Park Friends — a community group focused on supporting and improving the park — were all set for winter weather during the group’s seasonal festival this Sunday.

Then, it got warm and the snow melted.

But the celebration of is slated to go on — come rain, snow, sunshine or mud.

"So instead of snow sculpting, sledding and ice skating, we are making plans for a scavenger hunt for the kids, and hope to enjoy drinking cocoa with our neighbors around a fire,” said Dan Alaimo, a spokesman for the Kauffman Park Friends. “We hope many will join us.”

The free event is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Kauffman Park. The event is free and open to the public.

Much has been happening recently at the park — which was once considered for commercial development. That idea was met with plenty of opposition, and laid the foundation for the formation of the KPF organization.

Alaimo said the group has plenty to be proud of.  The Friends have launched several projects to improve the park near Detroit and Andrews avenues during that last couple years.

There are now basketball courts at the park. The outfield fence was brought in so that the two sides of the park are now connected. The area that formerly contained a long-defunct miniature golf course has been cleared, so there is more open space.

And an old, dead tree has been taken down.

Also, a garden has been going for a couple of years. Kauffman is also one of two parks in the city where people are allowed to walk their dogs on-leash — in a special pilot program.

The group eventually hopes to raise money for future projects.

But on Sunday, the organization hopes to show off some of its hard work — even if winter activities are out of the question. 

"Our main goal is to bring people into Kauffman Park,” said Alaimo, who lives 12 houses away from the park. “Once there, we hope they will see the improvements the city has made so far that open up space for more activities.”