Memorial Park to open Saturday

Sierra Bush/Herald-Leader Don Clark, community development director, points to seating for patrons of the Chautauqua Amphitheater last Friday. Memorial Park and Chautauqua Amphitheater are slated to open Saturday at 10 a.m., a year and a week after city officials broke ground May 17, 2018.
Sierra Bush/Herald-Leader Don Clark, community development director, points to seating for patrons of the Chautauqua Amphitheater last Friday. Memorial Park and Chautauqua Amphitheater are slated to open Saturday at 10 a.m., a year and a week after city officials broke ground May 17, 2018.

Memorial Park and Chautauqua Amphitheater will open Saturday at 10 a.m., a year and eight days since city officials broke ground on the project.

"We're excited for the community to have this," said Holland Hayden, Siloam Springs' communications director.

Memorial Park features a small splash pad, the Chautauqua Amphitheater, gazebo, Killed In Action memorial, concession stand and an extended walkway for what will be the new home of the Siloam Springs Farmers Market.

Including the library, the park and amphitheater sprawl across almost five acres of land.

"Everything works together," said Don Clark, the city's director of community development. "It's simplistic, but beautiful with nature. We incorporated the natural features of the land so designs fit in with Siloam."

The project was funded by a $300,000 design excellence grant through the Walton Family Foundation and the three-eighths quality of life sales tax voters approved in November, Clark said. Total cost for the project was $3,255,893.

Community members not only monetarily impacted the project, but had a heavy hand in designing the project. Public meetings hosted design sessions in which community members voted for park features, where features would be located and how the overall park was to be laid out.

"The public's fingerprints are all over this design," Clark said.

CARBO Landscape Architecture, based in Baton Rouge, La., facilitated design and Milestone Construction Company, based in Springdale, executed construction and managed subcontractors.

Memorial Park facilities aren't available for rent, but community members are welcome to host birthday parties at the splash pad, perform acoustically on stage and generally enjoy the park year round, Clark said. The city will be responsible for scheduling events and managing amphitheater performances.

All features are free to the public. However, products dispensed by the concession stand or library may cost consumers.

"We're very excited; it's an added bonus for the area," said Dolores Deuel, library manager. "They can enhance each other. When it's hot outside, the library has air conditioning. Patrons can come in and relax and use the computers or check out a book."

General News on 05/22/2019