Happy Valentine's Day!
There's no better way to spend Valentine's Day than with your loved one. According to the Houston Chronicle for a romantic spot you should sit under a large oak tree in Memorial Park. Snuggle tight, it's cold out there!
It’s Rodeo Time! 
Saddle up your horses and get ready to bring in another fun year of good finger-lickin’ BBQ, music, cowboys, cowgirls and let’s not forget the sweet smell of livestock.
Since the mid-1950’s Memorial Park has been the overnight resting place for trail riders from all over Texas and beyond. It started with about 100 trail riders and has escalated to well over 6,000 riders. The riders camp out at the Park for an evening of celebration and then preparation for the next day’s Rodeo Parade that kicks off the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The use of the park for the Salt Grass Trail Ride evolved from a dare in 1952, to young rancher, Reese Lockett, appointed Arena Director for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. After complaining to some friends about being delayed by a flight and swearing to travel by horseback, Lockett was dared to ride from his ranch in Brenham to Houston for the Rodeo. Lockett and some friends rode in on the route that pioneer cattlemen used to drive in their stock. KPRC radio and journalist, Pat Flaherty, covered this newsworthy event.
To keep the balance between tradition and the wellbeing of the park, MPC and HPARD needs volunteers on Saturday, February 17, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. We want to run flagging that defines trailer parking and camping areas for the trail riders. Please contact Deb Taylor, deb@memorialparkconservancy.org.
Memorial Park Bridge Competition
We are delighted to announce that Rice Design Alliance (RDA) will hold its annual day-long charrette to design a new pedestrian/bicycle bridge along the Southern Pacific Railroad. With the new bridge in place, pedestrians will safely and easily cross from the north to the south side of the park.
University of Houston and Rice University architecture and engineering students as well as professionals will be invited to participate in the juried competetion in August 2007. RDA has conducted several design charrettes, including a call for design solutions for a mixed-use, residential, and retail urban space and the readaptation of the Astrodome.
Rice Design Alliance is a nonprofit organization focused on providing an open on-going dialogue about "advancement of architecture, urban design and the built environment" in the Houston region. Through lectures, a publication, Cite: The Architecture and Design Review of Houston, competitions, and other events, RDA has been helping architecturally beautify Houston. To learn more about Rice Design Alliance go to www.rda.rice.edu. Details to be announced soon.
Bayou City Art Festival’s Tenth Anniversary 
The Bayou City Art Festival will celebrate its tenth year in Memorial Park on Friday, March 23 through Sunday, March 25. Memorial Park Conservancy will teach "feather art" and sell seed paper ornaments. We need volunteers to assist with the crafts table, sales and promotion of MPC. To volunteer, contact Deb Taylor, Volunteer Coordinator, deb@memorialparkconservancy.org
Planting an Urban Forest
Knee-deep mud, once-clean shovels, thin droplets of rain showering the earth, volunteers and 20,000 trees provided for a recipe for environmental success.
Memorial Park Conservancy brought volunteers from BP, ChevronTexaco and Bellaire High School’s Student Environmental Association-Animal Rights Knowledge Club (SEA-ARK) to help out. They worked hand-in-hand with volunteers from many other organizations. Over 1,500 assisted Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s in planting over 16,000 trees on nine esplanades along Will Clayton Parkway on Saturday, January 27.
Though the combination of mud and rain made volunteers feel like they entered "the trenches," the positive energy of people working together could be felt throughout the entire event. Memorial Park Conservancy, along with others, were recognized by the City of Houston with a proclamation supporting Arbor Day.
Veterans Day Memorial (Jan 14 - 20)
On the cold afternoon of Saturday, January 13 and in memory of the 3,000 casualties in Iraq, nearly 30 volunteers from Veterans For Peace, Chapter 12 (VFP 12), Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), and CodePINK placed flags at the intersection of Memorial Drive and the east entrance to Picnic Lane on the south side of Memorial Drive. Memorial Park Conservancy offers condolences to the families and friends of those lost in service to our country.
Park Points
· Memorial Park is the 37th largest urban park in the United States, making it larger than New York City’s Central Park.
· Memorial Park has 10,000 users per day and four million users annually.
Information provided by Center for City Park Excellence, Trust for Public Land
Through your generous support and your helping hands, we continue to work in cooperation with HPARD to enhance the park. For more information on Memorial Park Conservancy, upcoming events and volunteer/membership opportunities go to www.memorialparkconservancy.org or just give us a call, 713.863.8403.
Washington On Washington Parade
In celebration of Texas’ independence from Mexico, Super Neighborhood #22 is hosting a parade on Washington Ave. at 10 a.m. Saturday March 3.
The parade will begin at Washington Avenue from Heights Boulevard to Memorial Park. It’s free and open to the public.
Washington Ave is one of the original streets and acted as a major road into Houston for development and establishing the beautiful city that it is today. The purpose of the parade is to recognize this historical marker and work towards unifying the surrounding communities. Each block will have a theme dedicated to the history of a decade. For instance, the Woodcrest Neighborhood Civic Association (WNCA) has chosen "now + into the future" in effort to encourage a vision of urban mobility with reduced reliance on fossil fueled vehicles and using other modes of transportation instead.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Houston and details of the parade go to www.wowtheparade.com.
Got a Story?
If you have a story or would like to share news about and/or photos of the park, send it to ileya@memorialparkconservancy.org. We’re always looking for fresh views; we would love to hear from you.
